The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1895-08-09
ssuEs TO BE FOUGHT OVER.
Tricky Tactics of the Democratic Botci
Jobbers-

Tricky Tactics of the Democratic Botch
Jobbers-
Again there is an outbreak of demo
cratic anxiety to make issues for re-
publicans. This is nothing strange,
for it is good tactics to force an enemy
to fight on grounds of your own choice,
if you can. So there is another anx-
ious and evidently concerted effort, in
democratic newspapers likely to be
steered from headquarters, to convince
republicans that the money question
must overshadow all others, and that
the tariff question will have to take
secondary place, because with business
revived and active nobody will be will
ing to have the issue reopened. 1t is
specious and cunning argument, but
should not deceive anybody. The
truth is that issues are made for par
ties, and not made by them The
who are not mere politicians nor mere
partisans, actually have the greatest
interest and the strongest desire, neces-
sarily become the predominant issues
because the politicians and party are
forced, in spite of themselves, to seek
the preference and the votes of those
not certain to support one party or the
other. Now it is a fact that a consid-
cradle but apparently diminishing mi
nority of the people want a change of
currency, in the direction of free silver
coinage, more paper, state banks, or
"soft money" in some form. The de-
cided majority of the people, apparent
ly increasing from week to week, de-
sires no such change, feeling that the
money we have is absolutely safe and
in quantity ample for all real neces-
stiles. 1t seems probable that this
opinion will SO far prevail that the
money issue cannot predominant in
coming elections. The only voters who
want change, and whose support politi-
clans might seek to gain, demand
measures which are so overwhelmingly
opposed 10y the sound sense of the
great majority that an attempt to
court the favor of these voters would
be fatal to any party.
1t is natural that democrats are
anxious to have their action on the
tariff forgotten and showed out of
sight. In that way, they calculate,
the tariff may gain sort of popular
acquiescence which can be interpreted
as approval. The business of this
great country has such wonderful re-
Operative power, and adjusts itself so
marvelously to almost any conditions,
that democrats hope it will thrive
even under tariff which they have
most savagely denounced as a sur
render of all their principles, barter
and a botch. Then they can cry:
"See how we prosper under reduction
of dutiesI" The facts will have to die
tate, however, in spite of all politicians
and planmakers, and if business and
industries do actually prosper. giving
to industries greater development and
to labor better wages than were ever
attained under any other tariff, the
republicans will have to face that fact,
for in that case the desire of the peo-
pie for change of tariff will fade.
That state of facts has not come, and
the Tribune does not believe that it
will come. The people do now desire
and demand restoration of intelligent
and consistent protection in place of
the infamous barter and disgraceful
botch democrats have enacted. They
know that at this time, after all the
improvement of the last three months,
their wages are by no means as high as
they were in 1892. This is the neces-
sary consequence of another fact, which
the people also know, that the indus
tries of the country are not yet by any
means as prosperous as they were in
1892. The more severe competition
with foreign producers in great many
branches makes the restoration of
former wages and of former produc-
ton as yet impossible. Thus several
thousand workers in carpet mills at
Philadelphia are on strike now, because
the manufacturers feel unable to grant
partial restoration of wages, amount
ing to only seven and a half per cent.
Predictions are cheap, but the actual
results will inevitably turn the scale,
and the people will know those results
by their own personal experience.
They are not satisfied to-day, and
would vote by overwhelming majori-
ties in every northern state for over
throw of the bill of sale. If they are
not satisfied in far greater measure
next year, all the clatter of democratic
organs will not persuade them to drop
the tariff question, and accept the tariff
of 'perfidy and dishonor" as finality.
They know that they have no occasion
to fear republican revision, which
means greater protection, less foreign
better wages and more
business. The country always thrives
when a change of that character is in
prospect. The people do fear, and
with great reason, any democratic re-
vision, which invariably means worse
business and lower wages for Amari-
cans, and more business and better
wages for the people of other coun-
tries.-N. Y. Tribune.
DEBT OF THE NATION,