The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1893-10-10
An Insult to tho Democracy.

Our aole contemporary, the ITtouHe. mas
the assurance to say that the Democratic
pledge to destroy protection las fraud. a
robbery Of the great majority Of the Amer
lean people for the benefit OF the few" Twas
itself a fraud" that the platform was in
tended to deceive" and that the Demo-
cratic party has no intention Of fulfilling its
solemn promise to the people. Accordingly.
the Tribune declares that what the Demo-
Gratis ought to do is to admit that their
declarations and pledges were such as ought
not to be carried into effect. and particu-
larly that it would be madness to do so
with Industries Frustrated as they are now"
This is immoral advice. and as such it Is
not creditable to the Tribune. Moreover. the
effrontery which profrers 1t is insulting to
| the party Of the majority Of the American
| people, the party which is now in control Of
| the Federal Government because Of the
pledge to the people which the Tribune ad-
vises 1t to violate.
The assumption that tho Democratic par
| ty is without principle Is the more outra-
| geous because the Democracy went before
| the people last year with the boldest and
squarest declaration Of principle which has
ever been made by political party in the
United States touching a grave question
| Of political and economical dispute. It
| did not parley with the protectionists.
| but invited them out into the open
field for square fight. I'VE declare 1t"
said the Chicago platform. Ito be a
fundamental principle Of the Democratic
party that the Federal Government has no
constitutional power to impose and collect
tariff duties except for the purpose Of
| lev inf
paltry argument as to the degree Of
protection to be afforded. whether 1t
should be direct or incidental. but
boldly denounced all protection las a
fraud, robbery OF the great major
| ity OF the American people for the
benefit OF the few" 1t pledged itself
neither to the theory Of free trade nor to the
theory OF protection. 1t took the ground
that constitutionally the Federal Govern
ment has nothing to do with either, and
that it's sole rightful power is Ito impose
and collect tariff duties for the purpose Of
revenue only"
This declaration OF fundamental principle
was made 30 clearly that the simplest in
telligence could understand It. No one
among the majority OF the people voting
for the Democratic party at the last election
could have had any doubt as to 1t. Instead
OF being "intended to deceive" as the Tfib-
une asserts. 1t was put In form OF words
which made equivocatlon impossible. 1t
left no chance for deceit. 1t absolutely
and Intentionally committed the Demo-
cratic party. 1t bound the party to fun
damental principle" and not to a mere
policy which unforeseen conditions, such as
the Tribune refers to. might affect In Its
immediate application.
This declaration Of principle. too. was not
made inconsiderately. Nor was 1t made by
the merely routine acceptance OF the result
OF the compromises Of committee room.
1t was the spontaneous expression Of the
convictions OF nearly two.thirds Of the Con-
vention. as declared in a vote on the ques-
ton Independently. Tho tariff plank re-
ported by the committee might have
been open to the charge of equivoca-
ton on the part OF the protectlonist
enemy. For that very reason the Conven-
ton rejected it. and substituted n square
declaration Of principle as to which there
could be no possibility OF doubt. and from
| which there could be no escape. The repre-
| sentatives OF the Democracy were deter
mined that the party should go squarely
before the people on this question, SO that
neither treachory within nor enmity with
out would have any chance to betray or
misrepresent its principle. Never was there
a holder or an honester convention OF a
political party.
The Tribune. therefore. has no sort OF JUS
tifcation for saying that platform WAS
"intended to deceive" when 1t was 80
framed as to make deceit Impossible, and
| tn commit the marty uneOui yoCallV To the
principle that protection is unconstitutional
robbery and that no tariff is constitutional
which is imposed and collected for any
other purpose than the raising OF revenue.
The Democratic party Is planted on q
great principle which Is not affected by the
contingency Of Industries Frustrated as
they are now" to use the language OF the
Tribune. its duty Is to lift them from pros
traton by the application of that principle,
not to sacrifice tho principle and betray