Ceredo advance. [volume] (Ceredo, W. Va.) 1885-1939, 1896-04-15
The PLATFORM WANTED.
No shadow Of Doubt Regards Pro
lection.

No shadow Of Doubt Rsxsrds Pro-
lection.
When the great council of republicans
comes together 10 represent the wishes
and the needs of American citizens. its
declaration on one question will have
supreme Importance to the people.
Every man has direct personal inter
est i'm the question of duties on imports
-Four years ago a great many working
men were persuaded by leaders and
dcmagogues that neither their wages
nor their employment would be ma
terially affected by any change of tie
tariff that was possible. Years of bitter
experience have taught them better.
They know now, beyond all possibility
OF dispdtc. that reduction of duties may
and in many branches of industry actu-
nlv does subject them TO an enormous
~ increased foreign competition, which
lessons the number OF persons who can
be employed in this country and the
wages that can be paid to them. II is
no longer "A vague theory which they
have TO confront, but practical expert
cree which will not be forgotten so long
rs the workers of this generation live
y
oned in days or hours, reduced by
large percentage in consequence of this
foreign competition. At the same time
they have seen wages of labor generally
reduced more than ut any other time for
20 years.
The wage-earniDg millions form the
main body of every political party
Practical politicians, who are accus-
toned to run things in villages and
wards. or in districts and states, think
much of the distribution of Offices and
contracts. But these things interest at
the most 200, 600 or 800, 900 persons. The
wages of labor and the condition of in
dustries directly interest more than 90
100000, many of whom are voters. If
the convention finds candidate and
adopts platform which expresses in
the most distinct and emphatic manner
the desire of the wage-earners respect
ing foreign competition and duties on
imports, there will not be very pro
found interest felt, it is possible. in the
rest of it's deliverance. The people will
vote for republicanism and prosperity,
implicitly trusting the republican party
to protect the national honor in foreign
affairs or in monetary matters, as it has
done for many years.
1t is therefore important that the
convention should be prepared TO de
clare its position on the tariff question
so distinctly and Enthusiastically that
there shall no longer be the shadow of
an excuse for any man TO pretend that
he is republican if he subordnates
the protection of home industries to his
notions about currency, the coinage of
silver, or any other question. 1t does
not answer to be n republican provided
one can have his own way, against the
v III of ninc-tenths of the people, about
some question of that sort. The people
need defense of their industries whethe
they get something else or not They
need genuine republicans to make their
laws, not men who have gone so far
in their devotion to the silver interest
or some other that they are ready to
destroy national prosperity if their pet
theories or wishes are thwarted. When
the national convention pledges the ut
most efforts of the republican party
TO restore full protection to home in
dustries, 1T does not mean that Il repub-
lean will do this after he has done
something else, or provided he can do
something else, but will refuse if he
cannot. Men of that stamp need to be
told i'll the most emphatic manner by
the national convention that they must
either serve republican principles un-
conditionally and faithfully or cease
TO be reckoned with the great party
which has never yet paltcred with its
pledges from the first election of Abra-
ham Lincoln to this hour.
If man has the notion that labor
cannot be sufficiently protected with
out cheaper money, that is not an hon
est reason for refusing to give labor
such protection as he can. If he finds
measure pending which is not half
what he wants, that is not an honest
reason for refusing to do what he can
IN the direction of his principles and
pledges. Neither is it an excuse for
refusing to carry out one pledge of the
republican party that man considers
1t has also promised something else
which nine-tenths of its members never
meant 10 promise. The national con
Ncntion will need to be decidedly blunt
and explicit, and cannot speak too plain
j. for the 20.OOO.OOO of wage-earners.-
n. y. Tribune.