St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1894-03-26
THE POWER BEHIND THE
THRONES.

THE POWER BEHIND THE
THRONES.
A comparison of the campaigns o.
1888 and 1892 and of the administrations
that followed makes plain to the dull
est observer that there is power be-
hind the thrones OF both political parties
which the good people of this country
must take into account in any political
movement, and which they must unseat
If they care to hand down to their chill
dren anything more than a republic in
name and plutocracy in fact.
Tue campaign of 1888 followed and
was shaped by the tariff message Of
President Cleveland, which. as was
then said. gave to his party great
cause and to great cause a party"
Four years before law was enacted by
the Republicans on the report of Re-
publican protectionist commission.
which declared the rates then existing
too nign, and that they could be reduced
% per cent with advantage and without
injury.
The Republicans in 1883 announced
II.
Though the ambiguity of the term was
criticised, though the Democrats in
sisted that 1t was only blind to cover
an advance of rates should that party
be returned to power, Republican
papers and speakers insisted aud Re.
publicans believed that it meant tariff
reduction, to be made by its friends"
instead OF its enemies. The Republic
ans were commissioned to revise the
tariff. The result every one knows
The tariff was revised by its friends, :"
and the product was McKlnleyism. The
Republicans who were fooled by the
trick turned to and, in the elections of
80, drove two-thirds of the representa-
tives VINO had deceived them into re-
tirement.
In 1892 the Democrats. inspirited by
their successes in the prior campain,
sensing Its true meaning that major
ity of the people of this country wanted
that tariff reduced and not revised, "
made bold and brave declaration of
their purpose to eliminate all protection
from the tariff as fraud and a robbery
of the masses for the benefit of few
No issue was ever SO squarely drawn or
Squarely met. The threat of the leaders
of the Republican party, sounded in
their platform, was ignored by the
army. 1t was Straight-out, clean-cut
fight between revenue reformerS
charged with being free traders and
not lodging the charge. and the pro-
tectioniSts. And the free traders won
the most magnificent victory in our an
mails.
The same malign influence which
was strong enough to make a con
gress elected on pledge to revise
the tariff by reducing it. increase it in a
manner which enormously increased
the protection, and only reduced it
where the decrease would increase pro-
lection, was powerful enough to induce
the house committee to present meas
ure which was no redemption of the
pledge given. and which. even after it's
hammerlng and tinkering by the hous e.
was admittedly protective il all save a
few features. Gaining assurance and
boldnesS by its success i'm the house
this Invisible but potent power attacked
the measure III the senate, and was
strong enough there to repair the breach
made in the protective wall by the
house bill and increase the measure OF
protection it accorded. Not shred is
left of the proud banner under which
over five and half million Democrats
marched to victory in 1892.
Not the least striking and the most
hopeful feature of this comparison lies
IN the manner in which the press of the
two parties met the betrayal of their
party'S cause. Without an exception
prominent enough to attract ottentlon,
the Republican papers proclaimed Nc
KinleyiSm as the full redemption OF
their party'S promise to ''reviSe" the
tariff. From the moment it was re-
ported from the committee they came
almost unanimously TO its support, and
those who denurred at first later bowe
their heads in submission to the power
behind their throne. Ii there is Dem.
ocratic paper which has given an UNI
qualified support to the Wilson bill in
its present form. it is too insignificant to
have commanded attention. With hardly
dissent, they deplored the quantity OF
protection in the house bill, and with
out dissent that we can recall they
denounce the bill as it energies fro IN
the senate committee. We say this is
one of the hopeful features, because it
shows more clearly than could be shown
by any other means at present the tenn
per Of the great mass of the Democratic
party. temper which BODIES no good to
the Daleful power which has found te M
porary Judgment behind our throne.
There is something in all this, though,
that should make the thoughtful voter,
with whatever party he casts his ballot,
reflect seriously on what is the most i'm
portant public duty he owes his coun-
try. He may we'll ask himself if there
is any question so pressing and import
ant as is the reinforcement of this power
which dominates the two great political
organizations. There is in it for every
Democrat, and for every lover of free
dom, cause to ponder on the question
whether there is not an inherent vice in
| a system of taxation which unavoidabiy
offers to selfish interests an incentive to
| have it continually increased because
! such increase means unearned wealth
| to them, and whether it is not more
| Democratic to permit entire freedom to
| men to exchange the product of their
labor. and that every taxpayer should
be permitted to know exactly the de-
mand Of the national government on
| him as his quota of the common burden
There is nothing that will unssat this
malign power but free trade.
| A HASTY CRITIC.