Huntsville gazette., 1894-12-15
IN A TIGHT PLACE.
The Democracy Is In State OF Innocu-
ous Desnetude.

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 great 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 at this
late day that the verdict had no such
meaning or force is to give tone Of
banter, tritiing and responsibility to
their previous utterances.
Certain free-trade leaders offer q
much wiser explanation because it is
partially true. The people were in-
deed disgusted 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 no
doubt that this feeling Influenced
the action Of many democrats. In
states like Missouri, where the demo
Gratis are nearly all infected with the
ranlSest free-trade theories, and are as
hidebound and moSsbacked in their
devotion to ancient plantation notions
as If they still owned slaves and
dreaded the explosive influence of
free manufacturing laborers among
them, the democrats abstain from vot-
ing, as Mr.. Mills says, about as largely
as in other states where manufactures
abound. 1t is reasonable to assume
that the same feeling Of disgust. be-
cause the party had not only failed to
abolish protection but had actually
sold itself to the stock gamblers and
tile trusts, had power with many dem
ocrats in other states.
Yet it is known to everybody that
great many other democrats in every
state expressed their disgust with the
new tariff for different reason-be
cause it prostrated their industries.
Right here in New York every active
man knows many who voted against
the democratic party for that reason
and no other. Ii Is Of no use to deny
what everybody knows In other
cities and states, where municipal cor
ruption had no part III the matter,
great armies Of democrats who were
not mossback ed free traders but work
| inglnen 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 in 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 ia every state, though
naturally larger where manufsctur-
| lug establishments were most nur1er-
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 worI.-
ingmen for depressing their industries
nt all. No doubt. b. following Mr..
Mills advice, the party could please
the hidebound democrats of Missouri
and save many of their votes. b1t by
that Course it would throw away many
Thousand more IN New York, New jer-
sey and Connecticut. and in every
state where manufactures exist Or it
could leaii mere strongly toward pro-
lection or stand on the tariff as it is.
but in that case it must thrOty away
million free traders and send them
over to the populist camp Oac way
or the other, the party must sacrifice
In any future election many of the
voters it held short time ago. For
the free traders made excuses, hoping
that popgun bills would yet be passed,
while workingmen and manufacturers
were as vet not all convinced how
much the present tariff injured them.
If II stands still. the record of Novcin-
ber 1894, will do the business for the
democratic party. II IT goes either
way. the partyr uns risk OF losing
more votes than it can ever hope TO
gain.-N. y. Tribute.
.
congress will, because II must,
take hand in strengthening out the
tanple in which the Cleveland policy
has enmeshed the treasury The com
ing session will be a currency session
The situation is growing more critical
every day under the Cleveland mis-
management. Against about $4,000
900, 600 of obligations in the shape OF
circulating medium which. by the
Cleveland policy. must De redeemed,
every dollar OF it in gold coin-~we hold
reserve to-day of about s57,0oO,Ooo
1 If the gold IoGn succeeds that slim re-
serve may be raised to s10O,oOO,ooo'
only to begin oozing away agaln I'M
/ mediately.-N. y. Recorder.
| Chairman Wilson ought to sue
/ his old professor of political economy
1 from whom he learned the free trade
doctrines which have Just proved 50
/ disastrous to him. If that professor Is
alive and is responsible Mr.. Wilson can
recover heavy damages before any IT.
I-J1,c-a,,@ lrrx- Pint whether Mr.. w IL