The Portland daily press., 1890-11-06
The Causes OF the defeat.


1t can scarcely be doubted that the princi-
pal factor which produced the Republican
defeat on Tuesday was misrepresentati
with regard to the effect present and pro-
spective, Of the Mckinley tariff bill. Here
and there there were local questions that
bad some effect In some places, notably In
Pennsylvania, candidates of questionable
character contributed TO the overthrow, and
perhaps In some Southern districts the cleo
tions bill was not without influence; but af-
ter all these causes are discounted there Is
big remainder Of dissatisfaction among the
voters which was brought into existence by
skiliful and persistent MISREPRESENTATION
aoousthe Mckinley bill. The tariff has in
sense been prominent issue at national
elections for ten years past But heretofore
the principle that should govern in making
the tariff--whether Of free trade or protec.
hon-has been the chief question presented
and discussed On that issue the Republi.
cans have always won, and will, we believe,
continue to win. The passage of the Nc
Kinley bill changed the issue. The rival tariff
principles were not on trial at this election.
1t was the wisdom with which one of those
principles-the principle Of protection-had
been applied by the Republicans of the pres
emit Congress that was in question. The
tariff had been revised, and the people were
called upon to pass upon the wisdom of the
revision. No tariff revision is possible, no
matter In accordance with what theory
made, which will not to some extent disar-
range business. However beneficial its ulti-
mate eject may be, at first there will be
some uncertainty and some reasonable dis
trust as to Its action. The ramifcatiops of
trade and commerce are so MANY and in On
many different directions that nobodv 10
wise enough to foresee and foretell tho nro-
else effect that change in their conditions
will produce. 1t unfortunately happened
that the Mckinley bill had not been in force
long enough before the election to permit a
demonstration of its effect. The conditions
of business had been somewhat altered by it,
and the effect of these alterations had not
passed beyond the sphere of speculation,
This fact of itself would undoubtedly have
worked some harm to the party responsible
for the measure. Butthis uncertainty and nat
raldlstrust were persistently and maliciously
aggravated and increased by misrepresenta-
tion and falsehood. Men Of high standing
In the community day after day upon the
stump labored assiduously by juggling with
hgures, by Misrepresentation of facts, and
not infrequently by bald lying, to instil the
idea that the effect of the bill would be to
increase enormously the price of living and
TO deprive the laboring man of many COM
forts to which he had become accustomed.
II was represented that the bill discrimin-
ated against the poor and in favor of the
rich, and that Its purpose was to crush ont
individual enterprise by building up vast
nonopolies. Newspapers of large circula-
ZION throughout the land Joined with these
stump orators in their discreditable work
ana DAY after day were plastered ali
over with false statements that the nr,oos 81
such and such articles had gone mn ~ -
count of the Mckinley bill, and woro ~ "a, az
tined to rise still higher. To RIM 10
even small part of the lies that we,e to,.
about the bill In the short time before a, Tau
ton was impossible. A very large pumhsr
Of voters when election day came were in q
state Of panic, and they did what was natu.