People's voice. [volume] (Wellington, Sumner County, Kansas) 1890-1917, 1896-07-16
TARIFF NOT AN ISSUE.
So Seys the Men York Sun Of July 10, q
Cold .tnGari Paper and asks, ''WhOm
Or Waal VIII They Fight?"

So Spys the Men York Sun Of July 10, a
Gold .anGard Paper, and asks, 'WhOm
Or Wa, VIII They Fight"
"The money question" the McKin-
ley men keep on saying, "is a secOn-
diary issue, although important. TIE
main issue IS the tariff, and the Re
publican party viii make It's fight
on that"
This sentiment finds repeated eX-
preston from Mckinley organs in va
rious parts Of the country. 1t is pro-
nounced so persistebtly and so EN-.
phatically that it must mean some
thing.
What does il mean? What is the
tariff issue which is to be the princi-
pie issue Of the coming campaign?
On that issue who is it, or what is it
that the Mckinley Republicans ex-
pect to fight.
Certainly not the present high pro-
tective tariff, enacted by a Congress
Democratic in both branches and al.
lowed to become law by a Democrat
president, who nevertheless denOunc-
ed it as too atTOciOusly protective to
receive his signature. The present
O9ritf is one OF the higest protective
'Jrifs ever in force in the United
States. It's average rate falls short
OF the average rate Of the preCed-
Ing tariff, distinguished as the Nc
KlnIey tariff, by very little. A
presidential campaign waged in sup.
port of the general theory Of protec-
tion as against the general theory Of
taxation for revenue only is a con-
Ceiveable thing. Such campaign
occurred four years ago. But a presi-
dental campaign turning on the
question whether Al per Gene shall be
the average rate Of protection is
utterly incOnceivable to the ordinary
mind. You are not going to fire up
much enthusiasm in the hearts of
either the FOREIGNERS or the FORTY
Seveners.
Is the fight to be for the rearrange-
ment or readjustment OF the protec-
tion afforded by the schedules Of the
existing tariff: That undertaking
might involve differences of opinion
Important enough to start cOntro-
Versy in a Committee on Ways and
Means, or even to occasion a lively
debate in the House sitting as a Com
mittee OF the Whole. Hardly impor.
tant enough to I'LL and infame the
length and breadth of the Union in a
presidential year.
Oris it merely to contend in behalf
OF the theory ofprotection, as an ab-
Stract proposition, that the warriors Of
McKinleyism are arming themselves?
D9tthey want to smash the last demo-
cratic national platform? The enter
prise is superfuOus: the democracy
has smashed the platform already.
The Democrats themselves have
abandoned the position which the
Mckinley Republicans propose to at
tack. The Mckinley warriors NAV
march forth to occupy a stronghold
which has been evacuated by its gar
rison, but it is a strained use OF the
English language to speak of such a
proceeding as fight, much less as
the principle fight Of q great presi-
Dental campaign.
1T requires two sides to make a
fight. 1t requires two political
parties both earnestly interested and
not for the wager of battle, to make
a main issue fer presidential CAM
paign.
What is the tariff issue which looms
before the excited imagination of
those republicans who profess to re.
gard the cause OF honest money and
the gold STANDARD as of subordinate
importance.
Nobody yet has told US this in Ian.
guage clear enough to be cOmprehen.
Sihle.