Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1888-11-16
What it Means.


The Republican gains through the
greater part of the country are un-
doubtedly due to the power of the pro-
tective sentiment. The generation
that controls our politics is composed
OF men who cannot remember the time
when the country lived under a low
tariff. They do not know by exper-
ience the solid prosperity of that time,
and they believe the persons who tell
them that We have never 1Ourished
except when we have been heavily
taxed.
The Democratic party within recent
years has not done its duty by these
people. 1t has not givep them the ed
ucation they should have had. 1t has
disliked to touch the tariff question,
and by its timidity has permitted mon
strous absurdities to take root and fix
themselves solidly. When the party
is compelled to discuss the subject in
a campaign it finds itself at Il frightful
disadvantage, with tremendous load
of popular ignorance and prejudice to
lift, and no time in which to lift it.
A popular superstition like this
about the tariff cannot be dispelled
without taking adroit advantage of op-
portunities. When President Cleve-
land took Office times were dull
That was one of the causes of his cleo
ton. In dull times people want
change; in prosperous times they
want to be let alone. Ii the party had
availed itself of that favorable moment
to make Il reform of the tarif'-and
probably two or three Republican SEN
ators could have been found to join in
a moderate reduction-the prosperity
that would have come then in even
greater measure than it has actually
come would have been considered an
Argument for President Cleveland's re-
election instead of against it, and with
IN the next four years the high-tax
fetch would have entirely disappeared.
There is nothing in the constitution
of the American mind that makes it
inaccessible to reason on this subject.
Before the war the Democratic party,
which took then much more advanced
ground than it takes now, was distinct
ly the popular party, and won two
elections out of every three. Maine,
Michigan, Illinois and Wisconsin were
safe Democratic States on this issue,
and there is no reason why they
should not be now.
For the present the direction of the
country's fiscal policy is the care of
the Republicans. Naturally the DEM
ocratic party would have liked to win,
but after all there are compensations
in defeat. 1t is a comfort to come
down from the stage, to relax the
strained nerves, to take our seats in
audience and calmly criticise the rival
company.
The tariff question is a perplexing
one, especially for a party that has
committed itself to the theory that the
revenues ought to be reduced without
reducing taxation. We have a mild
curiosity to see what the Republicans
are going to do about it.
When Congress meets we fancy
there will be a general disposition to
let the victorious party manage the
matter in its own way. The Democ-
racy will watch its struggles with good
humored interest. There will be little
of that carping partisan criticism that
has assailed every Democratic pro-
posal during the past year. On the
contrary, the efforts Of the Republi-
cans to stable their white elephant
will be regarded with sympathy, al
though without any desire to render as
sistance.
Something, OF course, will have to
be done. The stringency in the money
market that would be caused by o con-
tinued boarding of unnecessary taxes
in the Treasury can hardly be disposed
of by hanging up a British and an
American flag and asking the country
which it will choose. If bond-holders
ask the Government double the ma
tural premium for their securities they
can scarcely be brought to reason by
informing them that the only time
England can use an Irishman is when
he goes to America and votes for free
trade"
In short, the Republican party will
have to drop buncombe and get down
to business. We wish it godspeed in
the attempt.