The Bottineau pioneer. (Bottineau, N.D.) 1885-1895, 1888-06-07
Reviewing the Fight.

1t is now nearly six months since the
presidents message forced upon congress
and the country the issue OF Tariff Reform.
General debate in the house upon the
Mills bill, framed in response to that mes.
sage, closed recently. What has been
gained within this half.year, and what is
the present outlook for the presidents
policy?
l. It has been demonstrated that the
cry OF "Free Trade" no longer alarms the
country. The Mills Bill has been persist.
emily called a "Free Trade measure"
Workingmen have been told that high
wages depend upon high taxes. Capital
And yet it is a striking factthat the old ap'
peal, formerly SO effective. has
fallen fiat. Not ever in New York, the
greatest of manufacturing cities, could a
significant meeting be drummed up to pro.
test against tariff reduction. Outside OF
politics there has been no demonstration
of popular d%isapproval. The Republican
appeal to the fears OF the w~orkingmen has
been a complete failure.
9. The President has united his party
upon this issue as it has not been united
upon any great question since the close OF
the war. MI. Cleveland did not carry his
party with him on C~ivil-Service Reform.
He failed to secure it's sympathy in his sill
yer scare. But upon Tariff Reform he has
a united Democracy at his back, and the
party thus united will give the President q
unanimous denomination. chiefly because
he stands AZ the champion OF Tax Reduc.
ton and Tariff Reform. It is a gain polit.
ically to have the party thus united upon
q policy and q leader.
g.. The educative effect of the discussion
has been considerable. Some ignorance
has been enlightened, some prejudice has
been removed and public attention has
surplus and the injustice OF unnecessary
taxation. Not in many years before has
there been SO able q debate In Congress- or
sucha widespread discussion in in the
press of q governmental policy as that
which the Presidents essageinyoked.
A. In spite of all this, the fate OF the Mills
Bill is in doubt, even in the. Democratic
House. Though born OF the Presidents
message, embodying the Democratic policy
and presenting clearly the issue upon
which the Presidential campaign must
be fought, it's passage by the House
depends upon whether q dozen
protectionist Democrats vote rs their
inclnations dictate, OF. vote with
their party for the sake ofcohesion: Doubt
on this point was increased by the refusal
of the Democratic Convention in New York
timidity encourages hesitating members tc
consult their own NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. the
interests Of their party. For q failure te
pass the Mills Bill will Inevitably injure tht
party. 1t will leave tw~elve.year- old pledges
still unredeemed. 1t will demonstrate fol
the third time Democratic inability to leg
islate on the most Important question be
fore the Government.
| s.. Whatever may b., the fate of th'
Mills Bill; the issue is joined, and there il
no escape from it. tt grows out Of 9 new
irrepressible conflict between two antagon
istic ideas; Tariff Reform against a Tariff
pr5Surplus-a Freer Trade against Over
Protection. On this issue the Presidential
campaign must be and will be fought.-N
x. World.