The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1895-11-07
TRIUMPHANT PROTECTION.


The overshadowTng meaning of the Re-
publican victory in the Eastern States is
that free trade is repugnant to the instincts
of the American people, and that protec-
ton is demanded. There is no other rea-
sonable explanation for this extraordinary
popular movement. If it be assumed
that the tremendous addition which the
Cleveland administration has made to the
bonded debt of the Nation was factor in
this revolution, it must still be admitted
that it was the tariff policy OF the ad-
ministration that made necessary this in
crease of the bonded debt. In other words,
it has at last come to be understood in
this enlightened country that the means
adopted for meeting the current expenses
of the Government do and should bear the
closest possible relation to the welfare of
the people, and that the manner in which
this function is exercised determines the
worth or unworth of the party which puts
it in operation.
When General Harrison took the oath
of Office he found the country under the
operation of the Mills BILL which repre-
sented the first effort of the Democratic
the people, The Mckinley bill was then
enacted and under its operation The coun-
try was prosperous. But the tariff ques-
tion had not been mastered by the people.
The best organized and most bitter fight
ever waged in this country against the
idea of protective tariff was then begun,
and Democratic victory and the Wilson
bill were the result.
No sooner had the Democratic party
come into power and proceeded about the
work of framing free-trade tariff bill, and
the sweeping and destructive character of
that measure had come to be realized, car
rying with it the destruction of the Nc
kinIey bill and all the industries it had
brought into existence, than general fear
spread over the country, precipitated in
great part by the deep anxiety which
manufacturers displayed In their vigor
Gus but hopeless protests before the Con-
gressional committees having the measure
in charge.
This fear developed into panic when
the Democratic measure was put into force
despite the protest of almost the entire
Nation, and the result was the most ruin
Gus depression that has overtaken the
country since the panic of 1873.
The tremendous drop which has taken
place in the prices of articles of American
manufacture which passed from under the
protection of the Mckinley bill to compe-
tition with European articles whose
importation was fostered by the Wilson
bill, taught the vital lesson which pro-
duced the revolution of Tuesday. If that
revolution does not mean the downfall of
free trade and the triumph of protection,
human sagacity is utterly at fault.
Nowhere in these elections has Democ-
racy won single point on the issue of it's
National policy. Everywhere has the Ma
tional policy of the Republican party tri-
umphed when that policy was the issue.
Out OF all this tremendous wreck New
ork City is saved-to the Democracy Z?
No; to Tammany. Not National issue
was involved in that fight. 1t was local
struggle over the Sunday liquor law, with
powerful machine of corrupt spoiI-hunt-
ers on one side and scattered and disorgan-
lied moral forces on the other. Demo-
cratic free trade did not WIN in New York,
and the downfall of decent Democracy in
the victory of Tammany Hall is more
crushing to the Democratic party than
would have been Republican victory on
the great National issue of the day.
Even the Solid South is broken-Ken-
lucky elects a Republican Governor. In
the municipal elections of the Northwest
Democratic majorities were swept away
by an avalanche OF Republican votes.
Away down in Mississippi only half the
Democratic vote of the State was polled
The whole story is easily read--the
country is repudiating the Democratic
idea of free trade and is fully educated to
helm portance OF a protective fiscal system
Both protection and free trade have been
tried, their meaning has been mastered
both by study and experience, and in the
exercise OF a calm wisdom the people of
this country are announcing that they are
not willing to put themselves on a level
with the pauper hordes of Europe; that
they have grand country, incomp arably
rich IN native resources and demanding
intelligent and patriotic treatment; that
with its vast stores of undeveloped wealth
and its 100000 of strong and earnest in
habitants it can and will be independent
and will not truckle and cringe to Europe,
and that the Republican party is the one
and only guarantor of prosperity and Sc
curity.
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