St. Paul daily globe., 1896-03-19
A SAMPLE YOUNG REPUBLICAN,.

A young Crookstonite writes to the
Tribune of that town expressing, with
| an eXuberance of enthusiasm that in
terferes with clear expression Of
thought, his gratitude to the gentlemen
of that place who subscribed to the
fund for the recent Mckinley meeting,
| which will not only honor Mr.. MeKin-
ley and the young people, but an honor
for protecting this land and the coun-
try from ruin" He says he is a young
man, only twenty-one, but he has read
a good deal about the tariff" Not con-
tent with resting on this simple assur-
ance, he goes on to demonstrate it by
saying that Everybody knows that the
bankers are protected 10 per cent, and
a protective tariff could not be to their
interest, but to the farmers of Polk
county and this upper country" We
infer from this hit at the bankers that
they did not come down" literally
with their fat for the Mckinley meet
Ing, and that the farmers melted"
heavily in view of the protection they
are to get.
In further illustration Of the extent,
II not of the accuracy, of his reading,
he goes on to say that when we have
hard times and panics the tariff has
been low, and when we have good
times the tariff has been high. and.
as the law now stands, the farmers
products and even rags are on the free
list, and when these goods are manu-
factured into clothing, they are sold to
the farmers under protection, as cloth
ing from other countries is taxed 20
per cent aud over,' which last sentence
is trif1e obscure. Really, this is very
discouraging. Here is a youngster. full
OF enthusiasm, just going to cast his
first ballot, who has read a good deal
about the tariff" and who knows 90
little of what is true and so much of
what is false. The redeeming feature
is the obscurity of his thought.
for 1t shows a mental confusion suffi
cient to account for the erroneous
ideas he holds, or that hold him, while
his youth gives promise that. with
more and better reading, and a more
mature judgment, the mental obscura-
ton will pass away and enable him TO
get more sensible and more correct
opinions into his head.
Some one who is responsible for this
young man, or who feels an interest in
his future, should tell him that panics
and hard tin1nc oo,,,a IN ,,or;oI -,
ana low tariff alike. The panic of 1857
came with the lowest tariff the coun-
try has had since 1924 and the panics
OF 1873, 1884, 1890 and 1898 came while
the country had the highest tariffs If
ever had. He should be told that farm
products are not on the free list, but
might as well be, and that rags are not
free of tax. Doubtless this young man
is sincere in what he thinks he believes
and, no doubt he wishes to believe onIy
what is right and true. Most vounp
men do. 1t is only when they get older
and into politics that they try to be
lieve, or affect to believe. what thay
know is not true or right, as, for in
stance that ''the foreigner paws the
tax" But, like so many other young
men, he has been led by his sentiments
has accepted statements made him
without inquiry as to their truth
! or question OF their falsity. If he reaIIv
wishes to be right he will continue his
reading, being more careful in his Sc
lection, and will do a good deal of in
dependent thinking on his own account,