The Russellville Democrat. [volume] (Russellville, Ark.) 1875-1898, 1889-05-02

President; receiving popular ma
jority of 250,935. Then, Mr.. Ran
dali vas made Speaker of the House
the Forty .fifth--and he made Fer
nando Wood OF New York, revenue
reformer, chairman of the ways and
means committee. This committee
reported a general tariff revision and
reduction bill, to which the Speaker
was opposed, and it was defeated.
This agitation OF the tariff question,
however, did rot defeat the party,
for the next Congress had the same
Democratic majority, and Mr.. Ran
dali again bacame Speaker, and made
Mr.. Wood chairman Of the ways and
means but packed the committee
against its chairman 10 prevent tariff
Legislation, and no general tariff bill
was reported to the House, though
several special bills dealing with diff
ferent features of the tariff law were
brought 10 and discussed. The next
Congress had the Republican major
lty of %, and in response to the de
mand for tariff reform 1t made pre-
tence OF reduction, passing the act
of March 3, 1878, the present law.
During this last term of Mr.. Ran
dali, the presidential election of | $50
we held the national platform, vary
ing the phrase of the last preceding
one, declared for "tariff for revenue
only" and Gen Hancock was nomin-
ated for President He must have
felt the force of the high tariff man
agement, for he tried Mr.. Randsll's
method. He thought the tariff of no
consequence; that it ought not to be
agitated; that it was not proper is
sue IN national campaign, and was
"local affair."" anyhow. So he
stampeded at the first gun fire. I'm
til he undertook thus to repudiate
the platform the prospect of his cleo
tion was the brightest for success
that the party had seen for almost
quarter of century. but at once up
on the beginning of his retreat on
the tariff the outlook changed, and
from that time on the fortune of the
campaign was against the Democrat
ic party. Hancock was defeated by
popular majority of 7,0IS, and receiv
ed only 155 electoral votes against
214 for Garfield.
Two years later the Forty eighth
Congress was elected, Mr.. Carlisle
became Speaker, and Mr.. Morrison
was again put at the head of the ways
means committee. His tariff bill
was reported. Then followed the
nomination of Mr.. Cleveland in 1884.
The platform declared in favor of
tariff reduction and reform. 1t was
reported by Henry Watterson and
adopted against the protest of Ben
Butter who was delegate to the
Democratic convention, but who
bolted on the low tariff declarations,
and who, as a presidential candidate,
received the support OF the Sun, that
paper resting its opposition to Mr..
Cleveland upon the free trade plat
form as 1T called the one adopted at
Chicago. And for long time the
support of Mr.. Randall was uncer
tain, it not knowing what course he
would pursue until after he had an
interview with Butler, who then an
nounced to the press that Mr.. Ran
dali had concluded to support the
Democratic nominee. Upon this
platform, and after, an agitation OF
the tariff question by the party, ex
tending through number of years,
Mr.. Cleveland was elected President,
receiving popular majority of 90, $3.50
and 2l9 electoral votes, against 1872
for Blaine.
When Mr.. Cleveland was again
nominated last June he was placed
on platform that reaffirmed the dec
larations of 1884, which are now said
to have owed their existence to the
high tariff influence. If the platform
ofI8S4 was good enough protection
platform when adopted, why was 1T
not equally so four years later? But
upon the platform of 1888, and upon
the record of his administration, and
of the party In Congress, though de
feated in the Electoral College, he
and the late managers of the party
were supported by popular MAORI
ty Of nearly 100000 votes. The re-
suit In the Electoral College was
brought about by corruption, section
al hate, "blocks of five," bribery, for.