The herald., 1896-06-28
THE ISSUE

Mark A. Hanna, Major McKinley's
astute and, up to date successful politi-
cal manager, expresses the opinion that
tariff and not finance will be the issue
Of the campaign. Incidentally it is
worthy of note that another gentleman
of peculiar distinction, the bewhiskered
Populist of Kansas, Senator PETER, also
considers the coinage question subordi-
nate to some others. Thus we have two
leaders of two different parties. each
mortally antagonistic to the other, yet
both the exponents of the doctrine of
special privilege, the one wanting spe-
cial privilege for the rich and the other
for the poor-propositions equally bad
in principle-concurring in the conclu-
sion that the financial issue is of secon-
dary Importance. But this concurrence
is because of different reasons Mr..
Hanna, whatever his personal views OF
the money matter may be, is anxious to
relegate it to an obscure place in the
Republican program. because he real
ICES the serious division of sentiment ex-
listing in his party regarding It, and also
because he appreciates the Importance
of reviving popular feeling in favor of
Mckinley and a Republican congress
are elected they may have apparent
warrant for inflicting on the country
repetition of the tariff of 1890, and thus
be enabled to recompense the monopo-
lies and trusts which depend for their
exhorbitant profits on protective legisla-
ton, for the financial and other assist
ance they have contributed to the Nc
Kinley cause. The liquidation of the
mortgage on Mckinley must be obtained
through the use of the taxing power of
the government in behalf of the people
holding the mortgage.
Senator PETER is against the consid-
GRAFTON of silver coinage-although an
advocate of free coinage of silver-as the
prime issue, because he is one Of the few
Populists who realize that there are
more important wrongs than the money
wrong, that the questions that have to
do with the production and distribution
of wealth are separate and apart from
the considerations involved in the money
problem. In fact, Senator PETER seems
to have almost grasped the proposition
that no matter how satisfactory the
kind and the quantity of the money a
country has the desideratum of an equit-
able distribution of the products of labor
will not thereby be reached. Hence he
is opposed to his party letting so every
thing else 1t has professed, and rally
ing around a candidate like Senator
Teller, for instance, who has nothing
to offer for the Ills which aff1ict the body
polite other than the free and unlimited
coinage of silver. He desires the Pop
ulists to stand out for their entire pro-
gram.
1t Is in Mr.. Hanna's contention that
the Democratic party is most interested:
First, because the tariff issue, being one
of taxation, is the most important be-
fore the country; and second. because
Mr.. Hanna's party is the one the Democ-
racy will have to beat if it is to win, the
organization Of which Mr.. PETER is such
a speaking representative, being strong
est mostly in states to which the Democ-
racy has not been in the habit of look
ing for electoral votes and without
which 1t has won time and again.
The tariff being intrinsically of the
greatest Importance ought to be what
Mr.. Hanna says it will be, the uppermost
tOPiS VI POlltltdl ulSCuSSlOn. AIlQ IL is a
topic that the Democratic party can
discuss. not only without timidity or
fear Of serious factional differences, but
with substantially united front and
with aggressive enthusiasm. In its
espousal of the truths that the federal
government has no right to levy taxes
for any other purpose than the payment
OF Its expenses, that discrimination
through tariff legislation in favor of
special interests must of necessity be
discrimination against the general in
terests, and that the freest trade is the
best trade, the party of equal rights
to all and special privileges to none"
will not falter. Armed with the logic of
common sense and resting its cause on
the immutable laws of sound political
economy, it is bound to prove invincible
in conflict with the heresy and fraud
of protectionism.