Huntsville gazette., 1891-09-19
THE REAL ISSUE.
Currency and Not tho Tariff the Question
ftlt Before the People.

Currency and Not tho Tariff the Question
before the People.
While there is great deal said by
democratic organs about the tariff, es-
pecially by those. committed to the
democratic presidential nomination
next year, the fact remains that the
tariff is removed, at least for the pres
ent, from the leading place in the
minds of tho American people. So far
as national questions enter into the
years campaign, the leading issue is
not the tariff, but currency. We say
currency. because it is made up of the
free silverquestion and the old green
back issue. The democrats, at least
those of the west, are committed to
free silver: the peoples party not only
supports that, but in addition is COM
mitted, to the unlimited issue Of green
backs. s..,sr Es 4.,..
For one thing, everybody sees that
/. there is nothing to be gained by at
tempting to keep the tariff question to
the front. Though the house of repre-
sentatiyes of the next congress is dem
ocratie, the senate is not and will not
be; hence it is absolutely impossible
that any bill on free trade lines-that
is, in the direction of tariff ''for rev.
enuc only"-could possibly pass both
houses of congress- and even if such
bill should be passed, any man with
modicum of good sense knows that
President Harrison would promptly
veto it, tietlf Ais.1 80 20 "f~
The next election for representatives
in congress, will not take place until
the fall of 1892, at which time a new
president will also be chosen! If either
republican president or republican
house is elected no free trade legisla-
ton is possible, aud even if both of
these should be democratic, change
in the tariff laws could not immediate
ly be made, Even, supposing the re-
publican majority in the, senate, would
be overcome, the next meeting of con-
gress after the Inauguration OF the new
president will not be until the first
Monday in December, 1898, and a rev.
enue tariff law could not be passed
until some time in 1Se4-thIee years
hence.
Hence there is no pertinency in at
tempting to keep up tariff discussion
when there is no possible end to be
gained by it. Another thing, the peo-
pie of the United States are heartily
tired of the tariff issue. They ex-
pressed themselves upon it in 1855; and
the verdict in 1890 at the congressional
elections was due to a scare, which
happened through the fact that the new
tariff law had just gone into operation.
The people had no opportunity to judge
of its workings, and the democracy,
with an -unscrupulousness never before
equaled, lied about it Indignantly.
The more Intelligent among the peo-
pie who were deceived by those false
hoods, are now aware of the fact; and
it is absolutely certain that no man
who was ever deceived in that way
will ever be deceived again. The bus
mess men of the country have adjusted
themselves to the changes made by
the new tariff law, and all they ask is
to be let alone. There is nothing more
injurious to a country's industrial in
terests than the persistent agitation of
a change in it's economic policy. The
democratic party, through its agitation
of free trade, has lost hundreds of mil
lions of dollars to the people of the
United States within the last fifteen
years. By compelling manufacturers
and business men to constantly shorten
sail, they have diminished the normal
amount of manufactures, have been
the cause of shut-downs and strikes,
and have hindered our industrial devel-
opment.
Hence we say the real question be-
fore the people is one of currency, not
free trade. Everywhere except in the
extreme east, the democratic party has
committed itself to the free silver fall
lacy: the peoples party has joined it
in this, and made an additional demand
for the loan of greenbacks on land and
farm products. In the south the demo-
cratic party dare not take an attitude
of opposition to the alliance; hence
they will concede whatever the al
lance demands, in order to hold its
vote and, keep. the south solid. The
democrats of the north, true to their
policy of the last fifty years, stupidity
follow the bourbon ideas. However
much the more sagacious of the north
ern democratic leaders may desire to
keep the silver and greenback ques-
tions in the background, it cannot be
done. The main question is the cur
rency question; Maj Mckinley recog-
nized that fact in his Niles speech; and
it will be well for the republicans of
Ohio, as well as in other states where
important elections are pending this
rs wear to push the fight on that line -
Toledo Blade. y -
A TIMELY SPEECH.