Waterbury evening Democrat., 1889-08-02
4 SAMPLE STRADDLE.

The esteemed American attempts de fense of it's position an ardent advocate l of tariff reform in urging the reelection 1 of Senator Platt, who is himself one of the l most advanced and rncOmpromsing ex- ponents of the republican tariff policy. The defense is ingenious if it is not in genuous.
 The gist of it's defense Is that, with the increase of tariff knowledge that is now | taking hold of the public mind, Senator ] Platt will imbibe some of it and may pos sihly progress toward the position held by l the tariff reformers. It hopes for the same reason to see an improvement of the ! republican party's position in regard to the tariff. As the republican party, and Sen ator Platt us an integral and consistent part of it., is pledged by the logic of it's victory to antagonize any tariff revision that may have for an essential element the free admission of raw materials, VIC fail to | see how it can progress along the lines l suggested by our contemporary, or how Senator Platt can completely 1 recede from the position taken i'll his campaign speeches and senate orations. As We pointed out few days since, Penn l sylvania and Ohio have been the control ling forces in shaping republican tariff l legislation, and it is not at all to their in terest as interpreted by bountied manu- lecturers that the tax should be taken off | the supplies of raw material and fuel. While these duties remain New England ] is at a disadvantage, but there is no evi- | dence that a republican congress, con l trolled by men whose own interests are their first consideration, will take any steps to place her in moro favored posi- 1 tion. While republican senators and con gressmen from New England are willing 1 to subordinate the interests of their con-
 stituencies to the continuance of partisan
 advantage we can hope for no change in
 the republican policy i'll regard to the
 tariff. And the career of Senator Platt
 certainly gives no assurance that he will l ever consent to break from the traditions | and policies of his party as laid down and l expounded by party cancus. He is toe
 strong and willing partisan for that While we believe that he is one of the very ablest men in the United States
 senate to-day, and personally one of the
 most estimable, we do not think his tariff policy or that which lie is likely to hold il,
 deference to his ideas of craftsmanship
 IS best for Connecticut or in line with tha,
 for which the voters of the state declared
 i'll the last two national elections Nor dc
 We believe that any increase of tariff knowl
 edge will lead Senator Platt or his part,
 to the position in which our contemporar,
 hopes sometime to find them. Like
 Ephra m both are joined to their idols.
 It is certainly creditable to the hopeful
 ness and faith of our mugwump neighbor
 which is much like that suggested in tn, parable of the mustard seed, that it should
 look with the radiance of hope to such {
 coGplete surrender of the policy to whicl
 the republican party and Senator Platt ar.
 committed as a result of the promises anf professions made last fall But it is fa] from creditable to it's own good sense O,
 complimentary to the steadfastness of thu
 senator for whom it professes such un
 bounded admiration. In fact its whole
 ingenious exposition of it's position i'
 simply one of those admirable acrobatit performances by which it guilelessly
 bestrides both sides of every political nnG
 economic hedge.
 The American has treated it's reader.
 to one of it's charac teristic sampl,
 straddles