The Forrest City times., 1892-02-05
DEMOCRATIC MATTERS.
ATTACKING M.kINLEYlsM.

ATTACKING M'KINLEvIsM.
 It Would Be a MIstake in This Congress
 to Propose . General Tsrin Biii-
 To propose in the house at this ses- sion. on the eve of national election. a general revision of the tariff might be magnificent says the New York Times but it would not be war such as must be waged for victory. It would in no sense advance the object professed. It would not make the devotion of the party to the principle of industrial and commercial emanci- patton whit clearer than 1t is now. It would not make the necessity or advantage of the triumph of those principles any more obvious. It is not at all requisite to inform the country what the Democratic party believes in and is working for. It would be simply tactical error of the gravest possible kind. It would be to abandon strong aggressive position for position of defence that would not be strong. It would instantly invite the concerted oppo- sition of every interest now depend ing on the favors of the present tariff and give to the opponents of every item in the bill the combined strength of the opponents of all. And this would be done by measure which is perfectly certain in advance to be re- jected by the senate and never to be- come law. When the tariff reform CTS have the power to enact bill for the revision of the tariff they will not shirk the responsibility of preparing one. and they will know how to de- fend it in all it's parts and as a whole in congress and before the people But they will not waste their time or strength in a gratuitous and futile contest over an elaborate proposa of action that can never be anything but a proposal.
 It is an old maxim of the military profession that the secret of victory is to be strongest at the points the posses sion that the secret of which is essen- tial. and the maxim applies. mutatis mutandis to political contests. It would be absurd for the military com- mand to scatter his forces around wide circle of attack with his enemy in possession of the interior lines and capable of rapid combination. It would be just as absurd for the tariff reformers to attack the tariff by general bill with the certainty that success was impossible.
 The situation dictates exactly the contrary policy. There are certain number of provisions in the present tariff, every one of which involves the essential principle of favoritism and monopoly for the few. and injury and oppression for the many. The plain duty of the reform leaders is to assail each one of these provisions in turn. This will compel the senate or the president to defend them in turn. If any of those single assaults is success full that is a distinct gain. not only in the removal of a specific evil but in the victory of the principle of equity which that evil violates. If the as- sault is not successful the reform has the great advantage of vigorous dis cussion of definite case. involving the highest principle and making that principle perfectly clear to the sense and conscience of the people. Take. for instance. the provisions of the present tariff against which the iron and steel interests of New England, represented by ex-Governor Ames and many Republicans pro- tested-the onerous taxes on iron ore. pig iron. coke and coal A bill to en- act the changes petitioned for by these interests would be one that would show with startling clearness the principle involved. and would at the same time force the senate to face the representatives in their own party of the interests affected. The same thing is true of the repeal of the increased duties on wool. It is the existence and the prominence of these weak places in the enemy's lines that indi- cate beyond doubt the plan of cam paign. Bills providing for changes of the kind referred to care being taken to adjust to these changes other rates affected by them. are all that this ses- sion requires of the Democratic ma iority of the house.