The comet. (Johnson City, Tenn.) 1884-1916, 1896-12-03
The Unhappy Gold Democrats.

The democrats who left their party
and elected the republican candidate
for the presidency are arriving at that
stage of reflection known as sober sec
ond thought. 1t is breaking upon their
minds that the president-elect and his
advising associates are not at all dis
posed to regard the result of the cleo
ton as a democratic victory. They are
much obliged, of course, to the boilers,
but the sense of obligation will not pre-
vent Major Mckinley from being re-
publican president with a republican
policy. The boilers during the cam
paign proclaimed that they were demo-
Gratis, better democrats than those who
supported the democratic ticket, and
since the election they have been eager
to assert the same remarkable claim.
They really can not complain, there
fore, if Major Mckinley takes them at
their word. Since they are democrats,
why should they expect a republican
president to conform his course to their
desires ? They elected him, to be sure,
but always they were careful to have
him and the rest of the world under
stand that they disliked both him and
his party's principles except upon one
point, and that their votes went to him
as disagreeable necessity of the situa-
ton. What they cast their ballots for
was the gold standard, and if they get
that it is all to which they are fairly en-
titled in return. For the sake of the
gold standard they were willing to
abandon their party and give victory tc
a man they had no confidence in, vic.
tory to the cause of protection, victory
to the trusts. They knew what they
were about in the beginning, but after
the returns were in the political effect
of their detection was seen to be SC
great that vanity betrayed them into
fancying they could mould the pur,
poses OF the administration they hat
created. They have been fooled
Cries of anticipatory agony are goine
up from the once democratic news
papers which joined and led the bolt
ers. The discovery has been made that
Major Mckinley is not changed by thu
circumstances that democratic vote
have elected him president, and it il
made manifest that the republican par
ty is the same in spirit as it was befor,
it had the good luck to profit by the &C
cession of deserters from the demo
crazy. 1t is becoming obvious that
remodelling of the tariff is inevitable
and that it will be remodelled strictly
ON republican lines. That the change,
will stop until the tariff has been brough
back to the old Mckinley status il
highly improbable. The republican
party wants towering duties and will
have them, Notwithstanding the wishe
of the democratic boilers. Hundred
of thousands of republicans in the ives
were prevented from voting for Bryan
and free silver by the promise that Nc
Kinley's election would mean tn,
restoration of the Mckinley tariff Thu
president-elect will not sacrifice tn,
support Of these stout party men il
order to win the applause of self IAN
nounced democrats who, though the,
abhor free silver, favor free trade. Al
a plain matter of political fact, he coulC
not afford to do it, even were he so in
clined, which William Mckinley, pro
tectionist, is not.
The republicans do not believe tina
the businessinterests which are steadily
friendly to themselves are scared at The
thought of tariff alterations. As Con
gresham Dingley puts it;
eft is mistake to assume that dis
cussion per SO of the tariff in congress
with view of changes, is always in
iurious to business Itdepends whetheI
the discussion is with the intention o
increase or of reduction. In 1890, whel
the tariff was debated more or less fol
eight months, little disturbance en-
sued the revision was for upward pur
| poses. When for downward purposes
as in 1894, another and adverse effec
on business was produced"
That is 60 say, when the trusts ant
other beneiciaries of a protective tarif
see prospect of getting more protec
ton, the only disturbance they expert
ence is a joyful perturbation of til,
emotions. Mr., Dingley gives motto,
that the passage Of an exigency tariff
bill this winter to produce revenue vii
not make ''any the less necessary
revision Of the tariff on protective AMI
permanent lines" Which, being inter
preted, signifies that under Presiden