Los Angeles herald., 1891-04-04
SATURDAY, APRIL a. 1891.
THE TARIFF-A WORD TO THE DEMO-
CRATIC PARTY.


CRATIC PARTY.
In the summer of 1887, when Mr..
Cleveland had been president for more
than two years, as result of his ex'
cellent administration of his great office
so popular was he with the people ire
spective of party or shade of opinion,
that there seemed no possibility of de-
feating him of reelection. Had it not
been for his own act, done in open op-
position to the advice of his best friends
and in open defiance to the wishes of
the real leaders of the Democratic party,
he would have been reelected by ma
jority SO overwhelming that it would
have been forever memorable in the po-
litical history of the country. But the
melancholy days of sad November
came, and during them he wrote his
famous tariff message to congress, in
which he ignored, or at least neglected,
the consideration of all other national
interests, and made a radical departure
from all precedents by dwelling so ex-
clusively on the one topic in message
notable for the multiplicity of its
words. That message defeated Mr..
Cleveland. Nothing else could have de-
feated him. There can be no disrespect
to Mr.. Cleveland in saying this. He is
reported as saying himself, before he sent
it, that it would defeat him. He has
since said that is what defeated him.
Now this is the more remarkable in
view of the fact that the message was
abstractly right, and that it en-
bodied the views of a large majority of
the voters of the country, and that in
the main it was we'll considered, logi-
cal document. But it was radical in the
one respect that it put the tariff before
the people as an exclusive proposition
overshadowing all other interests. The
formulation of the Mills bill followed.
It was a very admirably considered
measure, in nearly all respects; but it
brought on a fight in congress, which
lasted all winter. The Republican
leaders branded it as "free trade,' and
many well-meaning but poorly-informed
Democrats, instead of denying this
false allegation, set to work defending
British Cobdenism. Business in all its
branches was paralyzed all over the
union. Hundreds of thousands of deal
ers were afraid to buy $40
worth of goods. Tens of thousands
of "drummers" ran about the country
to find their occupation gone, and re-
turned to objurgate Democratic tariff
tinkers in round, set terms. Mr.. Cleve-
land was defeated and Benjaminimum
under the hat walked into the white
house.
Now look at this picture. The victo-
rious Republican leaders inflated, intox-
icated with their success, proceeded to
ride rough shod over the helpless mi
nority in congress. Gar Reed in his
full blown pride sailed serenely on his
sea OF dominance, running down every
opposing craft that appeared in sight.
Major Mckinley took hold of Mr.. Mills's
business, and in due time reported his
tariff bill. 1t out-Heroded Herod
in it's war tariff schedules, framed with
cunning hand to make the upper and
lower millstones of special legislation
grind the face of the poor sharper and
finer than ever before, and to let run
fine -four into the bins of the Carnegies
and their like as it had not done hereto
fore. Once more business came to a
standstill while all this tinkering went
on, and when the new schedule at last
went into effect, every woman who went
to the store to get bit of flannel for
baby bunting, or pair of shoes for the
big boy, or dress for herself, found an
extra dollar OF cost attached, which was
referred to the Mckinley bill as the
cause. Election day came again and
the American people marched to the |
polls, since which day there is weeping
and gnashing of teeth as in Gehenna |
among all the ranks of the Republican
party. The history of the country af
fords no such parallel in the way of a
political tidal wave, overwhelming tariff |
horse and tariff rider in a sea red with |
the blood OF the slain.
And the significance OF all this is in
the application thereof. We find the
Democratic party in power in the lower
house of congress, by the largest majority |
a party has sat with ever in the history
of really united United States. What
will it do? Flushed with success the
chances for foolish action are very great.
To be sure the senate is Republican, and
no radical action on the tariff or on
anything else can pass that body. But
the temptation to introduce such a
measure is great, and great pressure will
be brought to bear to force it. Just as
sure as any such attempt is made we
will see business again paralyzed. Bus
mess is very sensitive; and capital is
very timid. The people will not stop to
consider the fact that the senate will
bar radical legislation. Any radical
tariff bill will look like danger signal,
and the wheels of progress will come to
q standstill in its presence. Again the
multitude will merely reason that the
y. L.