The Bennington banner. [volume] (Bennington, Vt.) 1858-1894, 1892-03-11
RUNNING FROM THEIR ISSUES.

The enormous Democratic majority in
the present Congress was secured by
misrepresenting the Mckinley tariff.
This was before it had been tried. The
result was proclaimed by every Demo-
cratic paper in the country as cOndem-
nation of protection. In the Massachu-
sets campaign last Autumn Mr.. Mills of
Texas, said: snow look and see whether
coal and ores do not go on the free list;
you will see that we do not trifle; we
keep our pledges"
But the very first act eff the new Con-
gress was to defeat Mr.. Mills for speaker
and to "turn down" his crowd, to use the
expressive phrase of Mr.. Breckenridge of
Kentucky. Still, Mr.. Speaker Crisp
promised in his speech of acceptance
that mo backward step should be taken
on free trade" Vain promise. The
step had already been taken, and it was
leap.
The free coinage of silver was brought
to the front This, also, was one of the
issues on which the Democratic majority
had been secured. But soon al earnest
if not formidable opposition to it arose
in the Democratic ranks. The party be-
came so divided upon it that all the
managers took alarm. They ran from
the issue as Alexander's war horse ran
from his own shadow.
Then the tariff appeared less danger
Gus. The 'pin-sticking" policy was
agreed upon. No free-trade bill, and not
even free-coal or free-iron bill was
brought forward, but in troubled confer
ence the majority of the majority re-
solved to report Mr.. Springer's free-wool
and low-woollens bill, Mr.. Turner's bill
for free cotton bagging and free cotton
ties, and Mr.. Bryan's bill for free bind
ing Irvine.
This selection of subjects could not
have been made because of any failure
of the Mckinley tariff in regard to them,
for in each case it has been cOnspicu-
ously successful. Ithas caused large
increase in production, and all those ar
ticles are improved in quality and re-
duced in price. The selection was for
political effect only. Something must be
done to check the progress of protection
in the South. 1t was thought that free
bagging and ties, used exclusively there,
and freer woollens, not largely produced
there would do it. Something must be
done to capture two or three States from
the Republicans in New England, and
the Mugwumps told them that free wool
would do it. Then something must be
done to offset this in the West, and SC
freer woolens and freer binding Irvine are
to be attempted.
But here starts a new danger, which
bids fair to soon rise in formidable pro.
portions. Even Mr.. Stevens of Massa
chusetts, the only member of the com
mittee who favors free wool, is disap.
pointed and displeased with the heavy
reductions on woolens. There is reason
to believe that most of the comparatively
few New England woollen manufacture
ers who committed the amazing folly OF
petitioning for free wool, are now con
| graduating themselves that whatever the
House may do, the Senate, or certainly
the President, will prevent the mischie
from going too far. But this make!
their reliance Republican and not Demo
cratic.
The moral of all this is that a party
without principles, which cannot unit
upon national policy, whose only sue
cesses are secured by force, fraud, o.
misrepresen alton, is never worthy o.
public confidence, and is sure to break
| when put to the test of responsibility.