The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1894-06-18
Col. Conger OF Ohio on M'Kinleyism.

Col. COnger of Ohio on M'Kinleyism
The most curious light yet afforded
the people upon the political situation
is that given by Colonel A. L.. Conger
in his interview upon Presidential
candidates, printed in The JERSEY
CITY NEWS and other United Press
papers on Saturday and in the various
morning papers yesterday. Colonel
Conger is surely Republican enough
to suit anybody. and what he says
must be taken fairly and squarely as
representing in great part the best
opinion in that party.
His Reputation of the Mckinley
law is therefore a political event in it
self. His revolt against the nomi-
nation of Governor Mckinley because
he represents high protection as en-
bodied in this measure and nothing
else, is the first momentous indication
OF the strange lines along which the
next National campaign may be
waged. 80 far as the Mckinley bill
is concerned" says Colonel Conger,
s'we lost the campaign of 1892 upon
that issue. The Republican party is
for protection. The country has
prospered under it. but as we have
grown older we have needed less
protection" He goes on to say that
in 1888 the party promised reduction
of duties. 1t violated its pledges by
the enactment of the Mckinley law.
1t then went forth to battle upon the
proposition that the Mckinley law
was the right thing, and it was
beaten Now he concludes, sit
would be simply political suicide to
start out upon that proposition in
1896" Again, he comes out in favor
of revision of the tariff, downward"
Hesaysw we want tariff reductions as fast
as the business interests OF the country
will warrant. We want that kind of
protection which will deal fairly with
all classes of American labor. We do
not want protection that will foster
trusts
Evidently Colonel Conger is a
thoughtful aud progressive States
man. lie has observed the fiuctua-
tions OF business and the influence of
tariff legislation upon them. He has
studied the will of the people, too, a
expressed in their votes. He has,
withaI, some fundamental knowledge
of political economy. In a word,
Colonel Conger is on the point of
coming over into the Democratic
party, or else he is going to be the
most formidable enemy the Democ-
racy has yet encountered because he
proposes to fight it with its own
weapons. Within the last month, we
have suggested iii these columns the
likelihood of some Republican leader
repeating the coup of Sir Robert Peel,
and taking the initiative in the re-
form-meaning thereby the reduction
of the tariff. There would be moth
ing in the least degree surprising i'll
the adoption by the Republican
party of that part of the old time
Democratic platform to which the
Democratic representatives in Con-
gress appear likely to prove false, the
policy of admitting raw material free.
Nothing can be much less surprising
than to see the Republican party TAX
ing up the cry Tor free coal, free lead,
free iron ore, free timber and combin-
Ing Herewith a guarantee to with
draw all discrimination in favor of
the Sugar Trust.
But if any such revolution in Re-
publican policy be made, where will
the Democracy stand? Where both
parties pronounce for tariff reform,
the issue will depend on which the
public places the more confidence. If
the Democracy, then. is to make the
fight upon the Wilson bill, as mutt
lated and falsiied by the democrats
In the United States Senate, We fear
its strength will not be irresis ii ble, to
say the least. The people will be apt
to say that it has been given its OPP
portunity, and, having failed to take
advantage, must now give its rival a
chance to try its hand. In a word,
McKinleyism became a dead thing at
the polls of 1892; the whole demand
of the people is for tariff reform, and
the competition between this parties
is as to which will do it best, fastest
and most h%onorably. The daily read
ing of the newspapers does not fill one
with courage as to the strength with
which the Democracy enters upon
such a competition.
If wisdom and patriotism, instead
OF greed and class prejudice, governed
the minds of the Democratic Senators.
they would take Colonel Conger's out
spoken expressions as a most serious
warming. It would not be too late to
save the party even now, if these men
realized the dangers of the situation.
abandoned the private, c~apitalistic
interests by which they have so far
been controlled, and passed the VIII
son bill in something like its original
shape, thus making good, even
though tardily, the pledges made by
~ nomraratio marty t0 the country