Montgomery County sentinel., 1890-08-22

ruled; and that If his counsels had pre-.
vailed, it would be now a dsintegrated and
despised party, not strong and solid and
invincible one. We said, and 1t is true, that
the modification of his views is not so marked
or so important as TO call forth the praise
that has been accorded to it, and if any
thing were needed to confirm us in this
opinion, we should find it in the speech
itself, the full text of which has fallen into
our hands since the publication Of our article
two weeks ago, and we think 1t worth while
to call attention TO it. Every one knows
that the tariff act of 1888 contains the largest
measure of so called "protection" to be found
in the whole history of legislation, and that
the fight of the Democratic party, ever since
the passage of that law, has been against the
the wrong and injustice it infiicts upon the
people. II was in the memorable debate
upon that bill that Mr.. German enunciated
the peculiar "views" which caused him to
be classed among protection Democrats.
These are the views which he says have
been modified; and yet he says on page IL
of his speech of July 30, 1890, this:
IL say to the Senator from Rhode Island
that If he will remodel this bill (the McKin-
ley bilD and put it upon the same basis that
he did the bill Of 1888, he will have the
people Of the country build monument to,
his name as one man representing great
manufacturing country who could do exact
justice to all the people"
We do not think that Grover Cleveland, +,
or (n0ar n M;IIo or VIZ, T. Wilonu nr
Senator Vest, or any other leading Demo
crat would have used language like that.
We do not think that any convention would
enunciate that as the doctrine of the Demo
cratic party. Remembering that the tariff
act of 1888 is based upon protection as
principle, and that under it trusts and mo.
nopolies have fourished as never before and
the masses have become poorer, we do not
think the man who declares that it does
| "exact justice to all the people" stands quite
squarely with his party upon the subject of
tariff reform.
| And this, our neighbor says, is a "broad'
side into the Democratic party" and calcu-
lated to befog the real issue and also to stir
up bad feeling within the party unneces-
sarily," and in quite high-flown way calls
the SENTINEL's Democracy in question.
Then straightway it "acquits the SENTINEL
of any such charge" We must frankly con-
fess that we do not understand our neigh
Dor any more than we understand Senator
Germans position ON the tariff; but We will
say to those who have not already pre-
judged the case, that the SENTINEL's De-
mocracy is not based upon any one mans
success or failure. 1t is not the Democracy
which speaks only when it is hidden or per-
mitted to speak. 1t is not the Democracy
which hedges upon great questions and
varies with the shifting clamor of the hour.
1t is not the Democracy which prefers spoils
to principles, and indorses leaders and meas
ures whether they be fright or wrong" II
is the Democracy of Jefferson, of Tilden, OF
Cleveland, "broad based upon the peoples
WILL" and striving ever for the peoples
good. 1t is the Democracy which from the
foundation of the government has stood by
principle in the day of defeat as well as the
day of victory, preferring right to success
and always conquering in the end. 1t is the
Democracy which is triumphant to-day in
the hearts of the American people because il
refused to make compromise which i'm
perled its honor. That, in our judgment
is the only Democracy which can win the
House of Representatives in 1890 and the
Presidency in 1899. We follow its banner
now as of old, and when the nomination is
made in the Sixth District we shall be found
where the fighting is the fiercest.