New Ulm weekly review. [volume] (New Ulm, Minn.) 1878-1892, 1892-04-06
Y ednesaay, April s, 1892.
DEFINING THEIR POSITION. {

y flg IS, 3
creed and program to the world yester-
day and foreshadoWed the attitude
which the Democratic national eonyen-
ton may take at Chicago,
With respect to the tariff, the Mime
sofa Democrats must be credited with
an exhibition of candor certainly not
habitual with their party, 1t has gen
erally been the custom for Democrats
throughout the country to testify their
disapprobation ofthe Republican policy
by . jug gle Of words which mean Moth
ing or by a call for tariff for. revenue
only. Yesterday the Minnesota DEM
Gratis came squarely oat with this de-
claration
s.We are opposed to the theory Of pro-
lection, as manifestation of the prin-
ciple OF paternalism in politics, with
which our party is continually at war. !"
There can be nothing more explicit
than that, and it that is to be the atti-
tude of the party in this critical year,
the Republicans can hardly desire any
change in it. The Democrats, after de-
claring hostility to the principle of pro-
lection, proceed to asseVerate their adj
herence 10 laws by which the revenues
of the nation shall be accommodated to
the needs of the government, economics
ally administered within its legitimate
sphere, which shall make commerce
and industry free and shall guard their
freedom when attained And that is
a roundabout way of saying that they
want free trade ora system as near
free trade ashley can get: like that OF
England for instance, which levies dut-
les on 20 articles like liquors, tea and
coffee, some chemicals and tobacco. Y
1t is gratifying to see the Democrats
come out so squarely against protection
both as theory and q practice, for they
can never win on such platform. The
Republican party holds solidly to the
essential policy of protection, They do
not all agree as to the extent to which it
is necessary to carry the principle, but
the majority OF the party, it may safely
be said, are arm in the belief that the
traditional policy of moderate protec-
ton first proposed by Hamilton for the
development and establishment of our
own manufactures, is necessary for the
Industrial welfare of the country, and
they have long series Of magnificent
results to which they may point as con-
firmatory of their position.
Opposition to protection will defeat
the Democratic Or any other party
which wages campaign on that basis.
And with respect to their fiscal policy
the Minnesota Democrats have placed
themselves in hostility to the principles
of sound finance. They advocate the
use Of both gold and silver. That is all
right; but they go on to say that the
sole function of the government is to
open the minis to free coinage OF dol
lars Silver they prefe) and ssif there
has been q sufficient fuctuation in the
value Of either t0 make the existing
ratios unequal, then to readjnst the
ratios so that the number of grains of
either mccall in unit of coinage, the dol
lar, shall be equivalent in value" That
-
IS to say, they would have free coinage
of dollars which would have to be re-
minted continually to follow the fuctu-
alton OF the silver market, which is a
financial ahsprdity. They propose free
coinage acknowledgements to the outside
worlds ratio. Change Of ratio as they
propose would not help silver under
flee coinage unless all nations agree to
common ratio and then the change OF
standard would demonetize immense
quantities OF silver, The Minnesota
Democrats have made a bad mess of it.
They are not for sound and honest doll
lars. The Republican party is.
On the issues the Democrats have
made the state campaign will be fought
And the Republicans hold the vantage
ground as against Democrats and third
party people, Minneapolis Journal.