Freeland tribune. (Freeland, Pa.) 1888-1921, 1893-01-23

1ne electlon of 1890 distinctly and en-
phatlcaily bespeaks the condemnation of
the Mckinley tariff law by the Ameri-
can people. The verdict of 1890 is again
pronounced and judgment is affirmed in
every particular.
Ihe Mckinley bill was doomed from
the day it was enacted into law. So long
as trace of McKinleyism remains in
the tariff laws, SO long will the tariff be
political issue. The Democrats have
to thank Major Mckinley for his serv-
ices TO the Democratic party. To Nc
hinley perhaps more than to any other
one man is due the thorough under
standing of the tariff question by the
American people. History has not yet
recorded an instance wherein the people
knowingly and patiently rested long un-
der the burden of unnecessary taxation.
Even the French peasantry, degraded
and oppressed by centuries of the domi-
nation of the clergy and the nobility,
finally revolted, drove away the customs
officers who stood at the gateway of
every town to collect taxes from every
person bringing his wares to the market
place. The people finally awoke to the
fact that famine and want were caused
by the prevention of the free interchange
OF products through these customs Off
GERS. The French revolution resulted.
England for years endured tariff laws
under protest, but when famine brought
the people face to face with the fact that
the tax laws were responsible for the
famine not only the corn laws, but all
protective laws were stricken from the
statutes. Doubtless this response of the
English parliament in 1916 to the urgent
demands of the people averted an Eng
lish revolution.
In this country the tariff question has
been fought out again and again. High
tariff has never given the people satisfac-
tion. 1t has always brought opposition,
which has ceased only when tariff has
been reduced. In 1856 the tariff had
ceased to be an issue, and then it was
lower than it had been since 1924. The
rates had been reduced in 1888, and again
in lS42, and the result was that perhaps
for the first time in the history of the
| country the tariff was satisfactory to all
to such an extent that no political party
referred to 1t in the national platform.
This indicates that u moderate tariff
graded to the needs of the government
is the policy to pursue if the question is
to be permanently settled. The McKin-
ley bill awoke such storm of opposi-
tion as to indicate that the people will
never consent to endure high tariff.
Mckinley centered the assaults of the
Democrats upon the tariff and brought
about condemnation of the high tariff
policy far more emphatic than would be
pronounced upon the tariff of 1888.
Cleveland wrote the tariff message of
1887. The response of the Republicans
was the Mckinley tariff law. The
people did the rest. The position taken
by Cleveland is approved most emphat-
ically, not only by his party but over
whelmingly by the people of the whole
country. The position taken by the Nc
Kinley Republicans is approved by the
party, but utterly repudiated in all sec
tions of the country by the people. Nc
kinleyism has weakened the Republican
party in every state in the Union. Nc
Kinleyism is thing of the past in
American no1itics -TTtica Oboaryar