New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1888-07-10
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PEfUJgSTlJEVT

Another week Of the Presidential campaign
has passed and what The World" calls
"new division Of voters has evidently begun.
That journal observes that this new division
will materially alter the relative strength of
parties: many frec-trade Republicans will join
the Democrats, while Democrats who favor
protection will join the Republicans. Ev-
dence Of these changes is to be found in every
days dispatches On Monday morning, for
example, it appeared that a wagonmaker of
| Springfield, Mo-, who had been a Repub-
ican, was shouting for Cleveland and free
trade; that several thousand woOllen and other
workers in Oneida County n. y, very many
of whom have been Democrats, were against
Cleveland with their organ, "The Press"
which supported him in 1884, that Judge
Handloy, Of Lackawanna County, Penn, 4,
/ lifelong Democrat, had declared for Harrison
and protection, and that w0olSroweTs of
West Virginia in considerable number were
abandoning the Democratic party because of
its Free Trade bill.
The shifting of voters is precisely what was
to be expected. 1t is also precisely what the
! Republican party has ardentiy desired for
years. All the advantages Of deception and
! duplicity were with the Democrats. They had
been out Of power for many years. and were
able to pretend and profess anything they
pleased Always there were some doltish
voters who could be persuaded that the Demo
cratic party was for protection: always there
were some flec-trade Republicans VINO leaned
| toward the Democratic party, and were liable
to go to Il IT any time, because they knew that
it was at bottom almost unanimously for free
| trade. Having been in power for many years,
! and forced to cgislatc on the tariff, the Re
publican party had not cyaded or deceived
about it. but had resolutcly and consistently
! legSlated for and advocated protection SO
! long as the opposing party could cheat The
! people with faSchood, as it did in 1881, it
had an advantage.
| Now the roadiustment begins. II cannot be
! expected to complete itself in one campaign,
but there will be important changes this year.
In 1884 the Democrats gained the votes OF
several thousand Republican Free Traders,
whose motive was plainly declared in Mr..
CurtiS's Kitzmiller letter, though many were
aftcrWard dishonest enough to pretend, as
IIarpers Weekly did at the close of the
campaign. that the Democratic party was not
free-tIade party and that serious modih-
cation of the tariff was to be feared as result
Of CeveIand's election. The fraud helped Mr..
| Cleveland is it was intended to help him. This
wear the great army Of Democratic Protection
ISIS who were cheated then will begin to move.
The Republicans lost most of the Free Traders
| in 1884; the Democrats will lose some Of the
Protectionists in 1888.
| II is to be noted that the changes against
| the Republican party are now almost exclusive
~ in strong Democratic States, or in the West
ern States which are overwhelmingly Repub-
lican. In either of these States the loss OF
several thousand votes would make no prac-
teal difference, even il it were net counter
balanced-as it probably Will be-by the move
ment Of Democratic WOol-gPOwers and man
ufacturerS and manufacturing workers in the
same States against Nr. Cleveland. But the
Democratic losses, it will also be observed, are
mainly in the Eastern and doubtful States.
In Indiana, where many manufacturing cStab
lshments exist because Of projections in that
State and West Virginia. where the wool
growers begin to think; in Massachusetts,
whore mills have stopped in consequence of the
pending Tariff ill which have not been idle
since 1866: and especially in this State Con-
necticut and New-Jefsey the Republican party
may hope to gam the votes Of many who sup
ported Mr. Cleveland in 1854 because they
believed Democratic falsehoodS. The Demo
cratic loss is likely to be heaviest where that
party can least afford TO lose.