St. Paul daily globe., 1895-12-06
LET DEMOCRATS BE DEMOCRATS

\ letter which we publish this
morning from a correspondent in
New Hampshire expresses the un-
derlying sentiment of the Demo-
Gratis of this country, and explains
the reason why the party has
seemed, in recent elections, to have
lost so much of its voting strength.
This reader of the G b e has been
looking over Secretary Morton's
plain-spoken letter, and all the fault
that he has to find with it is that Mr..
Morton does not hit hard enough.
All that he wants is a chance to be a
Democrat. All that a majority of
the voters of this country want is
chance to be Democrats. They
showed that plainly enough when
they gave their overwhelming rati-
ffcation in 1892 to the ticket NOM
mated on a Democratic platform.
They have fallen away from the
party exactly in proportion to the
falling away by the party from the
Democratic standard.
There is no room in this country
for two protectionist parties. This
Democrat looks forward to free trade
as the goal of the party's efforts. So
do all 1ight-thinking Democrats. The
step to free trade cannot be taken,
and ought not to be, at a single
plunge But the method Of all prog
ress toward that end is not series
of tariff changes directed by the pro-
tccted interests of the country. The
right way lies through revenue
tariff A tariff for revenue only is
historic Democratic doctrine. A
tariff for revenue does not mean free
trade at this time, because more
revenue must be raised than can be
lollected outside of some duties upon
Imports Those duties should not be
apportioncd, however, with refer
knce to the great interests that have
made their millions out of protec-
ton. Our correspondent hits the
nail right on the head when he says
that either free trade or a revenue
tariff is too honest a thing for con-
gress. There is more money in
making laws for interested parties. :"
That sums up the strength of the pro-
lection policy concisely.
There is always money to be made
ny legislatures whose guiding prin-
ciple is. government favoritism. What
the Democratic party must do is to
get away from that. Let it drop the
whole subject of protection, and
leave it to the party which has made
it chief instrument in the cor
ruption and degradation of American
politics. Let it stand where it stood
when Samuel J. Tilden was elected
president of the United States and
when Grover Cleveland was elected
president of the United States. Those
winning platforms declared for a
tariff for revenue only. After that,
free trade will win in the natural
course of things. The thing for the
party to do at this time is to drop
all confusing and conflicting issues,
to be satisfied with the defense of
honest money, that runs clear back
TO the doctrines Of Jefferson, and to
fight for tariff for revenue only that
shall not be limited to an empty plat
form declaration, but be carried out
thoroughly in o legislative enact
ment, as it was no. either by the
German bill or by the Wilson bill
that preceded it.
Palterirg and compromising on
great issues work only failure. It is
Democrats throughout the country
are today in the position of this
writer, who feels that there is moi
enough of principle IL current polit.
ical contests TO make it worth while
TO go to the polls. We say to al
such thai This attitude OF theirs i:
wrong. Tho responsibility is every
mans. including them. Not 20 suf
fer discouragemcut, not to abstain
from political activity, is the duty
OF the hour, but to 60 10 the poll.