New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1896-03-01
THE CAMPAIGN ISSUE.
AND THE CANDIDATE THAT WOULD
FIT 1T.
A PROTEST AGAINST HELPING DEMOCRATS
To PI-NcO VOTERS

this Presidential campaign than wrangiing about
bosses or woudbe bosses. Republicans need to
consider whether they are going to make the
campaign on their own ground, or on Mr.. Cleve
lands
After three years OF pusanimous disgrace
abroad, and impotcnt cropping among disasters
at home. Mr.. Cleveland has suddenly treared W
to display Of bclated vigor over the hfty-year
old Venezuela dispute, and ut once the whoie
country Is ahame. Next comes another crusade
for Cuba, and Congress is aflame again.
Is Mr. Cleveland to be allowed. and actually
helped to bunco the people after this stale. old
Democratic fashion into shifting the real ground
Of contest: Is 1t not worth while Tor voters,
before choosing their delegates. to stop for mo-
mcnt and consider what il Is they really need
TO vote about, this fall!
-Four years ago this was The most prosperous
country in the world Its credit was ut the
highest rs currency was everywhere current.
Its internal development. its advance In dlnlised
wealth and other elements OF higher clylilza.
ton its productive Industry, and liz internal
and external trade We're enormous beyond pr"ce-
dent 1t paid the highest wages In the world.
and II gave its wcrliingmen the greatest leisure
and the greatest comfort.
But the very plcnitude Of their prosperity IN
toxcatcd them. The w0rklngmon were so wen
off themselves that they fancied tho manufact'
urprs must be too well off. and resolved TO vote
a
thc;r EMPLOYERS and give them more. They
voted accordingly, and instantly !naucurated the
worst panic and protracted season or the most
widespread and disastrous hard TIMES the co,n-
try has ever seen. Every election from tnat DAY
70 this has only brought ont more ana more clear
" the fact that they have discovered their mis-
take Every election has shown that the one
thing they want is to undo their mistake IN lsJ-'
and net back 10 Wherc HcU T'i".
.I,ntb
tle politicians are properly interpreting the pop
ular want when they play into Cleveland hands
by raising n hullaballoo over the Monroe DOC
trne which everybody supports ana tngIano
will never resist; or ny starting new nllpuster'
ing crusade about Cuba. which everybody knows
we must get some day. and knows also mat we
ought to avoid taking rs long as possible!
II The one thing the people want is TO get back
10 where they were a natural response ID tiieir
desire would have been the Nomination OF zen
cral Harrison He himself prevents that. what
t. IN. next most natural response! Is II not the
nomination Of the man whose very name OK
presses to every voter the system when was
abandoned in 1892. and which he wants now 10
restore rs quickly as he can:
Names in "A popular canvass are sometimes
the most powerful Of arguments. Every voter
now knows that four years ago what was He-
rsively called "McKnleyism" meant to him per-
protection and prosperity Every voter knows
that the mlstaken Abandonment OF 1t brought
panic lower wages. less consumption. long-coh-
tinuai hard times. Why should not RepuDhcans
now brush away Mr. Clevclands cheap lmltl-
lions II old Democratic devices 10 make the
country forget their blunder> az home ana abroad
by roviying tie war spirit: and AT once Clarity
and inspire the canvass by putting forward the
one name that means, to every voter In the
I-niou a return 10 the old system. which gave
prosperity. ard the abandonment OF which
brought disaster? Why help Cleveland 10 con-
fuse and bewildcr voters by ourselves trying 10
elevate side issues on which the party is not
united and neglect the one ISSUE on which II Is
not only absolutely united but on which 1t now
counts hosts OF supporters in the ranks or the
Dem ocracy itself? The very name OF Mckinney
would bring the campaign 10 the true hghtlng-
ground. AMI furnish inspiration fer the hght.
Like others he has fought FOR the ilag'and stands
for the National honor. and fer honest money
But above all he stands for the system we mis-
takcnly abandoned in 1892. and TO which the
people want 10 get back.
But here arises NJ once an Old deluson or lS92
which helped tie Democrats then, and weakens
some Republicans still. Mckinley Il m ex-
tremlst they say. We favor a tariff. but not
fara,ical tariff We are opposed TO constant
tariff tlukerlng. and would rather let things
alone than risk another paralysis OF business
while Congress Is for months lighting over the
details Of another high protective tariff.
But we emit let things alone The country Is
not raising revenue enough 10 meet its current
expenses. and instead IF manfuliy trying TO make
its receipts rQual its outgo II IS borrowing money
10 pay It's bills. and piling up the National DEBT
again In time of peace. just we did thirty five
years ago in time Of war That course is madness;
and there is no other save TO raise the money
either by direct taxes or By "A tariff. Direct taxes
would destroy any party that levied them From
the days Of George Washington down. the ac-
cepted method Of raising money for the expenses
OF the General Government In This country has
been by tariff and the one thing that the peo-
pie have shown that they want now Is 10 get
back to It.
Getting back TO It does rot mean unreasonable
duties or greater burdens on trade than we have
| now. II does not mean general advance In
duties: the Republicans had longer free list
than Wilson left. II does not mean even the
re-cnactment Of the Mckinley tariff That tar
ff, like every other one. requires constant modih-
cations from year TO year according 10 the prog
rcSs Of manufactures. the development OF inven-
| tons, the degree OF foreign competition. There
are a thousand circumstances affecting il. which
il IS the duty Of a statesman trained in tariff
making TO study from every point of view and
give their proper weight in the final adjustment
| Mckinley. himself, would not dream OF re-
enacting the Mckinley tariff 1t suited us then.
and prospercd under 1t amazingly. but the
circumstances are changed. He would insist on
restoring the country 10 a genuinely protective
| basis and would know better than any man
now living how protective tariff could be prop
erly adjusted to our present condition and cir
cumstanccs. We want 10 raise money by duties
in such a way as to help Americans. not English
men or other foreigners. That Is what the voters
want to get back to. and no name IN the world
means that to-day clearly as the name OF Nc
Kinlcy. Why not have nomination which
makes it's own argument, and canvass which
| runs itself!
| do not sign my name because l want voters,
| as well rs confederatcd bosses. to consider these
| thoughts themselves not the man who puts them
| forward But incose the name. and you will
Judge whether in so far as 1t has been known at