Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1888-07-05
HOW TO WIN.

New York Tribune
The Republicans have decided for
what to fight, and for whom. How to
fight they have not yet considered. But
the methods to be adopted in the COM
ing campaign may determine the result.
a hurrahcampaign sometimes wins. This
year, the Republican party needs to de
pend upon facts and reasons. There
must be argument at the beginning, ar
gument in the middle, and argument at
the end of the campaign, if the right
is to prevail. ''Tippecanoe and Tariff
too has more meaning in it than Tip
pecanoe and Tyler too, only the voters
need to know what the Tariff means,
what it does for them, and what Dem
ocratic victory would involve.
The one danger this year is that there
will be too much reliance upon enthusi-
asm, brass bands, torches, and unlimited
shouting The west VIII go wild with
excitement. Political managers who
have been accustomed to appeal to pop
ular instincts and loyal sentiments, in
stead of well fortified beliefs on econOm-
ic and industrial questions, viii be con-
stantly tempted to utilize the growing
enthusiasm as the readiest weapon and
to neglect the dry duty OF public educa-
ton. Let the Republican managers
take warning early that this would be a
fatal mistake. y great many thousand
voters are going to be shifted this year
from one party to the other, or account
of issues which have not been as sharp
| " presented hitherto 1t rests with the
Republican party to determine whether
the shifting shall turn for or against its
candidates.
Living under a protective tariff for
twenty-seven years, the present gen
Grafton of voters has never closely con
sidered the nature or workings OF that
tariff. Habit has led many to rely upon
the growth and prosperity of the Nation
as a fundamental fact Of nature, as Ger
tain as the procession of the seasons,
and as Independent Of political cam
paigns.
Others again have heard for gener-
alton that ''war taxes were retained be
vaguely accepted the notion that the
protective tariff was such a tax and
should be reduced. Others still, brought
up to believe in protection, have found
/ their desires growing faster than their
wages, and have listened to demagogues
who have told them that cheaper things
could be had if the monopoly tariff :"
could be cut down. Others still have
heard that their industries would pros
per with free raw materials, and that a
genuine protection would give them
cheaper food and clothing, and wider
foreign markets.
For the first time in more than forty
years the Democratic party has set itself
to appeal to the Judgment of voters. It
is not altogether honest in stating the
ISSUE The changes which it advocates
in New York as essentially protective,
are precisely the changes which it advO
Gates in Kentucky as essential steps to-
ward free trade. Voters who see the
contradiction are appeased with the pre-
tence that Mr.. Garfield and other Re
publicans have favored protection only
as the short road to free trade, and that
the time has come to take another step
on that road. It viii not do TO treat
these specious arguments with contempt.
| The number of voters who may he led
astray by them, if they are not met by
solid facts and sound reasoning, is very
large
The Republican party sperfeetly able
to justify its past policy, its present plat
form, and its plans for the future. ltI
has behind it a record OF industrial
progress such us no other nation has
ever achieved, and such as this natiun
has never achieved under any other pol
icy. II can crush and bury all oprosi-
ton if it takes care to bring the facts
of recent history to bear upoa the minds
of voters. But il cannot convince these
minds by shouting, by brass bands, or
by torchlight professions. The voters
need information, and the danger is that
managers will offer them enthusiasm in
stead. There are needed this year mil
lions Of tracts, millions of effective
speeches crowded with facts, millions Of
school district meetings at which voters
may be educated. The truth will win, |
if men take the trouble to present the
truth But the truth win not win if it
gets expression only in the 1afe of torch !
es and the biare of trumPets.