The citizen. (Frederick City, Md.) 1895-1923, 1896-05-08

we will do for you in the next Congress,
if we shall elect President and obtain
control of that Congress in the ap-
preaching election. But we need con-
tributions of money. With this legis-
lation in sight you can well afford to
subscribe literally" Enormous con-
tributions were received through the
agency of Wannamaker and others,
and with the help of great campaign
fund thus procured the party gained
control of the government.
Thus the terms of the agreement
were carried out. The new Congress
in 1890, using the promise" tariff bill
Of 1888 as basis prepared and enacted
the Mckinley tariff. Thus the con-
tributing protected manufacturers
were reimbursed.
But it was impossible for the party
to keep its promises and repay these
contributors without giving a ''sop"
to the silver Republicans. Their votes
were needed and they demanded a
share of the protection spoil. They got
it in the shape of the Sherman Silver
Purchase Act, which was passed just
before the enactment of the Mckinley
bill. Mr.. Teller related last week the
history of the threats and negotiations
by which the passage of this silver bill
was procured as the price of the votes
required for the tariff of Mckinley.
What is the situation to-day? The
Republican party has again made its
promise to the protected interests in
Tariff bill which was CANNED
through" in the House in less than
four hours-a bill increasing all the
present tariff duties Zone excepted) by
Is per cent, and thus establishing
so many eXtortionate rates for the BEN
eft of industries, many of which need
no protection whatever, that certain
prominent organs of McKinleyism have
been constrained to denounce it, This,
however. is only part Of the bid for
campaign contributions When the bill
was passed the promise was publicly
made that the party would enact even
higher rates in 1898 if it should then
have the power to do so. That is to
say, just as the Mckinley tariff was en-
acted in 1890 upon the basis of the
promise" bill of 1888, so would an
other extortionate tariff be enacted in
Dingley bill 1896.
But the party leaders were forced to
concede something in 1890 to their own
silver men before they could make
their promise good.
Will the Republican party be able
if they shall be successful at the polls
to keep this new promise in 1898, and
again to reimburse the protected con-
tributors, without "doing something
for silver"
Everybody knows that the proposed
and promised high tariff cannot be en-
ancted in the next Congress without
the votes of the Republican Silver Sen
ators. Everybody knows, also, that
these Senators are much more impor-
tunate and threatening now than they
were six years ago, and that they have
proclaimed by votes, by public adj
dresses, and by signed pledges, their
determination not to permit any Re
publican revision of the tariff that shall
not be accompanied by legislation for
the protection" of silver even more
Objectionable than that of 1890.
1t is clear, then, that the promise
made this year cannot be kept in 1897
or 1898 unless the assistance of the Sill
yer Senators can be obtained by a ''sop"
more dangerous and injurious to public
interests than the Silver Purchase act,
the operation of which caused the
panic.
If the Republican party should gain
power to make laws without restraint.
would its representatives in Congress
pay the price which the silver men de-
mand, or would they let the tariff
alone?