Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1891-11-05
P1TTsBURG. THURSDAY, nov S, 1881.
TWELVE PAGES
ARE THEY YET CoNvINCEDe

TUESDAYS election should be full OF
Wholesome significance fer the Democrats
There was a time when the Democratic
organization was derisively charged with
heing unable to learn or forget. The
truth is, however, the Democratic leaders
have been compelled to learn coed deal
during the past twenty-five years. That
period has been full of instruction for
them in the folly of chasing false lights.
Even if at times they are slow pupils the
elections Just closed must surely have an
intelligent meaning for some of them on
their relations to tie business sense and
the business interests of the country.
A wear ago they We're wild over the as
sumption that the people had gone back
on protection. They had carried the Con-
gressional fight; and they jumped at once
to the conclusion that it was all because
of the Mckinley bill They failed utterly
to take into account that great numbers
of Republicans were opposed to the ex-
travagance of the Congress whose term
was then expiring, and that many others
were then out Of sympathy with the revo-
lutionary tactics of Speaker Reed and his
followers in attempting to rush through
the Force bill Ex-Presid-nt Cleveland,
Carlisle, Mills. Watterson, and the other
inspired prophets of the beauty of culti-
waiting an American market for foreign
manufacturers set the whole results of a
wear ago down to the credit of their own
''ism,'' anti-protectioa.
This year, with abounding confidence,
they made the issue against the tariff in
the State of Ohio. They had as their can
didate man with clean record and of
magnetic personality, who had already
once been elected Governor of Ohio. If
Mckinley had been defeated his defeat
would have been heraldeG everywhere as
distinctive ard crushing blow to protec-
tion. But Mckinley is elected, and the
Democratic leaders are served with fair
notice of what will happen next year on
national scale if they insist on making
anti-protection the keynote of their Presi-
dental campaign.
The result in Pennsylvania is almost as
instru tive as in Ohio. Even the malfea5-
ances Of Republican officials and the white
washing act of the Republicans in the
Senate could not induce a majority of
teI0SNlNdIld NOlcTS W give encourage
ment to the Democracy so long as it might
be construed as liberation of that party's
attitude against the tariff.
1t is of no use for Mr.. Cleveland to try
to solace himself, as ne did yesterday. by
pointing to New York, Massachusetts, or
Iowa. Notoriously these States voted
mainly according to local issues. Their
record will afford no encouragement if tho
party is going into Presidential contest
against the tariff. To sum up, the two
battles on the tariff alone as a distinct
issue have both been lost by Democrats,
viz: That which Cleveland invited in 'sS,
and the one this week ending in victory
for Mckinley in Ohio. 1t will be the
height of conceit ON the part of ex-Presi-
dent Cleveland, Mills and Carlisle. if they
insist on thrusting their tariff reform again
as an issue upon the Democrats whom it
mas twice borne down disastrously. But it
will argue astounding ignorance and weak
Eess on the part of the Democratic organi-
zation itself if it submit any longer to be
so cheaply deluded by any leaders.