Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1893-11-30
WILSON'S COMMITTEE.

The ~Panic" Eleceton WIN Have No a:
feet ON Tariff Reform Measures.
According to the most trustworthy
information from Washington the re-
suit of the recent elections will not in.
fuence any of the democratic members
OF the ways and means committee to
favor the emasculation Of the tariff bill
now in course Of preparation. Says
recent dispatch: without single
exception the democratic members OF
the committee denounce such talk as
cowardice, and they declare that the
election inspires them to radical re-
form rather than frightens them into
more moderate revision" II there is
to be any cowardly retreat it must be
made after the bill has been reported
to the house
The statement Is further to the eff
feet that protests from coal and iron
mine owners and representatives OF
other special interests in the Virginias.
Alabama and elsewhere will not
swerve the committee from their pur-
pose to put raw materials on the free
list The committee will not be moved
by appeals because they come from
professed democrats or from dem
ocratic states They will do what the
democratic party stands pledged to do.
and what they believe to be to the
best interests of the country. regard
less of all mere partisan considerations
That is the right kind of talk 1t is
indicative of backbone and steady adj
herence to principle that cannot be
bent or swayed by the outcome of q
panic election 1t is expressive of the
81
duty which a party must possess in
order to achieve or deserve more than
ephemeral success. A single step back
ward from the tariff reform position
now held would be fatal to the demo-
cratic party. 1t would prove that the
party in its leadership is tickle, incon-
slant and destitute of fixed principles
and convictions as the floating crowd
that is to-day with this party and to-
morrow with that, according to the di-
rection of the titful breezes of prosper
ity or adversely. The party that
stands for the right, unmoved by tenn
porary revcrses, strong in the faith
that reason and right will prevail in
the end, will achieve enduring success,
because it will deserve continued conf
dence.
The committee Is right in excluding
sectional considerations from tariff re-
vision. Such considerations necessar-
lily enter into the scheme of protection;
they must necessarily be excluded
from a system of tariff for revenue.
They have operated under protection
to the special advantage of certain
portions of the country and the special
injury of other portions, but in the re-
form of the Ubiquitous system there
must be no attempt at retaliation. for
that would involve the retention of the
same vicious system, with change only
in the victims
The only way to effecta reform worth
having and to secure prolonged ascend
ancy to the party of reform is to adj
here strictly to the doctrine ot the
democratic platform that no taxes,
tariff or excise, should be laid for any
other purpose than to raise needed rev.
enue, and that it is essentially unjust
for government to promote the il ter
ests of any class or section by means of
taxes or in any other way. Let the
democratic party hold fast to this doc
trine and apply it fearlessly, regard
less of selfish appeals from any quarter.
and it will win and hold the confidence
of the people. But if it revises the
tariff on protection lines and goes vote
hunting among the populists and other
cheap money cranks, it will be turned
out of power as soon as people get a
chance at it after they recover from
the generalization of the silver panic.
Chicago Herald