The record-union., 1891-01-29
SENATOR STANFORD ON THE
TARIFF AS A FUTURE ISSUE IN
POLITICS.

TARIFF AS A FUTURE ISSUE IN
POLITICS.
Under date of New York, January 18th,
an interview with Senator Leland STAN
ford, of California, was transmitted from
that city and published in the press Of
this coast. It should be known to the
reader that an interview is never what it
purports to be on its face. The original
idea of an interview was series of ques-
tons propounded by an interviewer and
answers vouchsafed by the interviewed.
In modern times the interviewed writes
both the questions and the answers. Hav-
ing consented to an interview, the inter-
viewing party furnishes the subject upon
which he desires an interview and the
interviewed does all the rest.
In what he said concerning the tariff as
future issue in politics we see the Sem
ator's own mind and hand. The question
was: SIN your opinion, will the tariff be
the issue in 1922" Senator Stanford an
swered: SIT looks as if the tariff will be
relegated to the background. Some
question of finances, think, will come
to the front. The tariff is only ques-
ton of modification. We have to have
revenues, and the only difference be-
tween Republicans and Democrats is as
to what articles shall have or shall not
have tariff ON them. If the Democrats
had control of the Government they
would not cut off the Government from
its system of raising money. Already
the financial question is assuming vital
Importance. You hear but little about
the tariff now.''
Senator Stanford is the leader of the
Republican party on the Pacific Coast.
He has just been honored by reelection
to seat in the United States Senate by
the largest popular and legislative major
ity ever given to a candidate for that
office. The Legislature now in session
and the State Administration are now
overwhelmingly Republican. Their
recent acts indorse Senator Stanford's
opinions and acknowledge his leadership,
and more fully establish him in that posi-
ton. The Republican press of the State
either acquiesced in or advocated the
election of Senator Stanford, and in doing
this, the Administration, the Legislature,
the Republican voters and the Republi-
can press endorsed the position and
views of the Senator. Now with this
Endorsement, the high significance of
Senator Stanford's expression becomes
apparent. And he declares that the only
difference between Republicans and
Democrats on the subject Of the
tariff is as to what articles
shall be subject to tariff and what
shall be exempt, or. on what articles
cles it shall be low. The difference
between Republicans and Democrats
then on this question of national
issue is not one of principle but one
of expediency. "Both Republicans
and Democrats" said the Senator, twill
not abandon the systematic way to raise
money for the National Treasury" If
the Democrats had control of Congress,
they would make no change-is the posi-
ton of Senator Stanford, for after all, to
quote the exact language of the Senator
himself, 'The tariff is only question of
notification
In modern times there is class of poll
ticians who desire to read every man out
of the Republican party who is unwilling
that certain specific manufacturers shall
not only have a sufficient degree of pro-
lection to establish them in the country;
to maintain them when SO established
and guarantee their prosperity, but
enough of what is misnamed pro-
lection to make them rich at the expense
of their fellow-citizens.
There is more rascality, scoundrelism
and outrage perpetrated under the guise
of national policy of protection than as
to any other public matter, and it is pro-
life of more corruption in high places
than even the monopolies of the country,
which have gained such gigantic proper
tions in modern times. Some of our con-
temporaries, who have a few catch-words
on the subject, which they have mistaken
for the formulation of grand national
policy and sentiment, insist that anything
proposed in the line of protection is Re-
pubncanism, and anything proposed in