The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1890-11-26
SHALL WE BACK DOWN {?
Sioux City Daily Tlmes.l

Many straight republican newspapers,
which before the recent election looked
askance upon the policy OF the Chicago
Tribune and the ST. Paul Pioneer Press,
as newspapers calling themselves repub-
lican, and which from a glorious record
i'm the past have well earned that title,
were openly against the Mckinley bill,
pointing out it's apparent defects with
zeal hardly cquallcd by any democratic
newspaper, and not attempting to defend
it, are now expressing a doubt whether
it would not be well for the republican
party to recede from its former position,
To advocate or calmly allow the repeal of
the Mckinley bill, and, in fact, to change
front on the question of protective
tariff.
1t is the duty of every republican
newspaper TO discuss this question, and
TO discuss il squarely and fairly. II is
as much live issue to-day as it was be-
fore the election. In fact, il is an issue
of even more Importance now, for some
of the hope and faith which obtained
before the election is now gone in conse-
quence of the result Of that election.
Taking the Mckinley bill as the sole,
or at least the most prominent issue at
the recent election-this merely for the
sake of a fair argumcnt-it is a fact that
it was defeated at the polls.
Now, because il was defeated, shall
the republican party resignedly say,
THE people have declared 10 wrong and
distasteful to them. We will abide by
the decision and drop it?" If we had no
knowledge of practical politics and po-
litical methods, the answer TO this would
be the affirmative. But it is not easy to
make an about-face, nor, If one has been
sincere I'm his belief, is decision against
him apt TO convince him Of his error. II
would not be crcditable TO him If he did.
That majority of the republican party
were in favor of the protective tariff pol
icy of their party before the late election
needs no argument. That the result of
the election has not changed their minds,
is equally true.
As has been said above, we may ad-
nit, for the sake Of a fair argument in
this case, that the majority of votes i'm
this election meant a majority plainly
against the Mckinley bill. But this is
fairer than the democrats have shown
themselves i'm any stage OF the discussion.
They directed all their efforts toward
the grosSeSt misrepresentation and the
boldest lying, with the object OF deceiv-
ing the people into the belief that the
Mckinley bill was an iniquitOus meas
ure. They enlisted the willing aid of the
importers, whose self-interest prompted
them TO represent that the provisions OF
the bill would increase the cost Of neces-
saries of life 10 American consumers.
This was lie. They hired "tin ped
dlers" in Ohio and in Michigan and in
certain localities in other states, to go
from farmhouse to farmhouse with an
assortment of tinware, asking outrageous
prices for their bogus wares, and in
structed TO tell the people that it was
the Mckinley bill which had increased
the price to such an astounding degree.
This was the wickedest, most bold and
impertinent kind of deception.
Democratic newspapers throughout
| the land deliberately took the truth and
twisted it to make it appear a liar. No
such campaign OF bold, presumptIve
| lying was ever before known in this or
any other country. Such a systematic
and persistent plan could not be with
out avail. Is IL any wonder then, that
the campaign OF untruth has succeeded,
at least temporarily? IL is we'll known
that lie travels faster than the truth.
IL is the common habit to accept and be-
lieve lie rather than to investigate and
| find out the truth.
All the republican party asks now is a
| fair trial of the new tariff law, and IL has
right to ask that. There is no earthly
reason why the party should back down
from its well considered position. That
the position was well considered is just
as sure as IL is sure that the republi-
can party Is the party of sincerity.
The Mckinley BILL no matter what
may be its most Objectionable features,
was prepared with the object of giving
the people a revised tariff. according to
demand, on the protection lines of the
republican party, which the people re-
stored 90 power in 1sss on this very is
sue. In every schedule of the bill the