The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1896-08-06
TARIFF ISSUE
Cannot be Eliminated from the
Present Campaign.
WHAT TIE NEW YORK Sun SAYS
Sound 'ionsy Nirn should he Thnmhmi
tina, Their Earnest Desires arc Coupled
withs National Sentiment 80 strong and
ineindicabie Ms that Of i'rotsctlon-True
Meaning " the sliveritss' Attempt to
sidetrnck the Question.

New York Mail and Express: Some
Democratic editors and speakers, pro.
rcsscdly for sound money, never tire OF
Insisting that tho currency question has
entirely superseded tho turin Issue In tho
present campaign. We are tempted ut
times to suspect that they extract secret
satisfaction from this view OF the case.
1t Is very evident that they nrc making
all possible use OF the existing situation
us against the doctrine OF protection by
demanding that the whole tariff question
bc eliminated from the contest MS the
condition Of Democratic support for the
ltepublicIn ticket. This, however, Is
not the Idea OF II Democratic ally, the
sun, which says this morning:
I'm our opinion, sound money men
have rensnn TO thank the stars that their
cause Is coupled with u national scntI.
ment so incnntcstnbly strong and inr-
~rndicnble as that OF protection.
X Ia quite certain that while many Of
the nvowed sound money Democrats
regret the capture Of htclr party by tho
Bryan. AltgGld. aud TIuulan crowd, they
nevertheless rejoice that the campaign
Is not to be conducted and contested on
the original Orln lines. The recent
change In the political situation, there
iore. Is nat Gispleasing to them us a
whole. They do not seem TO realize that
they are JCopardiZinE the welfare or the
country. as well as the existence OF their
party. for III sake OF justifying a theory
and bolstcrinE n cause. that IL condemn
q, In both principle and practice.
Those OF II Democratic nclgibors
who are making this Improper use OF the
menRcinG conditions now confronting
and challenging the nation, will deplOre
their folly before the campaign closes.
II tx n piece OF fat-wlttcd stupidity OF
which they would be Incapable but for
the dcmoralIZcd and desperate stute OF
mind TO which they have been reduced
by the political experiences OF the last
few weeks. For a month or mare prior
to the national conventions they con-
tended that the tariff question would be
crowded to the wall by the money issue.
The wish was father TO the thought.
They knew the record OF the present adj
mlnistratiOn furnished a~complctc vim
dtcHtlon OF the Republican tariff policy.
both as to principle md application, es=
pccillly as to specific duties In contrast
with the Democratic adralorem system.
The thrift. therefore, must be sidetrack-
ed at all hazards.
Well. the tariff has been sidetracked
so far as the Democratic party Is con-
cenrncd. But In its place they have the
free silver. PopulIstlc combination,
which is rather more than they bargain
ed for. Free silver has crowded free
trade OUT OF sight This Is true, not
because OF an abandonment OF the free
trade heresy. but because the free sill
veriteS know that the chances OF sue
cess for their cause nre improved by
silence on an Issue that means defeat
from the start. Their silence Is a mere
matter OF political sexpediency. They
are anxious to give npoTense to the min
Ing camp Republicans. with whose votes
they hope to balance the loss which they
Will sustain by Democratic assertions to
Mckinley on the sound money and pro-
lection plnnks Of the Republican plat
form. They do not forget that the Dem
ocrats wer. overwhelmingly beaten on
the tariff issue in lSlf and 1895, when the
people had learned In the hard school of
experience the true meaning OF the free
trade victory OF 1892. They have n whole
some dread of c~ncounterinE again the
tremendously strong protection senti-
mcnt OF the country. Thus they deter
mined to diver; public ~nttentIon to an
other and IA relatively unfamiliar sub
ject.
In view Of these facts. how grotesQue-
~ hpSurQ If the cry tnRt the tarII issue
Is dead! The withdrawal or death OF one
combatant does not necessarily" in
vOlve the extinction of the other party
10 the contest. The Democrats are SIM
ply not In a position to insist on their
side Of that issue. and seem to be glad
OF II. But this change In the political
situation either possesses nor promises
anything to afford comfort or hope TO
an intelligent American citizen who is
proud OF his nations history and Is con-
Cerned for Its future career md destiny.
II II not be forgotten for a mo-
ment, however, that Bryan stands for
free trade as we'll rs for free silver. They
are logical and c0aEenial companions.
The tariff Issue is not dead. Free trade
Is simply In ambush.