New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1896-04-04
THE RHODE ISLAND LESSON.

The Rhode Island election does not ast0nSh
any Republican who has fully understood the
power Of the Protective principle Win the hiii'-
ions Of wagc-carncrs great many men, IN
Guiding some who have been long active In po'i-
ties and some who havc mounted htsh' 90 h"'
fully understand II, and imagine yet. as So man!
were wont 10 believe ten or twenty years ago
that the promise Of cheap goods from abroad mao
more weight with n great army OF voters IMAM
the thought of developing the industries OF the
country. SO That the removal Of monopoly bur
dcns" would always be an object preferred ny
the millions to the advancement of wages III
industries II is hardly month since an ex-
perlenccd editor for twenty years past air'h
once more his favorc notion that the people
cared little about Protection which was qneS-
tion mainly interesting to employers. while the
millions would give far more attention and
thought to the monetary problem than 10 any
other.
President Cleveland selected Rhode Island for
his most forcbe appeal to the once popular no
ton that the people should he relieved from I'M
just burdens by getting rid Of Protection lie
made n great speech at Providence on that line.
and Rhode Island amazed him by voting down
his notion But even then nobody half realized
what Mr. Cleveland and his party meant 10 do
on the one hand. or what the voters Intended
To have done on the other. Mr.. Cleveland ana
his party went ON their way. and secured power
10 smash the protective tariff. and did so rs fai
as they could. and then came the period OF ed'i-
cation. The voters quickly showed that ihey
were learning very fast. As the prospect or n
withdrawal of Protection closed one mill or
factory after another the voters began to turn
against the Democratic party.
Rhode Island elected Democratic Governor
in 1890. and again In 1891 by l,2ji plurality
Even in The spring Of 1893. before the effects
Of the transfer Of power 10 Democratic hands
had been felt Il Dem Jcrais still carried the
State by 49, plurality But il took the voters
Of Rhode Island less than Il year 10 get their
eyes open one year OF Cleveland and his party
was enough 10 produce n Republican plurality
Of GJO1 there and this year that plurality has
risen 10 1l.21S. which * something unprecc-
dented In n State election II is true that the
Democrats We're disorganized and di>hrar'cned.
but directly and exclusively as the natural con
sequence Of their hostility 10 the wage-clrners
and the homes and the manufacturing interests
If a little State which * crowded from end Ia
end with industrial establishments. which Me
Republican party has brought into being and
maintlincd in prosperity.
This j. the bottom fact in the political history
OF that and many other States within the last
four years. Ncw,lcrscy i another Illustration
Largely dependent upon It's manufacturing i'll
duStric> that State WAS for many years the on'
unshakabc rock Of Democracy in al the North
And yet the attempt 10 overthrow Protection
though only In part successful. has given New
Jersey 70 The Republican party by majority Of
10000 Unless politicians and public teachers
have the sense To grasp the full meaning OF these
events. they Will 20 on rs before laundering
into dcfc0- by trying 10 catch the popular ear
with professors and prctcnccs on questions
about which the millions 81 voters care very
little. Monetary questions. foreign problems
do not rouse the masses. But when any party
cuts down the wages Of American workers g
per cent, that party gets hurt.