New-York tribune., 1890-08-06
HnW Tile PEOPLE STAND.

Extraordinary pains have been taken for
months by opponents of Protection 10 crHa't
the impression that there has been oecideu
movement of public opinion IN the uirec'ioh
of lower duties 1t is not strange t4au Sohio
intelligent mon have been impressed thereby
for nothing has been done to correct THIS I'M
preston. Resting in conviction that the de-
i;berate decision of the people after the full
years discussion which ended in 1883, was
complete answer to the ccaSeeSs stories Oh
ovorvbelminr revolution against Protection
which had filed the air up to that uihe' fro-
tectionists have been content 10 WaiI loI Cle
revision of the tariff which the kepuohcah
marty in Congress has promised. Ihey nave
u1abatcd confidence that the tulhlmcnt OF
this pledge will he sustained by the people
votes on the next occasion.
Dut now the tardinesS of the Senate Is used
as evidence by opponents OF Protection. IL
s5o,rS. they say. that Republican Senators are
rroforndly impressed by change III pubic
sentiment of which they are assumed TO nave
knowledge Because the people no longer
sustain Protection, it is claimed senators 90
not row oare to vote again for substantially
the bill which they passed year ago II
makes no difference that this prctence Is
wholly without foundation. The unreadlneSN
Of the Senate to act upon great party meas
ure which embodies the pledges OF more com
p)ete defence for home industry upon which
She last, Presidential election was carried, seems
% many unaCC0Untable unless the iree l'"ucIS
exclamation is correct
Public opinion in this country Is never
staCnant pool but always boiling pot, with
constant movement in every concelVable III
,cction. individuals can at any time be 1o'ho
who's. shifting circumstances or interests move
those f. opposc a tariff to-day who favored II
Yesterday. and he who picks out such cases
alone nav deceive himself and others with the
notion that the movement Is all one way. b"t
:, is not. The hope Of definite and long-de-
sired changes for the benefit OF important IN
dustIies has strongly impressed the minds OF
great multitudes Of Democrats as we.l as he-
publicans. and of Southern and Western a.
well as Northern and Eastern men. Inc nc
publican party has achieved all Its victories
by braycly doing the thing which was for tne
National welfare, trusting that if some were
rcpe!led more would be won by that course
1t has no other path to victory to-day.
1t is id!e to say that the pledges given IN the
last Presidential campaign are 10 longer olhd-
idg because Free Traders pretend that the
people have chanqed. The men who say tins
now aIe those who were ccriain that Free
Trade and Cleveland would triumph in 1855.
Delay has indeed given and every day gives
new organizations greater hold upon dIsap-
pointed farmers III some localities. But sen
ators are utterly powerless TO arrest such
movement BY forsallng pledges and abJunnS
their past record. There is only one path oi
>afetv-to do what is right, and then t. trust
the people Nothing can be more idle than to
say that the Presidential election decided moth
ing. The people had before them the lower
duties bill framed by Mr. Mills and approved
by President Cleveland, and also the biI
framca by Republican Senator'S, for the eX-
press purpose of showing how the party wond
make the defence OF home industries more
complete and satisfactory. They chose th'
Republican policy, and knew which way 1t
tended and what they were doing. When
Senators realize that il is TOO late by far Z"
change the issue, and that they must triumph
with the pledges given i'll 1855 on 60 down
with them, perhaps they may find reason To
mt aside all other matters, and make the 1arih
hin their sole business until il has been passed.
The one thing absolutely certain is that shirk-
ing OF duty wins no battles.