Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1892-09-02
WHY SO MUCH TARIFF?

lOus tIlaJ all une orators, imported ana
homegrown, Republican and Democrat
ic, who have spoken during the CAM
paign in this State could find scarcely
anything to talk about except the tariff?
1t is a subject that has been canvassed
and recanvassed times without number,
and pretty much every man, woman and
child in this State who can read or even
hear knows exactly where a speaker is
coming out. 1t is necessary only to be
appraised of his politics. One invariably
makes it out an unspeakably great bless
ing, while the other as certainly pictures
it as delusion and snare.
But what has the tariff got to do with
the election in Vermont in September of
this year of grace anyhow? 1t has been
popularity supposed that we were to
elect State, county, congress and probate
district and town officers, nor is there
any indication that that isn't so. Now
there isn't particle of doubt that Mr..
Powers and Mr.. Grout will be found on
the side of protection whenever the tariff
issue is raised in the house of representa-
tlves at Washington and there is no
ground for fearing that Senators Morrill,
and Proctor will branch out into free
trade legislation. Nor are the candidates
on the State ticket suspected of lack of
all due reverence for the protection idea !;
and whatever they thought or did
mr. thinly IL xyOuldnst p,ottor for tbo
State doesn't control these matters. The
latter remark applies also to town rep
resentatives, who can protect only fish
and game and lay killing taxes on the
lives of woodchucks and other vermn
in their official capacity, and unofficially
promote free trade in various beverages
at the capital town during the session.
1t is therefore difficult to see the oc-
casion for all this rumpus on purely
national issue at this stage of the game
later, when the State campaign is over
and the scoring up for November is I'M
der way, it might do, though it is hardly
called for then. The problems to be con-
sidered at this crisis. it would seem to a
perhaps unenlightened intelligence, are
those which have to do with the State
and its affairs, and those only. Surely
there is enough in Nermont's concerns
to furnish material for countless bursts
of eloquence that would serve all purpos-
es in stirring up the voters. Nobody, so
far as we have observed, has had word
to say about the character of the candi-
dates on either side-whether they are
honest, intelligent, untrammelled by
connections with organizations whose
interests are adverse to those of the
people, or whether they are not. The
prohibitory law is violated with compar-
ative impunity in certain towns, and
there are those who honestly doubt the
advsability of continuing it in all its
features; but the campaign speakers ig-
more it altogether. 1t is said, and to an
extent believed, that the tax law drives
capital out of the State, thereby cramp-
ing those in want of money with which
to do business and so iniurng the growth
and development of the States industries
but about that no enlightenment has
come from the stump. 1t is admitted that
the highways of Vermont are poor, though
expensive, and there Is more or less dis
cussion in private as to what can be done
in the way of legislation for their better
ment. The subject has not been alluded
to by speaker. How is it about our
penal and reformatory institutions-th
prison at Windsor, the house of correc-
tion and the reform school are they ad-
ministered by competent men, wisely
and economically, or are they not? So
far as the campaign has developed,
nothing whatever is known These are
only few of the States affairs that
might receive attention, but haven't had
it.
Spinoza, the philosopher, was called
"the God-intoxicated man." because he
found the Deity in everything. For a
like reason, those who have endeayored
to fire the hearts Of Vermonters for the
fray on Tuesday next might Justly be
termed tariff-intoxicated, for they imag-
inc that 1t is the only thing in the uni
verse that is of any account. At all
events, that is the obvious inference from
their course. 1t may be, however, that
there is another explanation for the en-
phasis put upon economic questions by
them, and that is that such questions
are easier to talk on than those that