The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1894-11-14

rest and Of somewhat tumultuous agita-
ton. The rapid adoption OF the great
inttrumerts Of modern indus ~ and trade.
the complete revolution which these are
bringing about in production and In distri-
button, their steady CELEBRATION of inme-
mortal handicrafes, their disloca ion Of
many industries-all these together with
the unsettled relations between labor and
capital, have swept us into an era where
for some years Il may be Increasingly
difficult for any one party TO hold on TO
the FEDERAL government for any long time.
Without attempting 10 appOrtion the
responsibilities for the hard times be-
tween the two parties and stoutly dis
claiming any large share of il for the
democratic party, / pass from these gen.
civilizations to the second point, and that
is, the defeat of tariff reform 1 do not
believe the people have rebuked or dis
carded tariff reform In their action last
Tuesday, for when / look over the whole
country / do not find that to have bzen
the common ground of their actions No
question was ever so well and so thor
oughly fought out in popular discussion
before them as the question of reforming
and reducing the tariff. In every cam
paign from that Of 1886 to that Of 1892 Ii
has been the great issue and in every
campaign except that of 1883 the demo-
cratic party has won decided victory on
that issue. To contend, therefore, that
the people have now classified the demo-
cratic party for doing what they put into
their power to do is to question their
honesty and intelligence. If they
have inflicted ehastisement because
of its dealings with the
tariff, 1t has been rather because the party
did not carry out with sufficient prompt
ness and thoroughness the work they COM
mitted to il, and because they have held
the whole party responsible for the action
of a few OF lis representatives in thwart-
ing. delaying and manning this great
work. The long and indefensible delay in
the senate, the sinister suspicious that
gathered around certain schedules and
duties as they are framed-nowhere more
vigorously denounced than in the demo-
cratic press of the entire country-kindled
disappointment and disgust among the
rank and file of the party that led 10
apathy and even misjudged hostility in
the recent elections.
1T is hazardous, Of course, to indulge
in hypothesis. but I have no doubt that
had the bill which passed the house on the
first day OF February passed the senate as
early at April or May. in substantially its
original shape, the result in Missouri and
in many other sections OF the county
would have been reversed and the demo-
cratic party might even had weathered
the industrial storm with credit, II not
success.
mot only did this long delay and the
mutilation of the house bill chill and an
ger the democratic masses, but IL kept the
business of the country in the torture Of
suspense and uncertainty, thus hardening
and eXasperating the crisis, and storing
up wrath against the whole party for the
actions of a small number of its public
servants The bill. as finally passed.
though a vast improvement on the Nc
Kinley bill, was still SO obnoxious IN
some of its features that the president al
lowed it to become a law without his
signature and 1t has been in operation too
short a time before the election for the
people to see and appreciate its bene-
fits.
Again, I do not accept the view that
tariff reform has suffered defeat, because
L have not anywhere found republican
candidates advocating a repeal of the law.
They have denounced It in general and
detained against some rates which they
deemed locally Objectionable, but nowhere
presented an affirmative platform demand
ing its repeal and a return to prior con-
ditions. In tariff reform. in reforms
generally, it is the first step that is the
hardest, as l have always contended IN
congress and on the hastings"
that if we could only make substantial
breach In the protection system the first