The Guthrie daily leader. [volume] (Guthrie, Okla.) 1893-1996, 1894-05-18

] AtflNNiiiaU lNNfAHIN NlN lNHlNN UINN
/ themselves the gratuitous duty Of in
/ forming tho democratic majority IN
congress that 1t should abandon its cf-
fort TO reform the tariff, pass the 1p
| preparation bills nnd go home The
reason given for this advice is that The
sentiment Of the country has changed,
rs evidenced by the protests that have
been made against tariff legislation.
and the admitted fact that democratic
political prospects nest November are
not exactly rose-colored. or course,
/ our republican friends have not the
| least notion that their advice will be
| taken.
But IL may not be out Of place TO re.
mind these scli-appointed advisers that
the couFs1 they nre recommending,
oven assuming that the advice Is given
/ in good faith and for the best interests
/ of the country, is one which political
parties are not at all likely to follow.
No better illustration OF this could be
/ found than the comparatively re-
cent experience of Ne republican
/ party. In 1858 a republican victory
was won upon large scale by
/ pledges given in the west that an hon
est revision Of the tariff would be
made by the republicans if they were
given the power to ace 1t was reeog-
nized by the republicans in all OF the
states of the Mississippi valley that
there was growing demand for a
change from the old high tax principles
of the war tariff that the people
wanted tariff reform But it was said
--and this was said on the stump in
1855 in scores Of western congressional
distrcts-that tariff revision should be
made, not by the enemies, but 10y the
friends, of protection Duties are nm
doubtedly too high. and the taxes inn
posed Ia consequence Of them too
ouerous. but 1t is well that the proteO-
tion system should be gradually
changed by those who have for years
past supported it, and that it should
not be suddenly destroyed 10y those
who have always opposed it,
IT was upon these grounds that the
republican victory was won. Evidence
can be obtained that quite number
of western republican congressman
went to attend the first session of the
Fifty-tlrst congress with the belief that
the tariff was to be revised by cutting
the duties down, aud who found, to
their surprise and disgust, after the
session had opened, that the combina-
tion of republican congressional lead
/ rrs, under Messrs. Reed and Mckinley,
were determined that this conrse should
/ should not be taken, and that, instead
/ of lowering the barrier of protection,
! the height OF that barrier was 70 be
increased. One OF the leading western
congressman, u republican of national
reputation, said in the summer Of 1890:
"Our party is betraying its trust, and,
under the whip of party discipline, |
6hall be compelled to vote for meas
ure which IS almost a complete repudia,
tion of the pledges | made to my con-
stituents, and that my western assoei-
ates made their constituents ut the
time they were elected. We supposed,
and they supposed, that the tariff was
10 be revised downward, and not up
ward, but wo have now discovered our
mistake; our people are already in
censed against US; and yet there Is
nothing to do but follow the bidding of
those who are recognized as the parry
leaders in and ont of congress- and who
have definitely committed themselves
10 this line of policy"
This, we say, was personal state
ment made by "a man holding an excep.
tional position, and one who paid the
penalty that he knew awaited him 10y
defeat in the fall of 1890. There was,
it is true, no financial panic to compli-
cate the situation, but throughout the
country there were protests raised
against the enactment of the Mckinley
bill The republicans In the west and
northwest denounced the measure as a
betrayal of trust, and it was predicted
rs inevitable that the party that was
responsible for this legislation would
be overwhelmingly defeated in the No
yember election. The handwriting on
the wall was not In mystical characters,
| On the contrary, 1t was easy of inter.
! probation to anyone who was not blind.
| cd by interest or preconceived ideas.
The leading protectionists it is true,
did not admit at the time the Mckinley
hill was under discussion, and at the
time it was enacted, that the country
was soon TO repudiate them and their
measure; but the fact was evident to
everyone else. When they asserted
that the election of 1890 which re-
suited in such an overwhelming defeat
for them, was due To a misunderstand-
ing of the benefits of the protective
tariff, it needed only the second defe.
in 1892, after two years of experience
with Mckinleyism, to make it evident
that the Judgment OF these gentlemen
as political prophets was not in the
least to be depended upon; that they
predicted what they desired to see
brought about without the least regard
To obvious facts Now the proper
course for the republican IN jority in
congress in the spring aud summer OF
$50, when il found that the sentiments IS
| of the people were aversa TO Mckinley
ism, was either to have abandoned all
effort To revise the tariff or to have
taken up revision upon the principle of
lowering duties But they did not do
anything Of this kind -BoSton Herald
Not Much in IL.
The Rhode Island election. in the
/ light of the official returns, is more a
triumph of the gerrymander than po-
ltical victory. What gave it the APP
pearance of an overwhelming demo
cratic defeat was the fact that there
were i03 republicans elected to the leg.
islature against eight democrats There
were just "a, 600 votes cast--a little less
/ than double the vote OF Jackson county
for president OF these the republicans
| got 10000 IN round figures, about 1000
more than halt According 10 this the