Southwest-sentinel. [volume] (Silver City, N.M.) 1883-189?, 1892-07-26
The Tariff Question.

The standard
The democratic party is irrevok-
ably committed to free trade, and
no denial, no evasion, no protest,
no shutting can save it from the
dangers of that position. 1t must
make the doctrine good with the
people, or go down to defeat with
the closing of the polls. Success
in that respect will depend upon
the kind Of fight it makes !; and to
the extent that the tone and sub
stance of the principal candidates
letter of acceptance may give char
acter to the campaign, it lies with
Grover Cleveland 10 decide the
election. Victory for him can be
won only by candor and courage );
timid fight will insure deserved
disaster. That the free trade posi-
tion has its dangers cannot be de-
MED. II invites the powerful CO.
operation of protected monopolies
and trusts to condemn policy
that, by making competition free,
threatens to extinguish their spe-
cial privileges. 1t intensifies the
party loyalty of those republicans,
and weakens that of those demo-
crats who, either from selfish greed
or honestly erroneous but firmly
fixed opinions on production and
trade, are protectionists first aud
party men afterward. 1t excites
the fears of the morbidly cautious,
and palsies the hands Of old polit-
ical strategists. 1t draws a line
between right and wrong, and
arrays the democratic party
against the influences that win
elections when public thought is
dormant. Dangers like these arc
not to be lightly regarded, for
after all, in party politics as in
military campaigns, victory is the
chief immediate consideration.
But the free trade position has at
this time elements of strength
which more than offset the danger
it invites; elements that can be
dissipated by timidity and deceit,
but which, if made prominent, will
win the election. Public thought
is not now dormant. Let an open,
honest and logical appeal be made
to the conscience of the people,
and against all the power of trusts,
all the tricks of protected monopo-
lies, all the campaign funds that
can be fried from the fat of tariff
schedules. Notwithstanding the
doleful prophecies of the over
cautious, and without the aid Of
petty strategy, the people will
raise their voices and give their
votes for the right, as when aroused
they always do. A policy that ex-
cites the active hostility of trusts
and monopolies viii attract the
support of the masses. Farmers,
merchants, unprotected manufact-
urers and, greater than all, those
who are dependent for a living
upon stipulated wages--farm hands,
mechanics, common laborers and
clerks, though they are not so
alert, are quite as logical as the
benefciaries Of protected interests,
and when awakened quite as ready
to favor the party that favors them.
Their ears are now ready to hear,
their eyes to see and if they do
not accept the free trade principle
to which the democratic party if
committed, it will be because
democratic leaders, by hinimiz-
ing the issue, hamper effec-
tive discussion and create an i'm
preston that the party is insin-
cere. An aggressive campaign
will arouse the enthusiasm and
promote the activity of free-tradt
democrats; it will enlighten demo.
, Gratis who are on Che fence as be.
tween protection and free-trade
and increase their influence among
their neighbors; it viii secure the
; support of republican ee-traders
1 and it Will convert republicans pro
teetfonists whose personal inter
/ ests in protection profit have no
) blunted their sense Of justice ant
/. closed their minds against reason
Capital and Enterprise Does It.
Eddy Arg,H
{ New Mexico's popalation is in
Q creasing more rapidly than an!
g other portion of the West. Tn,