New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1893-03-30
SOTED, BUT DO NOT WANT TO REIP.

SOTED, BUT DO NOT WANT TO REAP.
One must have poor sense of humor who
does not feel inclined to laugh at the
anxious attempts of manufacturers to persuade
themselves that the Democratic party will
surely protect them as carefully as any other
Here are w0olen manufacturers who try to be
profoundly convinced that the party for which
they voted can never-nO never-pass tamil
bill with only 25 per cent duties on woollen
goods Did they really imagine, then. that the
farmers would ever give member even
chance OF life who would vJtc for free wool
and protected woOllens? 1t is a long while
since The TRIBUNE gave them fair notice that
the same vote which brought ruin to the wool
growers who could not compete with Australia
would also bring ruin to the manufacturers who
could not compete with England and Germany
But how passiOnately anxious men who cast
such votes are to believe that they knew what
they were about
So there are Democratic manufacturers who
voted for free ere and free coal. 1t is ludi-
crOus to hear ther repeat, with all the intense
feeling of one who wants to convince himself,
that the Democratic party could never by an!
possibility do thing so suicidal as to leave
products of iron and steel. Some of these in
leresting persons dwell in New England, and
they were unable to control their wrath when
TIE TRIBUNE advised them that the iron
miners and the coal miners cast ten votes for
their one, and would slaughter any party offer
ing taxed tools to the miners Of free material
1t begins to dawn upon these gentlemen that
their petitions for free raw materials were in
fact petitions to close their own works.
There are even some producers Of tinplates
who believe that Mr. Cleveland would never
consent to the destruction of an American in
dustry They voted Democratic tickets with
that deep sense OF loyalty TO party which al
Ways believes that, though the heavens ma!
fall. or the earth refuse her increase, yet the
Democratic party can never do any wrong. IL
is rather amusing 10 see these worthy citizens
i'm anxious consultation, s0lemny resolving that
it is quite impossible to believe that Demo
cratic Congress will pass or a DemocIatic Pres
ident sign a bill repeating the duties on tin
plates. One would suppose thar they had never
heard of vote in Congress on that subject
All these gentlemen must expect tC reap what
they have sOwn. They read MIR. Cleyeland's
fiee-wool message years ago, and counted the
of vtupelation which followed the Mckinley
bill. and were perfectly aware that the Demo-
Gratis in Congress had voted for Mr.. Springer's
wool and wooens and tinplate bills. and yet
they Rugged the deluSon that the Democratic
party c.uld never fail 10 protect them. They
read it's platform declaring Protection nncon-
>titutional and chuckled over the idea that
Democratic Free Traders were getting bcanii
fully cheated because the party could never
be crazy enough to do what it promised They
listened to all the Free-Trade oIatOiy Of Dem
Cciatic speakers, and believed that Mr. Clevc-
lands promises meant only what they person
ally wished those promises 10 mean. They
sowed Democratic votes, and now il begins 10
dawn on them that the crop may not be Pro-
lection.
The wOrkngmen who voted the same way
will not feel the consequences until the works
have been forced to close or reduce wages.
Their time may come little later. II pleased
them to believe that "the tariff made 10 differ
ence.- and that all their gains in wages were
due to their organizations. But these also have
their part Of the responsibility and OF the con-
sequences. Rn;nOus legislation may indeed be
prevented. by Republican resistance or by
Democratic incapacity, but it will not be by
the votes Of those who helped the Democratic
victory last fall The only consistent thing for
such men to do, whether employers or en-
ployed, is to read their platform and then make
haste to get down to Frec-Trade basis Of
production and sale, Of work and wages, rs
soon Us they can.