St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1890-09-08
Curious and Contradictory
Platforms Adopted by Min
nesota Republicans.
In the Second and Third Dis
triets the Mckinley Bill
Is Endorsed.
Congressman Snider Cries
"Me Too" on This and Adds
the Force Bill,
While Comstock Must Fight
for a Tariff for Revenue
Only.

~ 49,
Only.
Where does the Republican party of
Minnesota stand on the tariff question
in this campaign?
This is question that is being asked
every day by intelligent and honest
Republicans in every portion of the
state. and it is questions that cannot
be disposed of by the sneering remark
made by prominent Republican leader
of the Fifth district at the Little Falls
convention last week, when he
said that platforms are made
to catch votes an d means MOTH
ing at all as far as their ex-
pressions on public questions are con-
cerned." Those who carefully read the
tariff declarations of the different Re-
publican congressional conventions
months. given below, will quite readily
agree with the gentleman quoted above,
for on no other ground can these plat
forms be reconciled. They have been
built to "catch votes will they ac-
cOmplish their purpose?
The first congressional convention
held by the Republican party of Mime
sofa was the Glencoe convention of July
16, at which Congressman Oar" S.
Hall was unanimously renOminated as
the candidate of his party in the Third
district. At that time Blaine's reci-
procity ideas had not been given to the
public, and Mr.. HalPs convention de-
clared for protection" for projections
sake in manner that would do credit
to a Republican congressional conven-
ton in the district of the late Pig Iron
Kelley, of Pennsylvania. The tariff
plank upon which Mr.. Hall is making
his fight is as follows:
Resolved, That we favor the principle of
protection to American industries and mar
the necessities of the times.
This remarkable tariff declaration
was swallowed by all the low tariff
party organs of the state, including the
Pioneer Press, which declared Mr.. Hall
tsall right" and, accordingly, when
Congressman John Llnd's faithful
drove of postmasters and other
federal officials met at Mankato on July
% they promptly Endorsed his actions
Ill toto and renOmlnated him without
dissenting vote. Premier Blaine's let
tiers to Senator Frye had not yet per
meated the country, and here is the
high protection plank upon which
the privilege of misrepresenting the
great agricultural Second district of
Minnesota for third term:
Resolved, That intelligence and independ-
ence on the part of all our citizens are essen
tial to the permanency of our institutions
and the welfare of our people. To insure
this we deem it only just and prudent that
the government should, by proper legislation,
protect our fellow citizens who are employed
in mines, the mills and the workshops
throughout our land against an unfair COM
petition of foreign labor, compelled to work
for starvation wages and to end their days in
the poorhouse. We regard an American
workman, adequately paid,a better customer
for our flour and produce than the paupers
of Europe or Asia, but in the application of
this principle we demand that the interests
of all classes of labor and production be
equally benefited, and to this end
we are are. in no,d favor of putting sugar
our own country can not be made to produce
an ample supply, on the free list We most
heartily approve of the action of congress in
placing raw material for binding twine on
the free list and reducing the duty on the
manufactured article, as has been done in
the measure now pending (the Mckinley
billy. While we indorse the policy of protec-
ton to American industry, as above 1ndi-
Gated, and for the purpose of raising the nee
innate revenue for pensions and other legit-
lative expenses of the government we are
opposed to the imposition of any higher
duties than are absolutely necessary to en-
able our own people to meet the competition
abroad without sacrificing American man
hood and independence.
The above is quite lengthy, but It
breatheS the same spirit which moved
Mr.. Lind to make his two previous cam
paigns as a prOtectionlst, and stamps
him as a most faithful representative
of the manufacturing interests of the
East. Is there any cause for surprise
in the fact that the people of the Sec
Ond district are up In arms against Mr..
Limbs reelection?
The next congressman to be placed in
nomination by the Republicans was
Hon. M. III. Dunnell, of OWatOnna, This
was done at Austin on Aug. 26. The
platform, written by Mr.. Dunnell him.
self and brought to the First district by
the celebrated George F.Potter,of Hous-
ton county, federal officeholder at Wash
ington, showed that the great s.sand-
hauler'' had been studying at the feet
of Gamaliel Blaine. The american
system of protection" is indorsed heart
lily, however, as reading of the tariff
plank will demonstrate:
We demand that our tariff laws be so nodi-
fed and adjusted as best to protect the inter
ests and industries of the people of the
Union and bear fairly and equ1tably upon all
classes and sections thereof. We advocate
the establishment OF closer commercial rela.
tons between the United States and the
Southern Americas by the adoption OF the |
policy of reciprocity recently recommended
by that eminent statesman, Hon. James G.
Blaine.
To make the Endorsement of the Nc
Kinney bill more complete. the conven-
ton added the following resolution I'm
m16iatp1U after tho farif
We heartily indorse and approve of the
course OF our present representative in con- |
gress, Mark Il. Dunnell, in all of his efforts |
IN behalf of his constituents and in remain |
ing faithfully at his post of duty during the |
entire present session.
In all Of these platforms quoted above |
it will be observed that the force bill |
was avoided. Not even Congressman |
''Dar'' Hall cared to have his vote for
that bill commended. But partisan
ship seemed to have run mad when |
Snider's officeholders met |
at Anoka on the I'd of this month. as |
they Endorsed not only the ssprincipIe |
OF protection to American industries
Dut also went so far as to applaud and |
approve of the infamous measure
formulated by the odorous "Johnny"
Davenport, the political corruptionist of |
New York, and introduced into the |
house by the dudish Henry Cabot
Lodge, of Massachusetts. The tariff
plank follows:
Resolved, That we commend and approve |
the straightforward course of the Republi- |
cans in congress to fulfill the party pledges |
to revise and adjust the tariff laws as to re.
duce the accumulation of burdensome and |
dangerous surplus, while still affording to |
American labor and products a fair protec- |
ton against degrading foreign competition. |
That we confidently anticipate that the tariff