New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1889-08-29
TIE OHIO DEMOCRACY.

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the substance Of the party's faith as proclaimed
at the Ohio Convention. Lest there Should pc
doubt in any quarter respecting Democia'lc
adhesion to the issues on which Mr.. Cleveland
was defeated, Ianting Free Trader was called
unon 70 WELD the baton for the Dayton Or
chestra and to set the keynote OF the canvass
The note was high and shrill, DR.. Harter
falsetto rising above the chorus OF free-trade
trebles that sounded in Congress and on the
stump during the last Nat onal campaign. lie
made not the slightest pretence Of basing Dem
ocratic argument on the surplus revenues and
the condition which in Mr. Cleveland's phrase
confronts the country. He accepted outright
the theory of free trade in it's broadcast lines
az the principle for which Democracy mas
stood in the past and will continue to stand.
There were no subterfuges, no evaslons, no
disguises. There was no hypocritical can't
about accumulations from unnecessary taXauoh
living idle in the National vaults and exhaust
ing the resources Of the country. There was
no specious pleading for tax-reduction for the
relief of an overburdened Treasury without
detliment to the protective system. IL was
an nequivocal argument for free trade, pure
and simple as a system which had enriched
England and would promote the prosperity OF
all classes in America.
II is fortunate for the country that Dr.
Harter should have been chosen as the presid-
ing officer of the most important Democratic
Convention held since President Clevelands
defeat. The greater part Of last years can
yass was occupied by the leaders OF that party
in futile attempts to explain away the Mills
Tariff bill and the free-trade message, and to
convince the country that war had not been
declared upon the protective tariff. Now that
the exgencieS of close Presd ential contest
are no longer pressing Democratic leaders can
afford to be honest and candid, and conven-
tons controlled by them can say what they
mean without seeking to deceive the cred
uous with juggling phrases and insincere dis
| avowalS. Americans have only to read Dr..
| Halter's dOgmatic plea for free trade in order
| to convince themselves that the party, which
! profeSSed last year to be meeting conditions
imposed by the surplus and not to be unfolding
radical departure from the protective sys-
tenn, was then and is now hOpelessly COM
mtted to English ideas The intent of his
address was evident even in passages where
the reasoning was the loosest, as when he
|
since the war in making magnificent progress
in manufacturing, as he said, under absolute
| free trade. He overlooked the fact that South
ern, like Northern, industries are under the
fostering care of the general tariff, and that
their progress has been directly promoted by
| Protection. But his purpose was as apparent
on these false premises as IL was when he ar
raigned the tariff system as organized robbery
compared the relative fortunes of New-South
! Wales and Victoria, contIasted England's COM
mercial marine with the decline Of American
! shipping, demanded that every article con-
| trolled by trust or combination should be
! placed on the free list and grandiloquenty
advocated striking the chains from fifty mill
ions Of Americans white and black" 1t was
as outspoken free-trade harangue as Dem
ocratic Convention has ever listened to and
rapturously applauded.
After such an unequivocal address as this
the platform makers were spared the necessity
of doing more than to reaffirm the principles
of the last National Convention, to demand
the repeal Of all tariff taxes affecting trusts
in whatever form organized, and to denounce
the present State government as the most de-
moralizing in the history of Ohio. Exon
gresham Campbell, who subsequently received
a complimentary nomination against Governor
Foraker, had evidently revised the platform
and had expected to keep National issues
especially the tariff, in the background. As
one of the Randall contingent who had voted
against the Morrison bills, he was less en-
thusiastic tariff -smasher than DR.. Harter
and his fellow Democrats; and only few days
ago he was quoted by Democratic journal
as saying that it would be impossible to carry
Ohio on National issue like the tariff, and
that it would be poor policy to make a cam
paign on question known to be losing one.
While able to secure the barren honor of a
hopeless nomination, he neglected precautions
for suppEesSing free-trade oratory in the con-
vention. DR.. lIarter fired the first gun of a
campaign which the candidate himself pre-
dcted would be lost if fought on National in
stead of State issues; and that gun was loaded
with free trade powder