The Democratic press. [volume] (Ravenna, O. [Ohio]) 1868-1901, 1889-11-13
sAvENNA. WEDNESDAY,. Nov. 1s. 1ss D.
The Lesson of 1883.

The Lesson OF 1885,
When the first shimmering rays Of
light that ultimately radiated and ek.
panded into the glorious effulgence Of
bright Democratic MONDAY light I'd
the shadowy gloom thrown over the
credit and good name of Ohio by Re.
publican misrule, the organs of tn at
President stealing, vain glorious party,
inspired by sectional hatred, in antic'
ipation, of the popular avalanche o1
disapproval certain to come. began the
preparation, in concert. of flaming
editorials abounding in false logic and
mendacious statements, to appear in
their first issues after the battle of the
ballots had been fought.
During the campaign they appealed
to the people to support the admins.
tration at Washington and sanction
its protective policy, by burying
out of sight the tariff reformers and
their platform. They insisted that
the administration was on trial, and
confidently predicted Overwhelming
defeat and disaster to the Democracy
because of its openly avowed position
on this great question. They forced
the issue of tariff reform, and reitera
ted necessarily the sayings and teach
iDgs of their most capable advocates
of the high tax theory. to show the
terrible consequences of so.called free
trade. They professed to be greatly
elated at the Ito them) foolish action
of the Dayton invention i'm inserting
the tariff reform clause in its platform
and loudly boasted that their oppo-
nents had invited certain defeat by 90
doing.
= Mckinley, Sherman, and q host OF
their ablest speakers, went about cry.
ing out in unmeasured terms against
the " dangerous innovations !" design
ed by the Democratic party that would
ruin the, country if given. the. .opportu-
nifty, by its proposed course in dealing
with the tariff, SO sacred to the pro
tected workingman, and so essential
to the existence of ''infant industries y
They largely ignored the discussion OF
State issues, and concentrated theil
efforts in an attempted vindication OF
the oppressive high taxation masquer
aiding in guise of protective tariff. f"
Every voter of Portage County knows
this to be true, and knows, also, thai
the fame reasoning and course of pro
cedure was adopted by the Republican
managers this Fall, as employed du
ring the last Presidential contest, ano
that the issues of the two campaigns
were identical, so far as the utterances
of party orators and the partisan press
was concerned. This being true, with
what consistency or decency could Oui
"Chinese wall" theorists attribute
their defeat to any other cause. thar
that the people gave an emphatic yer
dict against them, for tariff reform
Yet they ascribe their overthrow to 8
variety of reasons that had no part IL
the great campaign of education-es-
cially on the Western Reserve, where
they lost heavily. They say it was
whisky; antipathy to third termism ;
defeclions in their own ranks stay
athomes y. off year," ETC., etc. Ev-
cry intelligent voter knews that ell
these are specious cries, illuminated
amid the disappointments and disas
ters of defeat, and roared abroad as I,
species of legerdemain, to persuade tn,
people that they did not consider tht
question of tariff reform while depos
iting their votes. 1t is such marked
victory for that very issue, that Dem
Ocrats need to be on the alert, for the
party that stole the Presidency in 1877
will not scrupIe to shift its position
until it stands substantially where tn.
Democracy now does, and fraudulent.
" appropriate as its own the doctrines
promulgated by Grover Cleveland. .anc
so courageously and ably championet
by the great party of the people.
Democrats, let it not be forgotten
that this is one of the most momen
tous triumphs for tariff reform thai
ever crowned the efforts of our awak
ened people. Republicans know it
and while openly preaching high tar.
if, they are secretly preparing the way
to steal our tbunder.a and elevate them.
selves by pretended zeal as "tarif
reformers.." 1t only remains for tn.
Democratic party to maintain its jus,
and equitable position on this ques
ton, and the people will reinstate it te
permanent ascendancy, for they know
it was the author of the beneficent re.
form, and was bitterly opposed at ev
cry step by the party of protectec
millionaires.