The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1891-11-27
The Vital Issue.

The letter Of Senator Carlisle TO Repre-
sentative Warner. Of New York, published
in our dispatches yesterday. should be read
and pondsred by every democrat In the
country. The purpose of Representative
Warmers letter was to get Senator Carlisle
to say somsthing that could be used TO
assist Mr.. Mills in his contest for the speak
ership. In his answer Senator Carlisle
speaks kindly of Mr.. Mills, and leaves the
| impression that Mr.. Mills would fill the office
! of speaker acceptably. When be was speaker
he made Mr.. Mills chairman Of the ways
and means committee, and, therefore, he
could hardly have said less in his behalf
than he did. He had an opportunity to ex-
press himself much more strongly in Mr..
Mills favor. and the fact that he did not do
30 suggests the probability that he does not
think that Mr. Mills would make as safe
and satisfactory a speaker as some one of
the other candidates for that office. When
Senator carlisle was speaker he called
Judge Crisp to the speakers chair oftener
than any other member, and 1t was then
predicted that the next democratic speaker
would be Judge Crisp.
But the purpose of directing attention to
Senator Carlisle's letter is not to comment
upon the contest for speaker, but suggest
that democrats could not do wiser thing
than to follow the senator's suggestion with
regard to having but one issue in the ap-
preaching national contest. There is virtu-
ally no difference among democrats on
the tariff question. All can and will stand
squarely upon platform which calls for
reform Of the tariff II other issues are in
troduced-issues which are far less impor-
tant, but with regard to which
the party is not united-it will not
be possible to have harmonious &C
ton, nor to arouse the enthusiasm that it
is essential to success. In the course Of his
letter, Senator Carlisle says:
why shall we, on the eve of great ma
tional contest, when victory is almost
within our grasp, abandon or ignore the
vital issue upon which we are united and
waste our strength in fruitless controversy
among ourselves over questions which can
be better adjusted after it has been deter
mined what part of their own earnings the
people shall be permitted to keep. Let US
do one thing at a time, and all things in
their proper order. The first duty OF the
Democratic party and all who sympathize
with it is to change the laws under which
the earnings Of the people are taken away
from them by unjust taxation for private
purposes, and whoever proposes to postpone
the performance of this duty in order to in
augurate war among ourselves over the
silver question, or any other question, is
not wise counselor and would not make
safe leader"
What the Democratic party should aim
at is victory in the presidential contest. No
attention should be gwen to questions that
would make victory doubtful Such ques-
tons may be important, but it will be time
enough to consider them when the party
gets into position where it can act upon
them and settle them. On the tariff issue
it is certain to get control of the govern
ment. That is the vital issue, and the one
to which it should give its whole attention
in the national contest.