The morning times., 1896-12-31

VI ASD ~ Ol-NI-hA'A1AA "a AoV'.
Betweeu Promise and Performance.
The enlarged and direct interest which
leading exponents of American finance,
commerce. and industry have taken in
party palitics of late ought to find prac-
teal expression in the reform of certain
party methods that appeal to the dis
Observation-Disclosures as being needlessly and
nagrantly unjust to the people at large.
In constitutional England a political party
seeks the suffrages Of its citizens upon
ii clearly defined program of govern
mental policy and action. II invested with
power. it is expected To carry out that
program religiously, tndustriously, and
spccifcaIly. and the penalty for any
material failure to redeem pledges made
before election i speedy and certain de-
feat. and a new and prompt appeal to the
constituencies. This method of procedure
represents the honest as well as the
scientific application OF the theory of
government hy party to the affairs of a
great nation.
Ii we revert To the history Of political
movements in the United states, during
recent years, we shall find a totally dil-
fereut condition of things, as TO relations
supposed To exist between party programs
and promises before elections, and party
performances afterward. The Mckinley
tariff till made the fiscal policy it
represented the solitary and vital Issue
Of the Presidential campaign Of 1892. The
result Of the elections that year demon
strated clearly that a large majority OF
the American people We're opposed to the
position then held by tie element Of
Chinese wall protection, and Mr.. Cleve-
land was elected because he was regarded
as a distinguished exponent Of the op-
posite view, who could be relied upon 10
the direction OF tariff reform, and with
out delay. Adherents of the successful
party congratulated themselves that a
clean Democratic sweep Of the country
had given their champion such a majority
in the Congress as to render the service for
which. in the main, he was selected both
feasible and easy.
Nosooner was Mr.. Cleveland comfortably
landed in the Executive Mansion than he
proceeded TO call an extra session Of the
Congress: not TO reform the tariff. as he
would have been compelled to do under
a system like the English; but to inject
the currency question into the situation
in cold blood, when that question had
not been IN issue. even had not been
mentioned, in the campaign that brought
his party and himself into control Of the
legislative and executive branches of the
government.
without stopping to discuss other and
serious results which followed this un-
expected and Illogical lolitical adventure
on the part OF the President, the struggle
in the Capitol over the purchasing clause
OF the sherman act and its final repeal
made the question of the single gold
standard as against bimetallism the one
and only possible issue in the Presidential
contest Of 1896. The Republican party,
committed to mOnometallism 10y its plat
form, selected a strong protectionist for
its candidate, but throughout the canvass
declared it's indifference to protection in
the presence of danger to It's dcareT friend,
the single standard. Representative Re
publican politiciansve vehe meItly iterated and
reiterated the party determination 10 live
OF die 10y the one issue; and they success
fully attracted Democratic monometal-
lists to their camp by pfofuse promises
that, in the event OF success, nothing more
should be done with the tariff than to
amend a few schedules, merely in order
GO supply deficiencies in revenue.
4 In 1892 we fought a great national
political battle on the tariff issue, and
the victors reaped the reward, not of tariff
reform, but of the panic of 1898, and Tho
currency agitation. In 1896 we have
waged another war and hloodier one, ON
the money question. What is the country
20 get in consequence? Judging from ap-
pearanccs Mr.. Mckinley viii call an ex ira
sessOn of the Congress in March, not e
consider currency reform, but the tariff
again. Is it not possible that the peopl,
may grow weary of this sort of thing
after awhile and evolve some means by ant
Through which executives and Legislators
ness and perform the services expressly fol