The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1894-12-07
IN a BAD BOX.
The Democracy Is In q state of Innocu-
Gus Desuetude.

Gus Desuetude.
1t is absurd for democratic journals
to argue that the recent elections had
nothing to do with the tariff. and that
the people did not by their votes con-
denim the new tariff bill When that
measure was pending some of these
journals declared with grea3 emphasis
and solemnity that the passage of that
bill with the income tax included
would overthrow the democratic party
in every northern state. and events
have proved that the prediction was
perfectly accurate. To claim az this
late day that the verdict had no such
meaning or force is to give tone of
banter, trifiing and responsibility to
their previous utterances.
Certain free-trade leaders offer =
much wiser explanation because it is
partially true. The people were in
deed disguised about the action of
congress on the tariff, these democrats
admit, but only because the party
broke all its pledges and was false to
its platform. and deliberately sold out
democratic principles for support in
certain districts or shares in a
sugar speculation. There can be go
doubt that this feeling Influenced
the action of many democrats. In
states like Missouri, where the demo-
Gratis are nearly all injected wiSa the
rankest free-trade theories, and ere as
hidebound and mossbaclIed in their
devotion to ancient plan cation notions
as if they still owned slaves and
dreaded the explosive influence o.
free manufacturing Iaborers among
them. the democrats aoSt~il rom vot-
ing, as Mr.. Mills says, aOoL1 as largely
as in other sta 5es where manufactures
abound. 1t is reasonable to assume
that the same feeling of disgust, be-
cause the pan ty had not only failed TO
abolish protection but had actually
sold itself to the stock gamblers and
ocrats in other states.
Yet it is known to everybody that
a great many other democrats in every
state expressed their disgust with the
new tariff for different reasonable
cause it Frustrated their industries.
Right here in New York every active
man knows many who voted against
the democratic party for that reason
and no other. 1t is of no use to deny
what everybody knows. In other
cities and states, where municipal cor
ruption had no part in the matter,
great armies of democrats who were
not ssbacked free traders but work
ingmen in protected establishments
voted straight republican tickets or
refused to vote at all; and precisely
the same testimony on that point
comes from every state i'll the long
line between Bangor and San Fran
cisco. Men only make themselves RI
diculous who deny things so clearly
within the personal knowledge of
every intelligent reader 1t is the
striking fact that the percentage of
democrats who thus abandoned their
party was large in every state, though
naturally larger where manufacture
ing esta blishments were most numer-
GUS.
The point is that the democratic
party has to take its choice between
destruction at the hands of radical
free traders for not going far enough,
or destruction at the hands of work
ingmen for depressing their industries
at all. No doubt, by following NJ.
Mills advice, the party could please
the hide bound democrats of Missouri
and save many OF their votes, but by
that course 1t would throw away many
thousand more in New Iork, New Je--
sey and Connecticut. and in every
state where manufactures exist. Or il
could lean more strongly toward pro-
lection or stand on the tariff as it IL,
but in that case It must throw away a
million free traders and send them
over to the populist camp. One way
or the other, the party must sacrifice
il any future election many of the
voters it held a short time ago. For
the free traders made excuses, hoping
that popgun bills wouId yet be passed,
while workingmen and manufacturers
were as yet not all convinced how
much the present tariff injured them.
If it stands still, tine record of Novem-
Der, 1894, will do the business for the
democratic party. If it goes either
way. the partyr uns risk of losing
more votes than it can ever hope TO
GAIN. Y. Tribune.