Democratic Northwest. [volume] (Napoleon, Ohio) 1869-1894, 1889-09-26
THE NORTHWEST
The Tide of Tariff Reform is on the
Flood.
From the New York Herald, Sep. 7.

From the New York Herald, Sep. 7.
We judge from the platforms which
the Democrats have indorsed in State
conventions that the protective victory
of last autumn has not demoralized
them in the slightest.
They-it may be as well to say We
were most unconscionably whipped al
that time, but it hasn't changed oul
conviction that we were right.
The common sense of the people
may be blinded for a time and panic
may be created-an old trick ofpolitics
by which the wrong candidate gets
the office.
But in the long run the people make
the crooked things straight again, and
that "long run" will terminate in 1892
when tariff reform will become an es-
tablished fact.
The Democratic half of our ten mil
levers in the genius and enterprise of
American manufacturers and deter
mined defenders of their rights.
The home markets never has and
never will'satisfy their demands. We
have the skilled labor, we have the
machinery-or, if we haven't the later
we can make it. We have the resour-
ces of magnificent country to draw
from; unsurpassed mill cites; an i'm
mense laboring population with brains
in their fingers, who can produce larger
results in ten hours day than the
same ciassin other countries can pro-
duce in twelve or fifteen.
We have, therefore, right to be rep
resented in every quarter of the globe,
and to carry our wares without let or
hinderance to every country where pur-
chasers are likely to be found.
A tariff which limits our activity and
constricts our efforts is, therefore, hos
tile to our national ambition. 1t ties
our hands behind our backs and dis
ables us in the grand fight for wealth.
The party which adopts it as policy
represents an economical blunder.
During the last five months great
many Republican business men have
come to see this. They have learned
the lesson by hard luck, by diminish
ingIprofits and threatened bankruptcy.
The tide of opinion has turned, and
if the elections of last year had been
postponed to this November the Demo-
Gratis would have been elected by a
large and decisive majority.
1t is matter of dollars and cents.
The manufacturer favores the party
which gives him the best chance to
make money, and the Wage-earner
throws his influence on that side which
insures the steadiest and largest in
come.
Governor Ames voted for Mr.. Harri-
son. He made a mistake. Mr.. Harri-
sons party is pledged to make raw ma
terials dear. The Governor says plain
ly that unless he can buy raw materi-
ais at cheaper rate he can see moth
ing but disaster in the future for his
business.
Many of the woolen men in New
England voted for high tariff. They
were persuaded that protection would
save them. Now they see that it will
ruin them, and they are clamoring for
free wool.
All right. There is nothing like ex-
perience to teach the principles of po-
litical economy. 1t is a pity that the
experience should be so dearly bought,
but that is one of the laws of progress.
Men who don't see what is for their
good are apt to have their eyes opened
with staggering blow.
AL cLNA 1ol 1OoU IlC lIICll-pl1 VI
his wagon once on time. He thought
to supply its place with bit of tough
wood. He put his finger into the hole
to ascertain its size. Just then the
horses started. He lost his finger. When
describing the accident he said, "The
moment the team started saw that I
had made a mistake"
We are glad that the Democrats are
hanging on to their convictions. In
the Virginia, the Ohio and the Penn
sylvania conventions the cries of their
platforms were: The many must not
be taxed to support few. Monopolies
are curse to the Republic. The party
that favors trusts and combines and
kills competition is not the party of
the people and must be sent to the
rear. .-
Well, that is wholesome truth, and
that kind of truth is bound to win its
way.
The Democrats should get together
and keep together. They have the
right of the situation, and if they re-
main on the side of the people the peo-
pie will come over to their side.