Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1895-05-16
The Tariff Not a Dead Issue.

fought solely on the money question.
They would have 1t 80, because upon
the tariff question they know they
are condemned already by the
people, and their only hope Is that
by diyerting public thought from it
they may have some show Of success.
Congressman Boutelle, OF Maine, ex-
pressed the republican position on
the tariff question when he said:
II have no patience with any
republicans who permit themselves
TO be made catspaws by the demo-
cratic and mugwump newspapers
that are laboring to belittle and
break lie iorce Of the great pro-
lection victory Of 1895 by limitations
that the republican party has In some
way weakened or refrigerated from
its former stand upon the tariff ques-
ton. 1t Is an old trick Of the democ-
racy to invent phrase or catchword
which they seek to make odlous by
iteration, and then use it as a buga-
hoo with which to scare timid and
Drained republicans. "Bleed-
ing Kansas. "bloody shirt and force
billn are examples, and just now,
after the awful thrashing admins
tered by the people, they are desper-
ately shouting against Mckinney
ism and claiming that 1t shared in
their defeat.
The transparent trick is to ask some
unsuspicious republican whether
our party will re-enact the Nc
Kinley law" and if he answers that
future conditions may indicate some
possible change of rate In some item
of some schedule, the democratic
paper instantly reports said republic
can IA having declared that "McKin-
leyism is dead and that the party
will never think OF restoring 1t. or
course the obvious purpose is to get
the impression abroad that the
republicans have repented Of or repu-
dated the tariff legislation of 1890
IS too pronounced In the line Of pro-
lection and that the results OF the
recent elections has caused the
republicans to become conservative
as to the importance of preserving
our home markets and encouraging
our own industries.
The falsehood OF this pretense Is
shown by every fact Of the recent
campaign. Never before in political
history was their contest in which
the main issue was made SO over
shadowing or its triumph so pro-
nounced as in the elections Of last
year, when the principle Of pro-
lection toAmerican industry received
the most overwhelming Endorsement
ever given by the American people;
and il was not only a victory for the
principle, but complete triumph
for the system Of republican pro-
lection enacted in 800 MS against the
assault made upon il ~ the Wilson
Brice-t;ormun moustrosity enacted
by the democrats.
The attempt 70 impart prejudice
against tho tariff legislation of 1890
by characterizing it as Mckinley
ism" and representing it as some
thing indefeusibIe Is IN insult to the
republican congress that gave to the
country two years age what was in-
colnpmably the wiscst most thor
oughly systematized, most carefully
considered, and most thoroughly
beneficial tariff legislation ever
framed, II represented not sim
ply Mckinloyism, but Aldrichism.
Reedism and Republicanism. None
OF the leaders Of republican party
were then anxious to assign To the
distinguished chairman of Il COM
mittce ON ways and means all the
responsibility for all the glory of
that great achievement u legislation
in the most difficult of all fields It
was recognized with its ,plendidly
beneticicut features, and il is una
voidable bat minor imperfectiens as
the work upon which the republican
party would appeal ior the support OF
the people; and, while misreprcsen-
tations defeated us IL thc elections
held before is effects weleopparent,
the voters OF the nited States had
last year, with unparalleled empha-
us, denounced the warfare made
upon Nc, and commanded Il return rs
the principles aud system, that gave
thc United States ia lSa3 the highest
degreeo ~ prosperity ever attained ~
any people
Tie hatti, wi lsal@a- fought sqnar-
lily ora the issue between the fruit- III
the republican legislation Il IspO and
the paralysis aud disaster t6al lol
lowed tbe democratic tNn .ma.
f4 W.