The Louisiana Democrat. [volume] (Alexandria, La.) 1845-1918, 1890-04-23
Jim-Good morning, Ben
ON THE ROAD TO RUIN.
Tho Dissolution of tie G. q. p. Is Now
Only a Question of Months.

ON THE ROAD TO RUIN.
Tho Dissolution of the G. O. p. Is Now
Only Question of Mouths.
Power is often more fatal than the
lack of it, and the Republicans at Wash
ington seem to have gotten themselves
into a pretty pickle. They have not
chosen tho straight and narrow path,
and consequently they have wandered
very deep into the wilderness. In their
effort to revise the tariff by increasing
its wrongs under the pretense of alleviat.
ing them, they have incurred the just
wrath of every section of the country.
They have found it impossible to gradu.
ate the evil with such nicely that nc
man can say that he does not endure a
more grievous weight than is inflicted
upon his neighbor, and in consequence
they find themselves very nearly at
their wits end for remedies.
Since the Mckinley tariff abomina-
ton was proposed to an astonished pub.
lie, protests against abe manifest and
startling evils of the bill have been
pouring in. That it would create o
tariff for prohibition, and not for rev.
enue, is becoming evident even to those
who do not usually disturb their brains
with this very important but sometimes
yexing question, and since the people
have begun to recover from the surprise
caused by the bold iniquity of the
measure they do not hesitate to make
known their opinion in decided words,
bringing grief to the hearts of those
who cling to the decayed doctrine that
the Republican party, like the King,
can do no wrong.
The sugar-makers first raised the cry
of bad treatment. Louisiana, Kansas
and California have sounded the slogan
of battle. Republican members from
sugar districts say that the party lash
may be laid hard and often upon their
backs, but they will not respond to its
sting. as they can not neglect the in
terests of their constituents for the sake
of party fealty. If this bill goes
through they claim that their districts
will be ruined, and it will have to be
said that the Republicans did it. We
suspect, however, that some of these
gentlemen talk little too loud, and
when the time of action comes will vote
as their leaders dictate, for the Repub-
lican party has ever been well-disci-
plined one, and allows little rebellion in
its ranks. But neither their adherence
nor their detection can smother the dis
content in their districts, and the sancti-
fed Republican party must answerfor it.
The Republicans might withstand the
sugar question if that was the only
evil, but as misfortunes never come
singly, they are oppressed by cloud
of complaints caused by this bill of
theifs. Delegations from all the great
cities representing the canning inter-
ests are hurrying in an angry multitude
upon Washington to protest against the
placing of such a heavy duty upon tin
plate. Verify, when Mr.. Mckinley sees
them coming he will flee like the ostrich
and hide his head in the sand, for he
knows that he can make no sufficient
answer to their reproaches.
In slang pa.lance sugar and tin are
correlative terms, and, perhaps, the Re-
publicans hope to neutralize evils by
cutting the duty down on one and put
ting it up on the other. They abolish
the major part of one revenue tariff and
double another, and while they are
wrestling with those who object to such
a wonderful way of doing things, they
must take turn with the hide men.
In these days of her old age and fault
finding New England picks many flaw
in the high tariff which she formerly
thought came direct from Heaven to
bless and enrich mankind in general,
and New England in particular, and our
brethren find themselves
unable to crafty her wishes. With free
hides New England manufacturers have
built up a large export trade in manu-
features of leather, and they have made
their part of the country the center Of
our leather interests. Since the Nc
Kinley tariff bill was proposed they are
NIL in tremble with indignation and
fear. If this duty is placed on hides
what is going to become of their bust
ness? Prompt to act, they are sending
protests by the train-load to Washing
ton, and as the loss of six Republican
districts in New England is threatened,
it is said that Mr.. Mckinley will not be
able to withstand the pressure, and will
with the majority vote to strike out the
hide clause from his bill.
These are only the three more i'm
portant propositions for which the Re-
publicans have been hung upon the spit
and roasted over the Goals by their own
brethren. They are compelled to en-
dure the evils of lead ores and other
such things until they must wish that
the tariff and all its belongings were at
the bottom of the deep blue sea.
Added to the responsibilities of such
an cratic tariff measure as that pro-
posed by the committee are the evils of
their pension policy. Who can ever
lead them out of the mazes into which
their devious course has led them? Hav-
ing promised hundreds of millions more
than the surplus could furnish or the
country would endure, how are they
going to release themselves from the
weight of their obligations?
A better party than tine Republican
eou9a scarcely escape from aaQh di@::