The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1888-01-18
He Has Raised a Storm That He
Cannot Ride or Rule.

Cannot Ht0o or uuto.
The first week of the New Year brings
our English Free Trade Administration
few consultations and abundant causes for
apprehension. If not for anxiety. The
Presidents inconsiderate and reckless at
tempt to put new life and vigor into his
Marty Sbv a crude and careless stump
speech on the Tariff which awakened the
enthusiasm of all the English Free Trade
Journals on doth sides of the water and
inspired our Anglicized ex-Minister Low
eli with such raptures of idolatrous adj
miration, mingled with gratitude for
"favors to come" in the shape OF a reap
pointment to the country whose Lords
he dearly loves-this unprecedented Ex-
ecutive outburst has served TO awaken
American interest in American discus
sions of American principles of political
economy, to degree that is as alarming
to the Muywumps as il IS encouraging TO
the friends of American industries and
institutions.
Seeing that nearly generation has
PASSED since the Republicans put in oper-
alton system of taxation, direct and on
imports. that enabled the country to
overcome all the cost and waste of war
and to prosper beyond all expectation,
we regard Mr.. Cleyeland's natural blum
der in dealing with theme he did not
and cannot understand, as being quite as
providential as any Of the long series OF
accidents" including Burchard, to
which he owes his place.
What the Republicans most needed
and wise Democrats most feared was the
Inauguration of great, vital, all-import-
ant issue Of national principle and policy,
on both sides of which the two great
parties would be arrayed. That issue
has been made by the President and was
instantly accepted by Mr.. Blaine. With
in the few weeks that have followed Mr..
Blaine's deadly blows at Mr.. Cleveland's
Free Trade fallacics and blunders, what
an awakening Of discussion of all the as
poets and operation Of our national sys-
TEN of taxation has been springing up in
all parts of the country. What flood
of interesting facts as to the growth of
our national industries has been coming
before newspaper readers, few of whom
had anything like an adequate conoep-
ton Of the rapidity with which the coun-
try has been acquiring its independence
Of foreign supplies, as regard most OF the
articles of use and even of luxury.
An old-style theoretical discussion of
Protection and Free Trade would excite
no general interest, however instructive
it might be. But Mr. Cleveland's ignor-
ant and sudden zeal for Free Trade has
led him to so make his fight against
American protected industries so general
that alarm has been spread along the
whole line. The "New South and the
New West and the Pacific slope, as well
as the old manufacturing States of the
East, have been aroused by the vague
possibilities Of peril to their special in
terests. Nothing in the Presidents Mes
sage was well defined. except his pur--
pose TO use ''the surplus" as club where
with to break down those protected in
dustries that Democratic House might
regard as least able to defend themselves.
Within a week after the Message the
confidence In all branches of manufatur-
ing industry was perceptibly weakened
and only the general uprising of Protec-
ton sentiment in all sections has pre-
vented the alarm from becoming dam
gerous if not ruinous.
But the very intensity of the interest
awakened by the Presidents rough and
clumsy assaults on ''the American sys-
tem," and the tremendous chorus Of
English exultation over his adoption of
English principles and interests, have
put life and interest into all phases of
the tariff discussion such as has not been
known since the time when Henry Clay
and Andrew jackson fought the Free
Traders of South Carolina, who were rs
English as Mr. Lowell and his Mug
wump followers And John Sherman's
magnificent demonstration of the sound
ness and success of ''the American sys-
TEN" comes to the American people
when their minds are ready to appreci-
ate his unassailable statements of fact
and unanswerable arguments.
An educational Presidential campaign
is already begun, thanks 10 Mr.. Cleve-
lands immeasurable blunder and amaz-
ing self-conceit. The Republican leaders
are renewing their old harmony and get
ting their old enthusiasm in the very
beginning of the great struggle whose di-
mensions and incalculable importance
subordinate the greatest personalities and
make leadership again depend on real
ability to inspire and direct the thinking
and action of the mass of the intelligent
voters of the country and 10 make the
party larger and stronger.-N j. Mad land
Eg-p, exs