The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1894-05-10

people and elected it's President and It's
Congress. There is no halfway between
the redemption Of the pledge and its repu-
| dlatlon. No argument Of sophistry. no cry
Of expedlency, no pretence Of practical pol
itics. makes protection constitutional. ac-
cording to Democratic doctrine: and 1t
is fraud and robbery all the same
whether the robber rate is fixed at
fifty per cent. ad valorem. OF at sixty
per cent, or at sixty-hve. A Democratic
tariff bill is either In accord with the doc
trine Of the platform or It is In conflict with
that doctrine. Just az a woman is either
chaste or unchaste. To its belated state
ment that the CLEVELAND Pesce-nt-any-
price tariff is Every much In conflict with
the doctrine OF the Democratic platform"
the Times must add, however reluctantly.
the further confession that the original
CLEvEbAND-w1LsoN bill, and the tariff
measure In every one of It's successive meta
morphoses. have been equally in conflict
with the doctrine OF that platform.
When Democrats look back calmly and
dispassionately. II they ever can 30 look
back, upon this amazing chapter Of perfidi-
Gus leadership and lily-livered councils.
what will strike them first In the dismal
perspective Is the fact that the party In
Congress has been systematically deprived
OF any opportunity to try to redeem the
simple and definite pledge Of the Chicago
platform. Impossible under existing con-
dltions to enact tariff for revenue only
and to abolish unconstitutional protec-
ton" Who decided that the task was hope
less Who assumed to say that the pledge
must be dlsregarded2 When has party dis
cipline allowed the Democratic Legislators
to make the experiment, or even to discuss
the feasibility OF the attempt Who started
the idea that instead Of q manly. agRres-
sive effort to make good the Democracy's
word and to preserve its honor. the policy
required by existing conditions was that
miserable policy OF evasion. duplicity. and
surrender which has brought the party step
by step to its present humiliating and
ridiculous POSITION Who issued the order
that Mum was the word about the plat
form1 Who spread the notion that 1t must
be taken for granted that the best to be
hoped for was partial fulflment OF Demo-
cratic promises" reasonable measure
Of tariff readjustment In the direction Of
less oppressive duties ? By whose decree
was the main question tabled In Congress
without the formality Of a vote
When these questions are answered-and
sooner or later they will be answered. pub
licly and with considerable emphasis-the
real traitor to Democracy will stand re-
vealed. The party and the country will
perceive just where rests the responsibility
for the deliberate rejection Of the oppor-
tunity OF 1893 and 1894. the last opportunity
OF the kind that is likely to be at the Democ-
racy's command for years to come.
We believe most sincerely that at any
time since March 4. 1898. honest tariff re-
form according to the doctrine Of the
Democratic platform could have been
procured by the Democratic Executive
and the Democratic Legislature pledged
and commissioned to effect such reform.
We shall continue to count that result as
thing not impossible. until q protectionist
and therefore unconstitutional tariff bill.
with Socialist improvements. has actually
passed both Houses OF Congress and has
been signed by a Democratic President.
But even II this belief Is mistaken. even II
the fates have been from the first against
the accomplishment of the reform to which
Mr.. CLEVELAND summoned the party when
he was candidate for reelection In
1887. and for which the party has been bat
thing ever since. we hold that the in
fuence which has prevented up to this time
even so much as an attempt to perform the
obvious duty and to fructify the innumer-
able promises Of the campaign. denotes a
leadership incompetent beyond anything
In our history. and Q political cowardice
and treachery beyond any adjective In the
whole lexicon Of indignation.
Defeat in vigorous and upright .effort
to preserve the party's honor by making
good Its word. would have brought to the
Democracy glory for the present. and for
the future hope and courage and probably
certain success. Defeat In the attempt to
whip through a protectionist measure like
that which the Times SO justly denounces,
or like any of its equally poltroon prede-
cessors. means dishonor. indeedl