Barbour County index. [volume] (Medicine Lodge, Kan.) 1880-current, 1888-06-06
THE PLAN OF CAMPAIGN.

Tho Republican scheme to Throw
Dust " in the Eyes of Southern Voters.
The Republican plan of campaign was TO
divide the Democrats of the South by false
pretenses concerning the value of protec-
tion, a general assault on the whisky tax,
and peculiar appeals to local prejudices.
The narrow minded theorists of the
North, who believe an act of CONGRESS- can
change sow's ear into silk purse, went
South in search of facts to sustain their
fancles. They saw on every hand indica-
tions of Industrial changes In their
dreams they laid corner-stones of factories,
presided at auction sales of town lots, and
dropped iron furnaces at every railway
crossing, proclaiming at all times that this
transformation was the work of a war
tariff, under which the people had been
suffering for u quarter of n century.
II is difficult to decide whether these ar
gum ents of Randall, Sherman and Kelley
were due TO ignorance, credulty or politi-
cal hypocrisy. Southern mines, mills,
furnaces and factories received no protec-
ton from similar Institutions in the North.
They derived no peculiar benefits when
their products met the products of Pennsyl-
vania and New England in competitive
markets East and West. 1t was plain to
the simplest understanding that these con-
ditions were due to peculiar natural advan-
tages rather than to legislative devices, and
was made palmer by speeches of Sherman
and Kelley and other Republican leaders in
the North.
If these Republican leaders knew that
Southern prosperity was dependent on the
tariff they would be quick to abolish the
tariff.
They believe, on the contrary, that the
tariff retards the natural course of indus
England against the full force of competi-
tion from the South, and so they are labor
ing by every means possible to retain the
tariff and to abolish instead the tax on
whisky.
Fortunately, says the Louisville Courier
Journal, the Southern people do not fall into
this trap. Though few politicians and
some newspapers deserted the principles
of Democracy and sought to mislead the
people, no division in our ranks followed.
To-day every State in the South stands firm
for Cleveland and tariff reform.
The Mills bill is far ahead of either of the
Morrison bills, as IA practical measure of re-
form, and will have the support of every
Southern Democrat in Congress. 1t is in
dorsed in unequivocal terms by every State
convention, and the people are so thorough
ly aroused that it does not seem possible for
the friends of protection to pack the Com
mittee on Resolutions in 1SSS, as they sue
ceeded In doing in 1854. The last State to
declare for - Cleveland and tariff reform I"
is Georgia. and so significant are these ex-
pressions following Leuisiana's verdict at
the polls that the newspapers which short
time ago were boldly declaring that the
Presidents message meant a split in the
party, see the error of their way, and are
coming back to the support of pure De-
mocracy.
The progress of reform during tho past
twelve months has been marvellous. 1t
demonstrates the value of courage and con-
viction in politics. The Republicans insist
ed at the time of the defeat of the Nor
rison bill that the Democrats would not
dare to force the fighting on the tariff
issue at the beginning of Presidential
election. They have dared to do this very
thing. They have formulated the recon-
meudations of the President in the Mills
bill, and they are using all the force of party
organization to make that bin a law
The advantage of all this preliminary
work is ours. The party is united ON meas
ures and on men. Enthusiasm is mani
tested everywhere. The Republicans are
uncertain and demoralized. fractional diff
ferences are deeper and broader than ever.
Republicans Of the West will not support
the policy which provides free whisky and
taxed clothing; Republicans of the East re-
fuse to follow ingalls,, Sherman and Fora
ker i'll policy of sectional agitation.