The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1891-02-24
EXIT MCKINLEY.

EXIT MCKINLEY.
Slight faith, indeed, in the good
sense of the American people, was re-
uuired to predict that they would not
forever acQuieSce In a system under
which money raised by taxing them,
was being squandered on an enormous
scale for the purpose of getting rid of
surplus revenue, and thus diverting in
the interest of the protected manufac-
turers, a reduction of the tariff. The
Republicans manifestly felt that the
tide was turning against them, and
were preparing to discount a heavy
loss in the autumn elections. The dec
laration of Mr.. Blaine, the most keen
sighted of Republicans, in favor of Re
%ciprOcity with American Republics,
showed, that in his opinion, the party
was on the wrong track, and that he
was preparing to change it's course.
Equally evident was the unfeigned
hOpefulness of the Democrats. Yet
the most hopeful of Democrats can
hardly have dreamed of so sweeping a
victory; the most dispOndent of Re
publicans can hardly have looked for
so total an overthrow.
No propagation of sound doctrine in
the United States through the tracts of
the Golden Club would ever have
availed; the only effect was the in
| creased mistruSt of the doctrine as one
which was being preached in the in
terest of England. By a long course of
indOctFinatiOn, the belief in protection
to native industry had become not less
fixed in the minds of half-educated
Americans, than belief in a fetish is in
the minds of any African tribe. 1t
was fortified by a misguided patriot
ism, and by the hatred of England,
which the ProtectiOnists do their best
to infame. Professors of political
economy and impartial students of the
subject are almost always Free Traders
Nor was it possible that the forcible,
clear, and in themselves irresistible
arguments of such Free Trade writer's
as Mr.. David A. Wells and MI. Edward
Atkinson, should altogether fail to
reach the understandings of an intelli-
gent though unrestricted people. But
the manufacturers succeeded, through
their command of the newspaper press,
in possessing the popular mind with
the singular belief that ON this par
ticular subject theOretic truth is one
side, practical wisdom is on the other.
So there was nothing for it but to
wait till it became practically apparent
to the American people that the duties
were being levied no longer for the
sake of revenue or for any public pur-
pose, but in the interest of a certain
class of producers This was sure to
happen as the reduction of the public
debt went on; and so o as it did
happen, a revolution would be near.
The revolution has come, and though
- $3.50 L. -41I AI@4 H. C~,,@ - H.
late election was not Free Trade, nor
was the victory in that sense a Free
Trade victory, yet in it's practical con
sequences it will be such a victory. A
Free Trade victory it will be, and, in
time, it will go round the world. De
pend upon it, the death-knelI of Pro-
~tectiOnism has been rung. Mckinley,
with unwilling hand, has set the torch
to the great pile of iniquity, and he
will be enrolled in his own despite
among the benefactOrs of mankind.
The American people has delivered
itself from a serious peril. The Re
publican party, which in it's better day
had been the party of comparative
purity, became the party of corruption
and abuse. 1t, in effect, proclaimed it.
self such in choosing a man so deeply
and VIGOROUSLY tainted as Mr.. Quay,
for Chairman of it's National Commit
tee. Apart from the tariff question, or
any other question, the movement be-
fore which the party has bitten the
dust, was an uprising against cOrrup-
ton. In Pennsylvania the revolt was
probably more against corruption than
against the Tariff. "Stalwart' Repub-
licans, whose avOwed creed was that
the Ten Commandments had nothing
to do with politics, " and who lived up
to the belief, have been made to feel
that the Eighth Commandment still
retains some Influence over ordinary
minds. Viewed in this aspect the re
suit of the elections is the most en-
~cOuraging event that has taken place
in American politics for many a day.
OF the Republican party, or what re-
mains of it, the leader henceforth is
not Mr.. Harrison, Mr.. Reed, Mr.. Nc
Kinley, or any other man of that
school, but Mr.. Blaine. His sagacity
discerned the coming storm, and in
his policy of reciprocity, he gave his
party the plank on which such as have
escaped shipwreck have got to shore.
Upon that line, it is presumed, he will
move. He cannot accomplish much
with South America, and will have
to turn his eyes to another American
Republic" where almost everybody,
except the protected manufacturers
and the Tory Government, is ready for
reciprocal trade with the United States.
-GOLd1Uin Smith an McM1Aan'S Maya
zine, London, January.