The Superior times. [volume] (Superior, Wis.) 1870-1912, 1892-01-02
The Democrats Cheating Themselves.

The cool assumption that the eXtraOr-
dinary Democratic victory last year was Sc
cured mainly by the tariff question has
been SO often repeated by free traders that
they begin to believe it themselves. That
is one OF the penalties Of such a talSehoOd
The man who uses the un,ruth finally be-
gins to believe i'll it, and to base his own
calculations on il. and To lay all his plans
as if it were true. | hen he receives a we'll
earned threshing, though. if he had not
cheated himself, he might possibly have at
tanned success.
This particlur falsehood is now made the
basis of all calculation by free traders
respecting the next presidential election.
Because they Won in 1890, on the tariff
question in certain states according to
their idea. if that issue can be made sub
staptlally the only one victory must come
in 1892 1t is highly gratifying to find
men cheating themselves in this way, be
cause their chances of success might be
much better II they should adopt different
tactics from those which untruth inclineS
them to prefer. Mr.. cleveland went down
III lSSS largely because he and his friends
had cheated themselves in the same way
regarding The popularity of his tariff cru
SADIE. Ii the free traders have their way
the same experiment Will be repeated in
1892, again based on belief i'll falSehoodS
which have been told so often that the
falstierS themselves believe them.
Tne truth about the matter seems to be
clearly exhibited by the voting this yeai.
The tariff issue was carefully avoided in
New ork. and the Democrats won, 1t
was perSlStently made by both parties in
Ohio, and the Democrats lost. If there
has been IN any state at any time since the
presidential election of lSSs. a clearly de
fined and distinct Issue on the tariff queS-
ton. 1t was III Ohio. and the majority
there tor Major Mckinley was greater
than the majority in 1855 for President
HARRISON. The nomination of Mr.. Nc
kinley made the tariff the one question
which oyerShadOwed all others. and i
brought HIM larger vote than the state
had ever given to any other candidate. 1t
would be strange. indeed. II something
OF the same tendency of public opln-
ion should not appear in the adjacent
states. Indiana and Michigan. While in
other Western states except iowa. where
the liquor question turned the scale. the
Republican narty appears to have assured
majOTiteS. The story that the farmers of
the West We're going by the thousand in
every state for tariff reform was told SO
often previous to the contest Of lSSS that
Mr. Cleveland himself was probably more
amazed than anN body else to see the over
wheiming majoritieS cast in Western states
against him.
The tariff policy Of the Republican party
was adopted with deliberation prior TO the
election of Abraham Lincoln il 1850, and
secured his success. Yet he did not re-
ceive majority on the popular vote. In
1854, when he was reelected the CIVIL war
absorbed attention. ana in ls6s and lS'2
the memories OF the war and problems OF
reconstruction insured the election of
Grant In 1876 the tarltf question was
adroitly handled by Mr.. Tilden in connec-
ton with the question Of resumption, the
latter being the more prominent. and he
was barely beaten. In 1880. for the first
.I..s sarT hr.p lNa
more prominent issue. and scanty plu-
rality of the popular vote for Gen. Garfield
was the result. II 1884 personal antag-
eniSms to Mr.. Blaine affected the verdict TO
some extent. and yet. after allowance tor the
larger fraudulent majoritles for Mr.. Cieve-
land in Southern states. the popular vote
for protection appeared relatively greater
than IN 1880 In the election of 1888. al
lowing for the suppression OF freedom al
the South, the plurality 1oT President lar-
rlson and protection was larger than had
ever been given for that cause