Macon beacon. [volume] (Macon, Miss.) 1859-1995, 1893-07-15
POLITICAL STUPIDITY.



There Is good deal of solid. work.
able stupidity in politicians of all par
ties, despite the progress that has been
made in the last dozen years. Gov. Nc
Kinley, for instance, has learned moth
ing by his experiences since he was
chairman Of the committee OF ways and
means in the house of representati yes.
He has started in on his long and
tedious canvass of the state of Ohio, on
the lines that he has followed to defeat
over and again since those days of brief
and illusory triumph. He still will
have it that his tariff is not only benefi-
cent but popular, that 1t must not be
changed except in the direction Of
higher protection, that all the ills the
body polite is heir to are due to the
democratic party, and that the larger
part of the voters of the United States
are little better than fools led by men
little better than knayeA- LIZA Mr..
Beechs's dog, who parked hintscn 20 =
state of exhaustion at the mouth OF
the hole from which the woodchuck had
long before escaped, the governors
voice gives out the same vain, monot
onous notes, and will continue to do SO
until November.
On the other hand, in the de mocratic
party there is little faction of dis
gruntled politicians who set out some
eight years ago with the notion that
the American people would never toll
crate democracy unless it was thickly
veiled in protectiopist notions. They
have seen protectionist notions carried
out to their logical conclusions by the
republican party, they have seen them
rejected at a national election which,
for the first time in third of century,
placed the democratic party in power
in every branch of the national govern.
inert, and they have seen Mr.. Cleve-
lands manly honesty and candor ap-
proved by the most striking popular
victory won by any presidential candi-
date since the war. But they cling to
their superstition that protection is
still the policy most firmly upheld by
the American people. And since they
cannot forgive Mr.. Cleveland for hav.
ing made their gloomy predictions
ridiculous, they are now seeking to en-
barrass him by calling upon him to de.
mand sweeping reduction OF the
tariff, without regard to the necessities
of the treasury-cherishing the fond
hope that in this way they can arouse
against him the popular protectionist
prejudice in which they continue to be-
lieve. They also, like the McKinleys
of the other side, have learned moth
ing, and keep up their tiresome bark.
ing before the empty hole.
But while politicians, whose business
it is to know what the people really
wish, manifest this persistent stupidity,
the great body of the people of the
United States are guided by common
sense. just now they are not worry
ing themselves much about protective
tariff legislation, and still less about
partisan politics. The future is a little
doubtful to all, and to some gloomy.
There is time enough to think of legis-
lation when congress meets and par
4 tisan politics can wait even longer.
But when occasion arises it will be
found that public opinion is definitely
settled as to two things-one, that the
merely protective element shall be
cleaned out of the tariff as rapidly and
thoroughly as circumstances will per-
nit, and the other that the require
ments of revenue shall be duly consid'
cred and provided for. And for these
things they will trust the president
and congress. N. Y Times