Democratic Northwest. [volume] (Napoleon, Ohio) 1869-1894, 1889-01-03
THE NORTHWEST
THE sANGUINEHURD.
Though Defeated, the Democratic
Party Is In Better Fighting COnditi-
on Than Ever.

Hon. Frank Hurd was in Columbus or
Wednesday and talked freely to the
Cleveland Plain Dealers representative
Mr.. Hurd stated that he proposed to re-
main in Ohio and would cOntine tC
make Toledo his headquarters.
"How do you account for the Repub
lican gains in the northwest" was ask
ed.
"The Tariff was not an issue there be-
cause all are free traders. l made q
number of speeches through the north
west, and at st. Paul l addressed free
trade club meeting. The president OF
that club, who also presided at my
meeting, was chairman of the COM
1nittee on resolutions at the republican
state convention. Why, the republi-
can platforms in the northwest deman-
ded tariffreform as strongly as the DEM
ocrats could express it. | talked with
the people and the general feeling was
that the issue had been made while the
republican party was out of power and
that they had been given no oppor-
tunity to reduce and revise the tariff.
Many said they were opposed to the re-
duction being made by the leaders
from the south and desire their own
party to do the revising. They said
that if the republican party failed to
reduce the tariff during the coming
four wears they would then be prepared
to vote the democratic ticket.
"Do you think the Republicans can
do anything in the way of tariff revis'
ion?"
"No, think it will be impossible be-
cause their majority will be very small
in fact it is possible that they will have
no majority at all. However, think II
makes very little difference to the
Democrats whether the Republicans
control the House or not. The Repub.
lican members from the northwest will
demand revision of the tariff, which
has been promised their constituents,
while the ulra protectionists will not be
disposed to yield. look for nothing to
be accomplished in the way OF tariff re-
duction during the next two years at
least"
"Don't you think the people under
stand the tariff question much better
now than they did before the campaign
Just passed." g
"Yes, they are much better informed
upon 1t, and the advocates of free trade
will grow at very rapid rate. AL
though defeated the Democratic party
eHerges from the conflict in better
fighting condition than it has been for
many years. We were contending. for
a great principle which has survived
the defeat and will surely win. The
prospects for q Democratic victory in
1892, with the tariff as an issue, are
certainly bright"
"When one looks about at the results
there are things which warrant careful
consideration and point to a future
problem which some day will call for a
solution. I refer to the colored vote. In
Indiana for some time past Republicans
have been bringing negroes into the
State to work for them in various CO.
pacities and always see to it that they
vote the Republican ticket. The states
of Illinois, Indiana, Ohio and New
York were carried for the Republicans
by the colored vote. These people are
very prolific, and I think many will
be surprised at the increased represen-
tation in Congress from the South due
to the increase in colored population.
Of the white people in this country
there are two Democrats to one Repub-
lican, and many will murmur at the
Caucausian race being ruled by an ad-
ministration elected by the colored vo-
tiers, large majority of whom know
nothing whatever about the issues in
volved.