The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1892-11-11
WHAT 1T M FANS.

The Hon. John w. Foster, President
Harrison's secretary of state, promptly
confesses judgment for his party and
says that the tariff must be reformed.
This is frank and courageous and we
trust it voices the sentiments of a ma
jority of his party. AS Mr.. Foster says,
the personality of the candidates had
little to do with the result. Nor would
it have been different had other candi-
dates been selected for the respective
tickets, or other leaders managed the
campaign. 1t was a square, straight
out issue between different tariff poll
cies. In 1888 the democrats fairly chal-
lenged the republicans on this issue and
lost the election by a very slender mar
gin. Undaunted by defeat they con-
tinued the fight. Two years later, after
the republicans had formulated the
Mckinley bill which declared for higher
taxation and thus more sharply defined
the difference between the parties, the
democrats again appealed to the coun-
try. Their appeal was sustained and,
by an overwhelming majority, the people
condemned the republican policy of tax
alton as expressed in the Mckinley act.
In spite of the result of the election,
the astounding spectacle was presented
at the converting of congress in the fol
lowing month Of the president of the
United States reiterating in his message
the principles that had Deer condemned
at the polls, and a republican congress
refused to yield to the request
of the people for relief from OPP
pressive burdens. The republican lead
ers found other plausible explanations
for defeat and tenaciously held to the
Mckinley policy.
The following year, in the elections in
several states, the democrats again won
victories or the low tariff issue. This
year the battle was renewed with even
greater vigor. The republican national
convention met in Minneapolis, honored
the author OF the Mckinley tariff with
its Craftsmanship, approved his tariff
measure in their platform and renomi-
mated the president who had recon-
mended it and made it a law by his sig
nature.
The democrats promptly and cheer
fully met this challenge. They had
abiding faith in the people, They did
not believe that on another appeal the
verdict of 1890 would be reversed. They
declared in their platform for a tariff
Cor revenue only and renomInated Gro
yer Cleveland, their leader of four years
before. The result Of the election has
demonstrated that democratic conf
dence in the people was not misplaced.
They carried the demand for tariff re-
form into the thickest Of the fight in
Ohio, Indiana and Wisconsin, and
wrested those states from republican
control. They redeemed New York and
cut down republican maiorities in New
England and Pennsylvania. They car
ried the country b. a larger majority of
the electoral and popular vote than was
W cast for any candidate since war
times.
1t has taken four years of courageous
and stubborn fighting to bring about
thIsgreat revolution il public sentiment.
Not even tie densest and most bisoted
republican can now stand out against
the demand for a revision Of the tariff.
Tho over-protected manufacturers have
haa their day; now the people propose
to have theirs.
Secretary Foster is right. 1t is the