New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1893-11-13
THE NEW SITUATION.

II might have been supposed that elections
such os those of last week were sufficiently i'm
pressivc to teach even Free Traders something
| But none are so blind as those who Will not
see and Democratic leaders are now engaged
| in declaring that they will go straight ahead
az If there had not been any voting, that the
| President will recommend and the committee
rcport the same tariff bill that would have been
| rcpOrted at the recent extra session. aud that
| the coercive power of caucus is to be invoked
to insure its speedy passage by Democratic
votes Obstinately shutting their eyes to all
the lessons of the election, these Democrats as
scrt that the people were only displeased De-
| cause the Silver bill was not more promptly
passed by the Senate. One Democratic Senator
goes even further in his foolishness and as
serts that there need not have been any panic
| if the President had not most unwisely caused
one by summOning the extra session. and de'
claring that the repeal was necessary to the
public safety.
1t is blessed dispensation that the men who
have not sense enough to govern wisely also
have not sense enough to know what elections
mean The Southern Democrats, who are prac-
tcally masters of the Democratic party, will
and will at least keep up the agitation for
radical reduction of duties long enough to do
great harm TO Industries. whether they succeed
i'm Congress not. 1t is the worst feature OF
their chronic incapacity for government that
they know nothing Of the manufacturing in
dustres Of the Northern States. nothing OF the
conditions under which those Industries thrive.
and nothing of the feeling of the wOrkingmen
in the Northern States. Blind to the temper OF
the Northern people, ignorant Of the needs of
Northern industries and business. they blundcr
alike in the measures they propose and In their
Interpretation Of the elections in Northern
States.
But in the Senate, and probably in the House
also. there will be found some Democrats who
feel the results Of the election keenly, and who
know that a radical change of tariff will insure
their defeat in their own States or districts
Men like Hill and Murphy, Mcpherson and
Smith, Brlcc Of Ohio Palmer Of Illinois and
Villas of Wisconsin, are not unlikely TO con-
slider with great anxiety the effect Of particular
changes that will be proposed. What the work
ingmen want. how they will feel about a re-
duc,on Of wages. what the manufacturers will
think OF tariff which exposes them TO I'M
checked competition with foreign countries will
appear to such Senators and to many Repre-
scntativcs altogether more important than such
things appeared to them Il week ago or month
ago.
The votes Of Congressman will be watched
this year with peculiar interest and also with
peculiar intelligence. The people have had an
object lesson. as President Cleveland promised,
and have learned so much that it is not safe
for congressman TO assume that they can be
dcluded with fine phrases or be fooled with
fancifu theories The millions know that they
had work enough for all only Il year ago. and
at the best wages ever paid In this country.
They know that wages are lower 1T this time
in almost ill occupations. and thai many han
tlrcd thousand persons cannot get work ut all.
The change has been too great and too recent
TO be misintcrprctcd with much success. Every
vote of Congressman regarding the question
which affects the industries Of the people and
the wages OF labor will bc scrutinizcd and dis
c,sscd in the shops. and understood 10y The
voters in the light of their splendid prosperity
under the Mckinley act. and the great disas-
tiers which the fear Of Democratic tariff has
already produced.