Fair play., 1893-04-29
STILL STRUGGLING.
The Harrison and Mckinley Combination
Still Hoping.

The Harrison and Mckinley Combination
Still Hoping.
Two eminent advocates of republican,
.sm and high tariff are reported by the
republican papers as having recently
made stirring appeals to their followers.
One of them is the late president of the
United States Mr.. Benjamin Harrison.
whose views are said to have been
packed into the single phrase: Keep
on fighting. The other is the late
chairman of the ways and means com
mlttee OF the house of Representatives.,
and the responsible author ofthe present
tariff law. Gov. Mckinley, OF Ohio. He
is reported II have used language sin
gularly that Of Mr. Harrison. borrow
ing Mr.. Lia.on'S famous declaration:
This fight mUst go on" These asser-
ti0ns We accept With qualification.
They indicate a spirit that Is not only
creditabie to their authors and consis-
tent with the known courage and rcSo-
luton Of these gentlemen and states
men, but one that is also essential to
the evolution of a sound policy Of gov
ernment for free people under repre-
sentative institutions. Both Mr.. liar-
rison and Mr. Mckinley have within
the past year gone through experiences
that might well chill their fervor and
deadcn any personal ambition by which
they were animated.
Mr.. Harrison, after four years in the
chief executive Office. and after a vic
tory over powerful rivals in the nomi-
mating convention of his party. was de-
fented in the election by the democratic
candidate whom he had defeated four
years before and this in Il manner so
decisive that it might well have dis
couraged him as to the possibility of his
party 5 return tn power in this genera
ton. Mr.. Mckinley, during the seS-
sion of congress in which the tariff law
that bears his name was debated and
passed, enjoyed a prominence and cXcr-
cised degree of power rarely achieved
By any representatives He bccam" the
logical candidate of his party as Ii sue
ccSsor to Mr.. Harrison. and when he al
lowed his name to be presented to the
convention it was natural that he
should have expected to see it accepted
by the ma jority of that body. lie was
disappointed in that expectation. He
then gave his utmost efforts to secure
the election of the successful nominee,
feeling that the real issue in the can
vass had been made by him and that
his standing with the country was as
directly involved As that of Mr. Harri-
son, if not more So. The crushing de
feat that followed at the polls fell with
peculiar weight upon him. I!ut now,
it seems, he is not less ready than his
party and rival to continue the Stt.ur-
gle. We trust that both of them are
very much in earnest and that they will
DO everything in their power to bring
the contest to result that will be er-
tircly satisfactory to them.
But they must not forget what the
fight" really is or what they will have
to do to accomplish their ends. 1t may
be said at the outset that the one thing
they must do is to convince the ma inrity
of the American people that the dcci-
sion of last year was an error. So f;,r as
Mcssrs. Harrison and Mckinley are
concerned the decision was Very simple.
They asked the people to leave the
framing and enforcing of tariff laws in
their hands. with the avowed undertake
ing that tariff taxation should not be
reduced but should rather be increased.
That was the burden of all their pro
fessions in the late canvass. There was
no admission by them of any serious
faults or vices in the tariff, of any I'M
just advantages conferred on favored
interests, or unjust impositions upon
the great body of consumers. There
was no intimation that trusts" had
been fostered by the tariff, or that the
party in power had been demoralized
by its Independence on the money made
from special privileges granted to mo-
nopolies. There was no suggestion of re-
lief to manufacturers by the decrease of
Duties on materials OF of help for the
laboring classes by an increased for
cign demand for the products of
their labor Now, if MesSrS. Harrison
and Mckinley and their party friends
really intend to keep on fighting" on
the lines of last years struggle, the
people Will only be more and more en-
lightcned as to the real nature and eff
feet of their fiscal and political policies
ii.tl II Il aiVNlLapi' iiNuIt. ANU VIZ iippt
that they will not abate 4 jot of heart
or hope in pursuing it in their own way.
Probably. however. this would not be
the line these gentlemen would pursue.
They would be more likely to fall back
on general or specific criticism of the
party that has replaced their own in
power. That also will be heartily vel |
come We have seen how pitifully the
republican party was first misled. then |
weakened and finally dcbauched by un- |
checked prosperity. We do not pretend |
that the democratic party can be |
trusted forever with power. We shall |
be heartily glad to see it subjected to |!
the most searching examination of its |
conduct and its motives. If it deserves |
continued success. it will bear such ex-
animation. If it cannot bear it. the !
people will know how to take care of it. |
BY all means keep on fighting. N. Y.
Times.
LOOPING OFF THE DEAD WOOD. |
Measures OF Economy Adopted by the |