New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1896-06-27
PROTECTION VERSUS FREE SILVER

The men who imagine that the tariff has n
subordinate place in this campaign may profit
ably watch California Mr. be Young former
ly yice-charmnn of the Republican National
Committee. gives an explanation of The atti-
tudn II that state which il precisely in accord
with statements repeatedly made 10y The Trlb-
unc. He SAYS: We have the choice between
Free Trade and free silver. and the Krpub-
'lican platform. gold and Protection As we
are in Il minority In our party. and do not be
''licvc In III" rule or-ruin policy. we propose 20
remain where we belong. rs Republicans. and.
having choice between silver and Protection.
we deem Protection paramount
Last February when the silver conspiracy
blocked the Tariff hill in the Senate The Trh
unc vcnturcd the prediction that The perform
ancc would do more 10 Kill the silver agitation
than anything else that had happened. II
forced men 10 choose between an idea abont
coinage, which was To nearly all except mine
owners and silver miners vague and empty
abstraction. and the practical and concrete pro
lection for wool growing and other Interests
which their pockets ana their weekly wages
constantly reminded them they needed. The
choice could have but result 1t the
most foolish thing ever done by those ord-
narily shrewd politicians. the silver leaders, 10
force u direct issue bctwc their theories and
the National policy Of Protection. They saw
fit to do il, and the consequences have now 10
be faced
California. oregon and Washington are In the
DRY silver States. though they produce little or
no silver. They have been educated ia the no
tiol that low prices for farm products are
caused 10y disusc Of silver. and not by the cheap
cning Of production and transportation all over
the world. They refuse 10 see that wheat and
cotton have not declined relatively much
the cost of moving those products to mar
ket. nor as much az the cost of some Of the
most carefully protected products of manufact-
urc. But when they are forced TO consider
which Is the more Immediately necessary to
their welfare. free coinage or protection Of in
dustricS, that choice Is inevitably for protec-
ton. These States front the Pacific and un-
limited Asaic competition with labor the
cheapest in the world. and il would he simply
idiotc for them to prefer Democracy and Free
Trade
But the choice has worked the same way in
other States Without doubt most Of the trans
Mississippi States were in favor Of free coin
age year ago. and probably six months ago
But silver boilers forced them to think and II
did not take much thinking to convince them
that q difference of 10 cents per pound i'm the
price Of wool, and general prosperity for all In
dIstrlcs. was OF more consequence than n the
DRY of coinage. Instantly the trans VI lssisspp
States this side Of the Rocky Mountains made
their choice. and every one sent delegations to
the National Convention for sound money
Wyoming instructed for Mckinley though
favOring silver Montana Senators had been
among the lOndest in threatening that silver
must take precedence. but neither Of them bolt
ed. only one Senator from Colorado, only one
from Idaho and only one from Utah went out
At It's very heart and stronghold the silver con
splracy was broken.
1t is probable that this means II decisive vie
tory for the Protective policy In most of these
States. Republicans do not count upon them
do not need them for success and therefore
leave undisputed in the main the claim that
silver or Populist tickets will obtain n majority
in those States: but 1t Is not by any means
clear that these will. deliberately decide after
four months Of discussion, to prefer the SUP
posed interest Of few mine owners TO the
Interest Of all farmers and all mechanics 1t
would be most gratifying. and to nearly all
Eastern men surprising. to see the chief OF the
silver States vote directly for Protection against