Pierre weekly free press. (Pierre, S.D.) 1889-19??, 1892-11-24
srANpnY TAI flag.

looking abeu, to sec If they can find out
"who struck Billy Patterson" While
this may be- IA entertaining pastime, it
is not always profitable. When Plat
lays the blow to DsPcw and proceeds to
belabor him, he is only wearing out his
club and exhausting his wind to no pur.
pose. When DePew thinks he discov-
ers that Platt is the culprit and pours
forth his walls Ut wrath on his devoted
head, he is only making spectacle. of
himself and cannot possibly asoo n1plish
any good purpose. When Pc.tigrcw
thinks and says that Harrison himself
dealt the blow by his persona! unpepul-
ari,y, he is talking OF that which he on.
u believes to be the case, and imaRiues
that the friends OF Blaine were stronger
Blaine mon than republicans, and the
facts will not bear him out. Whom an-
other faction says that Chairman Car
ter WAS the heavy villain, they know
not Whist they say. for our national cam
paign WAS well organized and, with the
exception Of little rainbow chasing"
we'll managed When the whole blame
is laid to Mckinley the person so talk.
ing makes mistake again.
The FREE PKEss does not propose to
try to locate the entire blame for the re.
suit of November S,h for it believes
more than one factor contributed to the
result We are not Of those who bellows
that the management of the campaign
was entirely at fault. although We do be-
lievc mistakes were made; ii is doubtless
true tnnt Carter depended too much on
his own ability and knowledge of the
conditions, and consulted too little with
other and more experienced msn; it is
also probably true that the campaign
was run too exclusively on the tariff is
sue, and the great labor and industrial
questions neglected. While Mckinley
may be set down as the leading s1pon-
eat and advocate OF tho extreme high
protective idea, he is not alone respon-
slblc, II the responsibility rests here, for
he was supported by practically all the
republicans in congress. The FREE
PRESS believes that the republican cam
paign leaders made Il mistake in put
ting too much stress Oh schedule in
stead of !. principles; in the heat OF he
campaign many Of our leaders appa:-
emily forgot that the present tariff law
could be amended as conditions chang
ed, and went on the principle that ii
was now perfect, in this way there is no
doubt that hundreds and thousands
were nlisled into Il. "elief that the re-
publieans were conscnu ing for Il SEIZED.
ule instead of !; principle, and could
not approve this policy and voted
against it.
There is no doubt that many votes
were lost because the republican posi-.
ton was misunderstood IN this particul-
ar; had the campaign been made OH the
line of reasonable protection, and the
Mckinley law been used rs Il step i'll the
right direction, and an acknowledge.
ment made that there were inequalities
in it which would be corrected ut the
earliest opportunity, the result we be.
lievc would have been better. A large
faction, we believe 4 majority, of the re-
publan party is IN favor of revising
our tariff schedule frequently. always
keeping i'll view the protective principle,
bat they are not III favor of prohibi-
tory tariff, and do not believe it ncces-
sary for the development of our resour-
ces. What We started out to write
about WAS that the republicans should
not be dismaycd ut the late defeat, nor
be swerved from the lines on which they
hive been fighting for thirty years.
While we believe that the party was led
to one side in the late campaign in ad-
vocating as party principle a law as
IN entirety, when it is conceded to have
imperfoctions, the departure was not
great and was on the right side.
The republican party is in favor Of
levying a tariff on certain imports suf-
ticient to represent the difference be-
tween the price of labor in this country
and Europe, and to cover any other
condition that might be detrimental to
us if placed on an equality; this is the
republican theory of protection and if
it has been swerved from that direct
line it should return to its principles,
and stand by them now as it has done
in the past AS matter of fact, how
ever, the party has always been the par.
ty of protection, and the Mckinley law
is = protection law though it may in
soms features represent the radical high
protective theory.
The advice we would now and always
give TO republicans is to stand by the
flag; stand by: the protective theory;
though defeat may come it will be but
temporary if we but stand firm; if there
are inequalities in the present law, A.
there are, acknowledge it manfully and