The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1896-12-05
A GROWING APPETITE.

The voracious appetite of the Repub-
lican party is gnaWing rapidly through
the thin shell of decent self-restraint
that was placed about it during the
late campaign. There is much muir
muring about the tariff. The D1ngley
bill, which was all that Republicans
asked or hoped for year ago, is now
altogether inadequate to their desires
and designs. They are ready to stran-
gle their darling infant with their own
hands; lest it should prevent an extra
session and the revision of the tariff
"along protective lines" as young Mr..
Tawney puts it, A tariff which aver
ages over 40 per cent on dutiabIe ar
ticles might one would think, be con-
sidered ''along protective lines" with
out any great changes. If 40 per cent
duty is not protection, how many per
cent does it take to protect? The
revenue question, be it remembered, is
not, strictly speaking, involved; for Mr..
McKinley's own bill correctly described
itself in its title as an act to reduce
revenue, and, unless the great staple
necessaries of the peoples daily life
are to be taken from the free list and
once more taxed for the benefit Of mo-
nopolies, a Mckinley change in the
tariff would mean less revenue and not
more Revenue legislation is exceed
ingly simple. A tax on sugar or tea
or coffee or beer, or any one Of a dozen
In WI
cost would be so slight that it could
rot be shifted to the consumer would
produce all the money that any but
wasteful government needs. 1t is the
barons of protection and they alone
whose appetite grows frantic as their
opportunity approaches, and who de-
mand new tariff "along protective
lines.'
Not less imperative are the demands
of the aching stomachs of those who
long to be filled with fat offices. While
Mr.. Bryan was running on a platform
that denounced civil service reform
and promised restoration Of the spoils
system, the Republicans were most ar
dent reformers Now they are willing
to admit, in the words Of the Mime
apolis Tribune, that "there are two
sides to the question Of civil service
reform" That paper quotes from the
Cincinnati Commercial Tribune a
violent denunciation of the re-
form system, and coyertly lends
it's approval. It is, in this case,
81
horde that swarms about every pres
ident-elect, and, having made politics
a business, and a not very creditable
business at that, demands its pay from
the public purse. The Tribune con-
siders that Mr.. Cleveland has made
civil service reform considerable of
:hobby," and admonishes Mr.. McKin-
ley that there is a happy medium
which he may observe. This is pre-
cisely similar to the talk in other quar-
tiers about the tariff. All in the world
that the most rabid protectionist pre-
tends that he wants is a moderate
tariff act. That the present law is in
ordinately protective does not enter
into his calculation. He endeavorS to
soften popular disapproval of another
great lift in rates to help the trusts by
pretending to desire moderate
change. He begs pardon in advance
for his offense, because it is such q
little one
In the same vein, they who would
destroy civil service reform if they
could but dare not attack it openly,
are advising Mr.. Mckinley to seek the
happy medium" This means that
they would like to have him discharge
every man now in office as fast as
places could be filled by Republican po-