St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1894-12-24
HAS A CLEAR RING.
The Minnesota Democratic
Association Declares for
Free Trade.
HOT SHOTS AT PROTECTION.
Some Of the Sa me at the
Democratic Majority in
This Congress.
HOT SHOTS AT PROTECTION
BUGLE NOTE TO DEMOCRACY
The Party in Minnesota May
Be the Pathfinder for Ma
tional Democracy.


nesota Democratic association has is
sued the following address, which will
he sent members Of the party in the
state today.
10 the Democrats of Minnesota: A
magnificent victory has been turned
into an astounding defeat. A grand op-
p0rtunlty has been worse than frittered
away. great party sits today in hu-
initiation because its representatives re-
fused obedience to its commands. When
we measure performance by promise we
OF the great rank and file, the helpless
victims of the timidity, cowardice and
treachery of handful unfortunately
placed where they could manipulate the
helm, must admit the justice of the
punishment, rough and indiscriminately
applied as it was. We promised and
our leaders would not perform, and the
people cast US out.
1t is we'll to accept facts because they
teach, and it is useless to indulge in re-
ordinations which teach nothing. 1t is
only useful to trace effects back to
causes if we would use the knowledge
gained LOT IuTlNer euOrtS.
We face the future, not the past.
Democratic principles are not DESTROYED.
The great mass of the party is more
loyal TO them than ever. The nation
never saw the day when there was
greater need of the ascendency in gov
ernment of Democratic policies based
on Democratic principles.
Three Causes of Defeat.
Amid the causes Of defeat three stand
out prominently, the panic, the failure
to redeem promises solemnly made and
bOssism. For the first we are without
fault or sponsibility; it was the child
of Republicanism laid on our doorsteps
and its paternity malicIously charged on
US. That has passed. The other two
causes remain. If Democracy is to re-
gain its lost station it must address it
self to the task or removing the causes
for which it is responsible. 1t must be
honestly Democratic, and being so will
remove both.
Why was the pledge made at Chicago
not redeemed? What was the pledge?
To eliminate protection from our tariff
system and lay taxes for revenue only.
We attacked protection and won bv
convincing the majority of its wrongful
ness. We did not win because we had
presented ami explained and defended
our policy of revenue tariff. We had
no precise policy to offer; we<simply
attacked the other position. We could
offer none, because revenue tariff is in
capable of precise limitation. ConseptS
OF 1T are as various as the men who form
them. 1t is vague, misty. meaningless
expression.
That is why the pledge made could
not be redeemed. We were party of
aggressive opposition without an ag-
gressive, definite policy. When con-
gress met to reform the tariff there was
no unanlmlty Of purpose or action. A
tariff Tor revenue covered the ideas of
men as far apart as our own Free Trade
Hall and Collars-and-Cuffs Haines, of
New York. This was inevitable. A
revenue tariff is protective one as far
as it goes.
The Virus of Protection
turks in the system and is ineradicabe.
The result Of all this diversity was the
haggling Of compromise, the moral
mushineSS of concession" o." The out
come was protective tariff act enacted
by party pledged to destroy protec-
ton. 1t burned our candle at both
ends. 1t drove away the protectionists
in our party and the free trade Repub-
licans we had converted, and it attracted
no one.
What lesson does this teach us? Is
1T not the danger of an indefinite policy.
one incapable of precise definition: the
absolute need of adopting one that is
both precise and Democratic? We can
not again win by merely opposing pro.
lection. That is dead. Republicans
will not dare make its resurrection an
issue. We have got TO present a policy
OF our own, one we can argue and ex-
plain and defend as Democratic and
right. A revenue tariff is not these or
either of them. 1t is not Democratic to
tax men on what they consume and ex-
empt all other forms of property.
There is but one thing to do. We
must declare openly and boldly for free
trace under which no import will be
taxed except its like is taxed for inter-
nal revenue. We must accept frankly
the resultant Of direct tax levied as
provided in the constitution of the
United States sufficient to compensate
for the tax removed. We must take up
the work Of education again. We
taught the people that protection is
wrong; we must teach them that free
trade is right. 1t will be the easier
task. 1t will be an appeal to the con-
science of the nation to recognize a
right so inherent in any conception of
freedom that it is marvel that 1t can
be doubted or denied-the right of a
mau who earns dollar to buy with it
what he will, where he will and of
whom he will, without its being tolled
by or through the government.
A Free Market.
1t offers to the manufacturer materi-
ais at their normal cost; to the business
man cessation. of injurious agitation
that attends changes in the tariff rates:
to the farmer the purchase of what he
needs in the same open competitive
market in which he must sell, and to
the laborer for wages the right to Duy
in the same free market in which he
now sells his labor. 1t breaks away the