Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1891-11-27
Democracy Duty of the Hour.


II the democratic party expects TO elect
president in 1899. it must fulfill all its
pledges made to the people. In 1890 the
only issue which divided parties was the
tariff question. The democrats were
everywhere opposed to the Mckinley law.
because the Mckinley law was opposed
TO tariff reform. The republicans were
everywhere in favor of the Mckinley law,
because the Mckinley law was in favor
OF protection. The democrats assured
the voters that in case of securing the as
tendency they would insist on the repeal
OF the Mckinley bill.
It seems to the Age that there can be no
middle ground. Because the president is
not democrat. and the senate is republi>
can, is no excuse for not carrying out the
pledges made last year. Let each tub
stand on Its own bottom. Let each de,
psrtment of the government be response
BILE for its own acts. 1t can be no excuse
for the democratic house not to redeem its
pledges TO the people, because tariff re-
form bill that would pass the house would
be vetoed by the president. or defeated in
the senate. 1t is not for democrats to
look ahead and see what somebody else
will do with bill In the line of tariff re.
form. The democrats in 1890, did not
pledge themselves to change. modify and
materially reduce the high taxation en-
acted into the Mckinley law, provided
the senate and the president would Join
with them in the reform. Had that kind
OF pledge been made the democrats in the
lower house of congress would have been
in decided minority.
1t won't do to fool with the people.
They will turn and iDflict terrible blows
whenever blows are deserved. Tariff
reform and modification of the Mckinley
law are altogether too serious matters
to justify tampering with the peoples
affections. Better far that the democrats
should not have won the next house, than
having won it to violate the sole mn
pledges made to the people.
The policy to pursue is not one OF ex-
pediency. 1t is one of justice. II may
be the best politics to put few things
on the free list, and lower the tax on two
or three others, but such q court e
is not fulfilling the solemn pledge made
the people. Possibly bill specifying a
modification of the tariff on the several
thousand articles now taxed for pur-
poses of protection, might antagonize
with the democratic party. But there
was no reservation, not even mentally,
that any possible conflict of that kind
would excuse the party from carrying odt
its obligations.
A bill naming every article now taxed
and fixing the rate of modification, is not
essential. The Mckinley law was the
issue in 1890. Let the committee of
ways and means, as soon as appointed,
report bill to repeal so much Of the
Mckinley bill as can be done legally
No democrat who is opposed to that bill
can justify himself in voting against the
repeal. Such an act on the part of the
democratic party will save to that party
the next president. a failure To do
something of that kind will deprive the
party of a grand victory which today is
within its reach.
1t matters not whether the senate
would pass such bill or not. Neither is
it matter to be considered whether the
president would sign such bill. But it
does matter very materially whether the
democrats shall vote for some such bill.
II is an awful bad time to be a coward.