New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1896-02-13
DFVOrPiTIC Suicide.

Tho Tariff bill which was passed by the House
prouIptlv as an emergency measure in response
f. the Presidents hyster,cal message. has been
so treated l.. the Senate that II has in some de-
,.r,.n lost that character In that character only
Il vas accountable 10 the House not as In any
..,.c a measure which the ajority preferred
or thoupht adcuuatc but as probably the best
,ho, could obtain enough support in the Senate.
with 4 chance Of acceptance by the PRESIDENT
I'll. Senate. being not Republican body, has
fins far refused by combination of Democrats,
ponulists and silver men to permit It's passage,
and threatens by the same combination 10 dcicat
T. Some consequences OF that course To silver
Senator's who may thereby place themselves III
war with the Republican party have been con
sidorcd II would be wise for Democrats also to
,a, careful thought as to their part in the conse-
qucrces.
Whatever they may say In public. Democratic
Senators are profoundly aware that there IS Il
tremendously powerful popular demand Tor Il
restoration Of protective duties, which demand
has been the main cause of the crushing Demo
cratic defeats since 1893. The very men VINO
falsely pretend in public utterances that the tar
jr had little or nothing to do with their defeats
frankly admit in private conversation that they
are buried under IN avalanche Of resentment be
c,use Of the severe setback their tariff policy has
given to many Of the great industries. They
know that Il vast number of workingmen reel In
tenscly bitter because cf ;hc resulting loss OF EN-
poyment or wages. and are not going to miss any
opportuniy Of smashing the Democratic party
In EXPRESSION Of that Indignation until business
has been fairly restored TO its former prosperity.
The emergency Tariff bill offers 10 the Demo
Gratis chance Of escaping. in part ut least. from
the consequences Of their act OF 1894. and that
without abandonment Of principles for which
thcv have contended 1t would be open to them
70 say that they consent 10 such an increase OF
Duties only because some increase OF revenue
has become palpaby necessary to the National
safety and ii Is not possible to get from Il Repub
ucon House such other Increase as they might
prefer By asserting that ground they might
have permitted considerable change in the con-
dltions governing important industries, which
would probably have restored multitudcs Of men
70 employment, permitted advance In the wages
of many more, and thus esscncd in some meas
IRE the volume Of punitive wrath which the party
has TO confront
Democratic wisdom IL dead, if 1t ever existed.
Apparently with unanimity the Democrats in
the Senate are determined to make their corrupt
and Infamous tariff Of 1894. which was de-
nounccd by their own President and by all their
abest journals much an issue in the Presl-
dental campaign as possible. 1t seems almost
incredible. and yet every Democrat who has In
vote or speech shown his mind thus far seems to
be bent upon increasing rs much as he possibly
can the popular demand for restoration OF the
Republican party to power, and Of Republican
duti on imports 1t might have proved
shrewd and long headed thing to get rid OF some
odous features Of that tariff, and to attain
measure OF prosperity under duties generally
conforming to the lines Of the tariff Of 1891,
though raised certain percentage in order to
obtain larger revenue But neither that nor any
other chance Of escape from public condemna-
ton are Democratic Senators inclined to accept
They wish to sink or swim. survive or perish
with q bill so shameless that nearly every one
Of them denounced 1t while 1t was pending be-