The Lafayette gazette. [volume] (Lafayette, La.) 1893-1921, 1895-10-05
tbs REPUBLICAN FLEA.
What tho Issue Of the High Projections"
lists Is Likely t., 80.

q
ist. Is Likely Bs.
Through reports from all along the
line it is made plain that republican
leaders intend to force the tariff 1ues-
ton to TIC front IS the overshadowiE3
issue Of the neSt national campaign.
There are signs unvnistakab1c that
some kind u q truce has been patched
ND between the siI-er millionaires and
the tariff .,arons the latter to become
the direct bencficiaries of a high pro-
tective system should their party gain
serstfoI in the country, and the former
to be re starfed for the repression OF
financial agita ton within their own
ranks by having the government re"
san1e the purchase of silver bullion for
storage in tho treasury. Not only
have Mckinley, Harrison. Allison and
s~sI Morton indicated with greater or
less eni rhasis that the republican war
crv Of 30 and 'ae will be revived,
but prominent spc11-binders OF the
party in almost every section are CIV
ing tk&teraucc to the same sentiment.
Among the latest echoes OF the re-
publican campaign keynote was Sena-
tor Cuil Gin. of Illinois. To the assem-
blage of his partisans at Springfield ne
said: ''When the republican party gets
con troll again, as it will next year,
with some republican for president, we
will take up the tariff act and go over
it item by item and make such amend
mcnts to it as will give reasonable pro-
lection to American labor and Amer
lean industries rs against foreign labor
and foreign industries. The people OF
tits country never knew they wanted
that sort Of projections; they were never
certain, of it until the democrats, by
mistake. got possession OF this country
two years ago"
In this brief statement the senator
virtually tells the people Of the u nited
States that they are fools; Tor 1t was
they who committed the 'lnistake"
which he seeks to pervert into wide
spreld calamity. Not only were they
guilty of til, :.mistal1e'' in 1899 when
their reputation OF high protectioA
and of it's Representatives. was the most
emphatic on record, but two years
later they gave an overwhelming con-
firrna ton OF the original Judgment
rendered. During the interval they
had ample time and opportunity TO
test the practical workings OF the sys-
TEN against which they had pro-
nounced within n month of the time
when it beca me operative. They stud
led it with an acuteness and an earn
estness beEotten of self-1nterest, ana.
with full knowledge OF its bearing
upon the welfare of the country, they
again placed upon It the seal Of their
disapproval. They saw that the Nc
Kinley law was framed in the interest
of a special few, that it exacted extor-
Tomato tribute from the masses to tho
classes, that was responsible for the
worst political corruption the country
has ever known and that it. was rapid
ly building up a moneyed nutocracy
that would in the end usurp from the
people their right of self government.
But it is to be hoped that the repub-
lican leaders will continue to regard
their most memorable defeats as a
''nistal<e'' on the part of the voters.
Democracy accepts the challenge. 1t
valves the charges Of hypocrisy. incon-
sistcncy and broken faith to which
those of the opposition throw them
selves open, for when they were only
an obstructive minority they never
ceased to condemn tariff agitation as
disastrous to the country, causing I'M
certainty, destroying confidence and
paral lying trade. The issue will be
fought upon its merits. It will be-
found that the fatal mistake was made
when the INSCRIPTIONS managers OF
the g. o. p. tried to place the democrat
ic administration In a false position.
An era of reviving trade and prosperi-
ty is more eloquent than words can be
in vindicating the wisdom of democra-
cy and convincing the people that they
made no mistake. Actual results oon-
stitute evidence SO conclusive that
even republican trickcry cannot evado
or republican cunning dissipate it.-De-
troit Free Press.