New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1889-02-20
rIcuS or REYOLUTION.

Nothine succeeds like success, Is the ola
saving. So nothing fails like failure as inc
free trade Democrats are just now Observing
Only six months ago they were driving things
with n high hand in the House, cracking the
lash about hesitating Democratic Representa-
tives, and reading out OF the party men "n"
were distinguished as Democrats when Messrs'
Mills. Breckenridge and Company were hoiu,ns
Offices under rebel Government. All onlS
was because the candidate for the presidency
whose election was thought certain, WPS io0
Trader and their willing tool. Ihlngs nav
changed. Mr.. Cleveland has been deiea'eU'
and after a few days will be OF no more az
count than last years birds nest. INC POI!
has gone before the people on ivs iioe''' ~
issue, and has been kicked out oil power mI'
Randall is wanted again, and badly wanVeu.
Sovantv-one Democrats, a clear majority Oh
those nresent have pledged themselves In writ
ing to support Internal Revenue Nu"0uo"
without regard to change OF tarln IN oonei
words. to pitch overheard the free trade poiicy'
such are the educating influences OF de1ea''
This is good as far as it goes but the seven
tv-one deserters who have grown too numerous
70 be shot cannot be reckoned defenders OF an
American policy. They are representatives
who no longer dare to oppose all reducaon OF
taxe; until they can smash protection Inc
hest that can be said of them is that they know
when they are whipped. With popular ma
iority against the free-trade policy, and no
President hereafter to reward treachery TO
American interests, these patriots decline 10
batter their heads against stone WALL 1hey
have already achieved considerable victory
in making it impossible to bring the coerciVe
force of a party caucus to bear against them,
hut their attitude is nevertheless directly hos
tile to that of their party in the late campaign.
Whether the coming parliamentary struggle
will result in any reduction OF revenue at this
session is still doubtful, because the great
power of the Speaker, aiding minority OF
6libusters. NAV defeat the will Of more than
two-thirds of the House.
But the moral effect of victory in November
is not to be denied. 1t has arrested move
ment within the Democratic party which at one
time seemed irresistible, and threatened to
sweep nearly the entire body Of Democratic
voters into the crusade Of Free Traders. To
appreciate the situation, it must be remem-
bered that considerable minority Of Demo
cratic voters, relatively larger than its repre-
sentation in Congress, has always been in favor
Of protective tariff. This minority was stead
lily increasing at the South, though the people
in that section have so little real part in the
Government that the representation OF South
ern Protectionists in Congress did not increase.
When Mr.. Cleveland sent in his message OF
1887. and made himself the leader OF the cru
SADIE against protection, it is probable that
nearly or quite third Of the Democratic voters
were opposed to him, and yet. so powerful was
the combination of Executive influence and
caucus dictation that at the close of the session
only a pitiful fraction Of Democratic members
held out, and at the close Of the Presidential
campaign Democratic Protectionists on the
platform or in the press were no longer to be
found. Submissively the minority supported
Mr.. Cleveland in the position he had chosen.
Victory then would probably have convinced
nine-tenths of the Democratic voters who had
leaned toward protection, either that they had
been in error, or that they ought to suppress
their beliefs for the sake Of the party.
Now great army of these voters are more
thoroughly convinced than ever that they were
in the right. Democratic Representatives have
been hearing from them. Protests against the
refusal to reduce taxation unless protection
should be broken down have been numerous.
The shallow notion that free raw materials
could be demanded as a kind of protection has
lost most of its power over the minds OF Dem
ocrats The false hope of winning the farm
ing States by free-trade policy has vanished.
Both economic and political conceptions Of the
situation have been greatly changed by single
election, and the revolution which has begun,
strengthened by the increase Of protective
sentiment at the South, may render the future
attitude of the Democratic party on this issue
uncertain. The first practical result is likely
to be the passage in the next Congress Of
better protective measure than could possibly
have been carried against Democratic party
united in the support Of free-trade theories.