New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1896-05-02
POLITICAL EARTHQUAKES.

An old-fashioned brass cannon makes more
noise than an earthquake, but does less excel
| ton. When the earth rocks massive structures
crumbe and the tallest buildings go down in
ruin. The political managers this year have
| nearly all been entertained In firing their old
| fashioned brass cannons. Each one has his
own-Platt in New-York Chandler in New
| Hampshire, Proctor ia Vermont, Fcssenden in
Connecticut, Quay in Pennsylvania, Cullom in
! Illinois, Manderson in Nebraska, Pettigrew in
South Dakota marlborough in North Dakota
and all have been firing in concert and making
| much noise. But the earth rocked. Down came
New-H Hampshire and Vermont and Connecticut;
Platt could not get nearly a solid vote from New
York to present to Morton. nor Quay from Penn
sylvania to support himself; HansborouSh and
Pettgrew surrendered in the Dakotas. Mander-
| son In Nebraska. and Senator Davis, OF Min
nesota withdrew. Senator Cullom was shrewder
| by far than his friends when he wrote a letter
! two weeks ago withdrawing as candidate ana
declaring for Mckinley. His misleading friends
bad to do the same thing less gracefully for him
after a defeat on Thursday BY unanimous
| vote Illinois joined with Ohio in presenting the
name OF Mckinley. and it looks as If Michigan
| Indiana and Missouri would now claim to share
| the same honor
Political managers are slow 10 learn. They
| acquire by their habit of handling men who in
| ordinary times handle counties and States
deep-scated contempt for public sentiment As
! one of them said few weeks ago: Popular
| feeling? Why. we manufacture that At our
shop But the time comes when there Is Il
| genuine movement of the people for some meas
IRE or some candidate. and not often for can
didate except as the representative Of a meas
ure or a principle When that happens the
political managers are as helpless as a lands
man in charge Of big ship in cyclone. Forces
Of which they have no conception are nj work
| The popular opinion which they imagine is n
mere product Of "our shop" suddenly turns out
to be an uphcaval of the very foundations on
which all the political shops are built.
| The old politicians. with few exceptions, are
| amazed by the movement this year. They
| amuse themselves with platitudcs about Nc
Kinley's personal qualities; he is not more able
| or more strong. they say. than some other men.
and 1t Is all non, 10 idcalize him. But the
| plain people are not doing anything Of the sort
They are voting for principle. and for the man
who will be most swiftly and certainly rccog-
nizcd in every State OF this country and in al
| lands throughout the world as It's champion.
| Very t1le, Major Mckinley did not do more
| work than some others in shaping the tariff
| called by his name. and whether he did wiser
| or better work than some others, the walls OF
commttce-rooms cannot disclose. All that does
not touch the question. The enemies Of Protec-
ton made the tariff Of 1890 known all over the
world as the odious and oppressive Mckinley
act, and the people mean to tell all the world, in
the most emphatic and unmistakabe fashion,
that they now know that the tariff of 1890 was.
on the whole the best they ever had and are
rresstibly resolved to embody It's principles in
the Nations legislation and policy for all time
to come.
That seems to be the meaning Of the earth
quake II it should appear to the earnest and
rcsolute champions Of Protection that any other
nomination would he more certain than that Of
Mckinley to accomplish the result which the
people demand, the case would be different
| But up to date the one man who has been
everywhere most magned and cursed for the
prefer, because they want mistake about
their purpose. All the trmmers and weak
hearted brethren who want "a revenue tariff
with incidental protection" all the moderate
tariff people, and those who haye been apollo
| giving for the Mckinley tariff because II event
too far" will learn from the action OF the mill
ions that the one thing this country will not
tolerate Is any more cowardice about defending
American Industries against foreign invasion.
The political earth-rock.ng means n strong,
straight, fearless and uncompromislng Ameri-
can policy, about which nobody can doubt or
bubble.