The Cape Girardeau Democrat. (Cape Girardeau, Mo.) 1876-1909, 1891-05-23
REVIEWING THE FREE TRADERS.

The New York Press reviews the
Free Traders as follows:
among the names of fearless, out
spoken, unbridled advocates of free
trade in the Uaited States during the
past quarter of a century none out
ranks that of Henry Watterson, the
brilliant and erratic editor of the
Louisville Courier-joumol. With
Carlisle, Mills, Morrison, llurd and a
few other Democrats holding similar
outspoken free trade views, he has
succeeded in so impressing that prin-
cipIe upon his party that its last n
tional platform was unmistakable in
committing the Democracy TO the En-
glish policy. Mr.. Watterson himself
has in large part written the platforms
of his party's national conventions in
! three successive Presidential CALL
paigns. The tariff planks have been
his special hobby, and his pen drew
those of 1880. 1854 and 1888. They
show progressive stages of boldness
in advocating the main principle which
is at issue between the two parties.
In 1880 there was nothing in the word.
ing of the plank to alarm any prOtec-
zionist who was a Democrat, yet free
traders could rally under the same
plank by a liberal construction of its
phrasing. In 1884 Samual j. Randall,
the ablest protectionist Democrat of
his time, declared in a speech iu New
Jersey, that the party platform and
the party candidate were not antago-
nistic to protection. The platform
was intended TO be ambiguous, and
was capable of constructions friendly
TO free trade or protection. Waiter
son drew if. not as a free trader but as
a politician trying TO catch votes. The
Democratic defeat of 1883 came TO the
Democratic party on n plank boldly
framed in the flush of victory. which
Enthusiastically portendcd the free trade
proclivitics and tendencies Of the
party.
We have been thus particular in re-
calling the history and character of
Democratic planks on the tariff in re-
cent years because Henry Watterson,
platform writer in chief for the Dem
ocracy. has within 4 few days given
uttcrance to IN expression of his orin-
ion that the Democratic party must
return to the platform of 1884 As the
model for 1892. lie wants TO "Strad-
die the tariff and every other issue,
and secure power by "foolins' the
people. That may be a possible policy.
but Lincoln was wont TO say that the
plain people may be deceived once.
but not a second time. The Demo-
cratic party pretended in 1884 that
they were not for free trade. and pro-
ceeded TO demonstrate in the Demo
cratic administration that followed
that the party is for free trade first,
last and all the time.
Regardless of that phase of Waiter
sons proposition. it will strike every
one as the beginning of a backing
down of the Democratic party on the
tariff question. The Mckinley bill is
law and must remain law for year to
come. When leading Democrats like
Wattcrson admit the necessity of
hedging on their tariff plank. it is
pretty fair evidence that protection is
here TO STAY. and it is an even more
hopeful sign that the Republican party
will win the Presidential election,
whichever course the Democracy shall
pursue. If they 'straddle" the tariff
issue as Watterson proposes, the peO-
pie will know they are insincere and
not TO be trusted. If they make the
direct fight they will be defeated, as
they always have been defeated when
protection was the issuc.'