Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1888-11-30
FRIDAY MORNING. NOV. 80, 1855.

out for the observation of the country on
is,that in one short campaign of five months
the Democratic party killed stone dead an
issue on which its antagonists had traded
for a quarter Of a century. The
present War Tariff which had come to be
worsiipped and defended as sort of
party idol, was, in that brief space of
time slain beyond the possibility of resur-
rection. No appreciate portion of that
party will ever be heard advocating it
again. While the Democracy by peril
ously narrow margin lost the field. they
were victorious on the issue. There is
not Republican to-day. of any iBfuen ce
in his party, who is unfolding the War
Tariff On which his party in the House of
Representatives resolved to take. and
did take, its stand; or who is now looking
to any tariff legislation in the future
which shall not fully recognize the close
shave the party has just passed through,
Nor, in their hysterical gratitude at hay
ing ''pulled through are they at all
AcGlCOuU uUOuo SO. GA-oOt. 0lSOl
of Michigan, whose name was prominent
at the Chicago convention for the nomi.
nation, says now:
II am in favor of thorough revision TOT
the tariff commencing at the first article on
the list, and going straight through to the
end
Hon. VIM. Walter Phelps of New Jer-
eey, the chosen lieutenant of Mr.. Blaine,
now says:
'sThe present victory will entrench the
Republicans for four years, certainly, and
twenty-four years if they adjust the inequali-
ties of the tariff. If this be not done, think
Democratic victory will follow in 1892"
Chauncey Depew, the author of the free
trade cyclone of-fear." now holds that
the tariff must bs revised. and the Chica-
go Tribune, apparently assuming to speak
for Gen. Harrison, says he sbelisves iu,
and insists upon, reduction of the tariff
needed to stop the accumulation of a
Treasury surplus" 1t will be observed
that none of the Republican statesmen
we have quoted. allude in any way to that
sham tariff bill brought forth as an cleo
tloneering dodge in the Senate Nobody
not even its trainers thought that piece
of tariff bungling was, or was intended to
be, any sort of an answer to the demand
of the people for a reduction Of tariff
taxation. What defence was given it
at the time, was merely to blind the
people.
1t must not be too quickly inferred from
these expressions Of prominent Republi-
cans about future tariff legislation, that
there is any stronger conviction in their
minds. than that of some better mode to
quiet the popular clamor. 1t is not
likely that William Walter Phelps of
New Jersey. just out Of campaign in
which he advocated more protection, has
experienced any change Of heart in four
weeks which now makes him an advocate
of less. II is not to be supposed that
Chauncey Dapew, who. with CHEEKY polit-
ical rascality. at the Chicago convention
advocated the value of fraudulent issue
in campaign-the ''free-s trade cyclone
of-fear'-is now earnestly considering
some mode of lessening the taxation of
the people. None of these things are
likely. The true likelihood is that the
figures of the last election snow that the
Republican party mnst do something, or,
as Mr.. Phelps predicts, 60 under 10 1892.
That something must be either the reduc
tion Of taxation or such pretencs of it
as will decisive The people.
Those figures are significant. Take the
State of Massachusetts for example-and
we take that because there the question
of high tariff taxation was more generally
and fully laid before the workingmen than
in any other State of the Union. In Massa-
chusetts there were two active clubs
at work-the Home Market (High Tariff
Club, and the Tariff Reform Low
Tax Club-and their printed argu-
ments were put 10 every workingman's
home and workshop in the State.
In the five great cotton manutac-
turing towns of Lowell, Lawrence, Fall
River, New Bedford and Holyoke, the
Democratic ticket gained nearly two sup
porters to one gained by the Republicans,
over 1884 In one of them, Lowell, " here
Gen. Butler made his last frantic appeal
before the election, the Republican plural
ity was reduced form .075 down to 4OS
In the three most important iron manu-
featuring towns-W orcester, FitchbuIg
and Taunton, the story was nearly the
same, and in the six wool manufacturing
towns the Democratic gains were as large
as the Republican. In the adjoining man
nfacturing State of New Hampshire, In
which much of the literature of these
clubs was circulated, the Democratic vote
increased 10 per cent. while the Repabli-
Can vote increased only 5 per cent, and the
Republican plurality of 1884 was cut down
from O63 to 1884. Such evidences of
what was done In six months discussion
of the Mills Bill. mean much. Taey mean
that hereafter the advocates of High
Tariff will have to deal with the employee
instead of the employer. The Republican
majorities of the 9Th of November were
the work of the employer-they were the
result of his money, accumulated under
High Tariff Tax and devoted, through
election machinery. to its continuance.
When an elevated moraIist like John
Wanamaker of Philadelphia. can contrib
ute $500 600 to be expended IN securing
an honest expression of opinion" in the
neighboring State of New Y ork, he vivid
" calls the attention of the workingman
IN IIISf how FOR tho vu0nlth rphi ol r..
helps to make, but does not share, may be
used to keep MIN in bondage. No strong
or argument will be addressed to the
workingmen Of the Union in 1892, than
the fact that on the eve of the election in
1888, nearly half million of dollars was