The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1888-06-12

Our Contemporaries in Line.
Our esteemed contemporaries, the At
lsnta Constitution and Augusta Chronicle,
have adopted the wise course Of putting
themselves in harmony with the demo
cratic party on the tariff issue, and doubt
less they feel much happier than they
have for several years. They ma lie a vigor-
oDs fight for the repeal Of the internal reve-
me laws, and against the reduction OF the
tsTiH IS proposed by the democratic
majority Of the house, They
were not sustained At the
recent siste convention in Atlanta
they discovered that the sentiment
Of the party in the state was overwhelm-
ingiy against them, and just as overwhelnl-
Ingly in favor Of the position that has
always been occupied by the MORNING
News Indeed they had hardly = corporal's
guard al their back. This must have been
very disappointing and discouyaging to
them, but they hoped, doubtless,
that the national convention would
adopt q platform that would afford
had pursued with respect 10 the tariff. Was
their hope reAlizedl It was not. The plat
form Of 1884 was resfiirmed, but with an
Interpretation that left no doubt If its
meaning. The tariff reformers always in
sisted that that platform was declaration
in favor Of tariff raiuciion This interpre-
tatiou protection democrats denied They
have no longer any room for denial The
national convention declared that the PreSi-
II.
esteemed contemporaries, the Constitution
and ChroRielc. unqualifedly condemned
was correct Interpretation Of the platform
Of 1884.
1t appears, therefore. that the protection
democrats and our esteemed contemporaries
above referred To- have been out Of line
with the democracy, and thst they were
wholly mistaken in their construction of
the platform Of 1884 This matter is not
referred TO now for the purpose of empha-
sizing the fact thst our esteemed contempt
raries were wrong and that the MORNING
News was right IN the tariff discussion that
has been going on in the state for many
months, but to bring forward prominently
the fact that they have abandoned their
mistaken course, and during the campaign
about opening viii be found working ear
nestly for the democratic party and demo-
cratic principles.
What their course will be after the
campaign is over 1t is, of course, impossib BILE
to say, but perhaps they will become so
thoroughly convinced during the next five
months that tariff reduction is a neces-
sity that they will remain earnest advo-
Gates of it. The promise of the ConStitt-
ton is in the following words:
Every plank of the platform
we shall defend, and every principle
of proclaimed party policy we shall
champion to the best Of our ability. Until
the sun sets on Nov. 6, we shall give the
best that in us lies to this woodworking
nothing, deDrecating nothing, but standing
honestly and earnestly by every article of
democratic faith" The Chronicle speaks
of itself as back in the party as an accred
tied agent of it, and this certainly sounds
as if it had abandoned forever the
tariff line upon which it has been earnestly
and no doubt, sincerely battling.
Both of our esteemed contemporaries
skirmished a little before taking the final
plunge, but now that it is over and they are
once more shoulder to shoulder with dem
ocracy, they doubtless feel much better.
And there is another thing that ought to
afford them great satisfaction. 1t is that
they made no impression upon the dem
ocratic masses of the state while following
their mistaken course The sentiments ex-
pressed by the recent state convention leave
no doubt on that point.
The presidential campaign will be fought
on the tariff issue, and it is important that
the people should have harmonious teach
ings from democratic journals on that issue,
as well as all others The national demo-
cratic platform Endorses the efforts of the
democratic representatives in congress to
secure a reduction of excessive taxation.
This is an article Of democratic faith, and
as the Constitution has promised TO stand
honestly and earnestly by every article of
democratic faith" it will now, doubtless,
earnestly advocate the passage of the Mills
bill And the Chronicle, now that it is an
accredited agent Of the party, will lso
probably give that bill its earnest support.