Middletown transcript., 1892-10-20

les. So well did be know it, that he
dared not make the enacting clause OF
his celebrated bill read ''for the pur-
pose of raising revenue and promoting
internal industries by discriminating
national tariff taxes" He knew right
well that such a law would not be sus-
tanned by the Supreme Court, and
hence the protective features of the
bill are covered up under the plea of
raising revenues.
1t seems to me that the leading
speakers of the Republican party, and
writer's for that party's papers, must
entertain the opinion that the average
auditor at Republican meeting. or
reader Of the Republican press, must
be possessed of a very limited amount
of intelligence to be influenced by argn-
ments, the base of which are mis-inter-
probation, mis-information, and sophis-
tical Interpretation Of court decisions
and application. of figures.
Major Mckinley was the last man of
all the Republican lights whom | would
suppose would resort to these methods.
We expected it from Mr.. Blaine, for
they have always been his great politi-
cal methods; from Senators Allison
and Alrich they might be expected,
aud Senator Sherman has, on several
occasions, on the stump, resorted to
the same methods. And alas quite
too often have our own Democratic
advocates been guilty of such faults.
cannot, however, believe that there
can be any very great love Of country,
or of countrymen, and very lofty
patriotism, or any deep seated honesty,
in the soul of any man, who, assuming
the Office of teacher of men, either OF
morals or of politics, deliberately at
tempts to deceive them and lead them
to believe, by a chain of false reasoning,
in some special theory that cannot be
sustained by reason. That they would
not attempt to lead them by sophistry
If they could do so by logic, must be
accepted as an axiom. All political
writers and speakers are, or aim to be,
teachers; and it is very safe inference
that if such teachers, or would-be
teachers, resort to other than straight
and honest methods to impart know
ledge, it is because they themselves are
not convinced of the justice Of that
which they teach.
When Major Mckinley in recent
speech said shat, because the Supreme
Court of the United States had decided
that a revenue tariff bill Tor a bill so
described in its enacting clause was to
be constitutional, and had thus deelar-
ed protection through tariff discrimi-
nation to be constitutional, he stated
what was not true. He knew it was
not true when he made the statement.
He made that statement to deceive his
hearers. He did not believe the theory
fif formulated into law) to be constitu-
tional, and now doubt very much if
be believes in protection excepting as
a means of reaching official power, and
a good thing with which to win votes.
In respect TO the last observation, am
firmly of the belief that he is far more
unwise than his average auditor; for
projection theories no longer serve as
good bait in vote traps. On the con-
trary, the average workman has been
caught by that bait in Homestead
traps, and they dislike tie smell of.it,
and get as far away from it as they
possibly can. If was more of a
machine politician, 1 would rejoice in
Governor McKinley's error.