Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1888-05-26
THE Irish WORLD" AND BLAINE.


The Dish World of last week con.
tains a very interesting interview
had by Col Canyon Lake, with the
editor, Patrick Ford, on the candi.
dacy of Mr.. Blaine. Mr.. Ford states
that he is in favor of Blaine because
"the health of the nation, the life Of
the party OF Protection, and the
complete emancipation from the
slavery of machine politics of Irish
voters depend on his election"
This is good point, and one that
commands the serious attention of
the Republican party. Never until
Blaine was a candidate for the Pres.
idency did the Irish throw any con.
siderable strength for the Republi.
can nominee.
Being asked if another good man
standing on Blalne's platform would
not commend himself to the judge
ment of voters, Mr.. Ford replied:
Enthusiasm plays as large part
in campaigns as anything. Marry
the two and the offspring is bless.
ing. Many man might stand on
Blaine's platform, but where is the
man with Blaine's magnetism 7 If
the Convention shows judgment the
people will show enthusiasm, and
they show it more because the Con.
vention shows Judgment.
The interviewer remarking shat
there were those who thought there
were no great issues dividing
the great parties, the editor of the
Irish World said:
If that is so, then it makes no
difference which of the two parties
is victorious or which defeated. But
there is an issue and a very distinct
issue-that is the tariff. In 1884
Mr.. Blaine tried to force that issue,
bnt the Democrats lodged it, and
the Mugwumps were equally dishOn.
est. AS General Butler wittily re.
marked, the tariff plank in the Dem
ocratic platform was constructed on
the principle of the gun that, when
it went off, would hit the object if
calf, and miss it if q bear. But now
Cleveland in his stolid egotism has
revived the issue. Thank God for it !!
Cleveland has put the the Demecra-
tic party in double irons and COM
mitted iG to free trade. His mes
sage will be its platform. Mr..
Blaine by his criticism on Cleve-
lands message has emphasized the
issue raised; and now if the Repub.
lican party, in its turn, should dodge
the issue, it will assuredly be beaten
and what is more, it will deserve to
be beaten.n
In regard to the tariff Mr.. Ford
said if there we're articles on the list
the duties on which might with
safety be reduced, it was the friends
of protective tariff not It's enemies
that could safely be trusted to make
the reduction. Being asked if the !
friends of protection could or wonld |
make any reductions he replied
s. the facts answer in the affirmative.
The principle of the protective pol.
icy. as l understand it, is this: Home
industries ought to be fostered and
encouraged. In order that native
industries may thrive and American
workingmen be able to live in com.
fort and decency, duties should be
levied on the products of similar in.
dustries in foreign lands sufficient
to cover the difference between the
i'll paid foreign labor and the better
paid American labor-that is, suffi-
cient to maintain the American
standard of living. But on things
which cannot Of course come in com.
petition with American labor, there
ought to be no duties at all. Tea
and coffee, for instance, cannot be
raised here; tea and coffee, there
fore, ought to be, as they are, on the
free list and it was the Protection.
lists that put them on the free list in
opposition to the Free Traders, who
wanted to keep the duties on those
articles which are essential to the
Door mans table. In so.called Free
Trade England tariff duties are still
levied on tea and coffee. The pro.
tective policy is the American ma.
tional policy, and Blaine its grand
est embodiment"
Going West.
The general interest that has been tax