The river press. [volume] (Fort Benton, Mont.) 1880-current, 1888-01-25
POLITICAL OUTLOOK.
The Presidents Message Will be the Platform
Of the Democracy.

Of the Democracy.
New YORK, January 21.-The Tariff Re
form club gave dinner tonight to $50
guests. After dinner half a score of
guests discussed the issues of the tariff
reform Arson Phelps Stokes presided.
The speakers we're Hon. w. C. P. Br4ck-
inridge, Of Kentucky; Hon. Melbourne FL.
Ford, of Michigan; Hon. NJ. d. Harter. of
Ohio, and number Of local speakers.
President Stokes, in his address, said that
the presidential election turned upon
tariff reform, and J. 2. Townsend's resolu-
tion, endorsing Cleveland's message ras
adopted. Hon. W. G. P. Breckenri1 1ge
then responded to the toast Tariff se-
form" Breckenridge, referring to his
own recorded stand against the abolig;on
Of the tax on tobacco, said he would rath-
er have it reduced than no action should
be taken il the matter of tariff reform.
He spoke in scathing terms of the con-
cessions to the railways and said the pub
lie credit had been SO handled that it was
loaned for private emolument. This very
month the manufacturers and so-called
WoolgroWers met to determine the wool
tariff to be adopted by the congress of the
United States for their benefit It had
never occurred to them that there we're
sixty million people who might be con-
in hn of
how long the people would allow the wool
to be pulled over their eyes in this mat
ter. The Reading strike he attributed to
the bad working of the present iniquitous
system. Congressman Ford, of Michigan,
spoke on ''The Farmer and the Tariff .
Then came Henry Watterson, editor Of
the Courier Journal. His subject was
"The Platform and the Outlook" He
said: SThe platform is the message, the
presidents message. The outlook is most
considering how the painted
harlot Of protection is whlstling to keep
her courage up, as she stalks across the
of the false VOWS and broken
promises she has made, mainly to the
working people. I should call the victory
assured. For more than a year my fear
has been that we might not be able in ad-
vance of our national convention to close
the ranks and move in solid column
against the enemy on distinct lines of our
own deliberate choosing; and as [ believe
that nothing clears the political atmos-
phere like plain speaking right out in
meeting, have given the administration
and the country the best my shop has
afforded in the way Of disagreeable per-
sistency and sincere candor. It was obvi-
GUS to my mind that unless we could
agree in congress we should not agree in
the convention. The tariff plank in the
last democratic platform was not intend
I'd to be straddle, because although the
platform committee had been adroitly
packed in the interest Of protection. the
revenue reformers were still strong enough
to hold their ground and to carry all their
points. But it was made to seem strad-
lie. Hence, nothing short of declara-
ion which might not bear two construc-
ions would satisfy the demand of reform
of the national platform, and any one
could not be obtained without fight and
possibly a split. Just in the nick of time
he President came to the rescue with the |
wisdom Of an impetuous courage and the
,raft Of common sense, deriving it's
strength from its integrity. This brave
md honest man, this puzzle to the poll
icians and contradiction of all experience,
With the single stroke of the pen, did /
what might for years have baf1ed the eff
orts Of the greatest statesmen and phil
'sophers. By that act he has reversed
he situation from one Of cowardly indie
ision to one of enthusiasm and conf
Lence. Upon the lines of that message T
would rather be beaten than win upon
hose of lying substitute, but we shall
lot be beaten"