Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1892-06-15

nomination of Republican candidate
for the presidency, at Minneapolis,
must be fought by the Republican party
on the line of protection to American
industry There Will be diminishing
about the silver question, but the SUI
preme issue Of the contending parties
will be protection and Tree trade.
These issues are beyond the power of
the press or the politicians to avoid or
to prevent If the Democrats should
nominate Hill the Democratic issue
would be free trade, as surely as if
Cleveland were the nominee, though
in such case the timorous and tricky
Boulanger Of Tammany would try to
mask the real intent of his candidacy
by the pretense of "tarif REFORM"
But ne would be unable to make his
fent successful The temper of his
lieutenants and troops is too impetuous
to brook such strategy. From Hurd's
Ohio brigade, from Watterson's Ken
lucky corps, from the leglons of Missis-
sippi, and from the firm though scanty
ranks Of Florida and South Carolina
there will rise q yell of "dOWn with
the infamous tariff" as soon as
the first gun is fired. "Taritt re-
form" is far too weak phrase to eX-
press the Democratic hatred of the pro-
tective principle. And in like manner,
were it possible for Republican con-
vention to select a timorous or tricky
person for its candidate, the mass of the
Republican party is resolute on accom-
pllshing q victory for protection. 1t
will peal the battle cry of protection,
whether its commanding general will
or no. Reciprocity" cannot be sub
stituted for protection. For without
protection there could be no reciproci-
ty. The latter is an incident Of the for
mer. We shall have to fight to the bat
tie cry Of Harrison and protection, or
Mckinley and protection, or Sherman
and protection, or Blaine and protec-
ton. We shall not fight to the cry of
Blaine and reciprocity-not at all. If
Mr.. Blaine goes before the country at
all it will be as a protectlonlSt, not as
reciprocityist. For, as we have said, if
there were no protection there could be
no reciprocity.
The instinct of the people is shrewder
than the acquired skill of the politician
1t would be folly, were it practicable,
as most surely it is not, to strive to make
the incident of reciprocity more prom
inent issue than protection. which Is
the cause OF the incident. For while
reciprocity has added something TO the
area of our markets and done something
to increase the volume Of our commerce,
its results are insignificant when COM
pared to those Of protection. Of the
nearly Sic. 900 900 which represents the
increase of our exports during the first
year of full operation of the old tariff,
Comparatively little, certainly not more
than $40 900, 900, are attributable to reci-
procity. Reciprocity has added its
millions, but protection has added its
huDdreds IF millions to the national
wealth.
We can 60 to the people with state
ment of something like SIT 100000
vested in new mills and factories, or in
the enlargement of old ones, since the
passage of the Mckinley bill, with
prof Of thousands Of men employed in
new industries, with lists Of firms and
corporations that have increased the
wages of their employees, and with evil
dence of lower prices on account
of the tariff"
The battle-cry must be Protection,
and the watchwords Protection and
Victory.