Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1896-07-16
Protection is Uppermost.

The Inter Ocean: We hold 1t to be
true and self-evident that the people
know what they want, and that no
compact or conspiracy Of politicians
and editors can divert them from
pursuit Of what they want. With
equal firmness we hold it to be true
and self-evident that what the peo-
pie want is protection to American
industries.
In support OF our assertions we IN
troduce these facts:
The people nominated Mckinley
in advance of the republican con-
ventlon and before the currency
question was forced into temporary
prominence, simply and solely be-
cause he was the most famous OF all
protectionists. He was silent upon
the money question until the conven-
tion had spoken.
The convention placed Hobart up
on the ticket with Mckinley simply
and solely because the gentleman
from New Jersey had always given,
as the temporary chairman OF the
convention said, "intelligent and pat,
riotic devotion to the enduring prin-
ciples of a protective tariff
The democratic party now as ever
free trade at heart, is afraid to re-
peat its declaration of 1892, that af-
flrmed It to be "a fundamental prin-
ciple that the Federal government
has no constitutional power to col
lect and enforce tariff duties, except
for purposes OF revenue only and
does not so much as dare to affirm in
its platform Of 1896 that it is wise to
frame tariffs "for revenue only"
These facts of general application
are convincing Of the supremacy OF
the tariff issue. But there are partic-
ular facts that support them.
California, certainly, Is q state
peculiarly interested in the preser-
walton of the monetary value OF sill
yer But even in California, tariff is
regarded as the issue of issues. The
San Francisco Call reports the opin-
ions Of men who represent the trade
and commerce Of the state. Mr.. A.
ID. Spearman, head Of one of the
great wool-making industries OF the
Pacific coast. says:
II the present condition of business on the
Pacific coast Ia not enough to convince the
voter OF average intelligence that tariff y the
prime issue in California, then there is little
hope for relief from the ballot box.
Mr.. Knight, delegate from Cali
fornia to the st. Louis convention, Is
reported as saying:
There Is great hue and cry raised about silver
but we shall find that protection, after all, Is
the vital issue. We cannot prosper without it.
The head Of the great machine
making firm of Wagner & Co. said
Protection is the only principle on which the
Republican party needs to stand before the
people. Protection Is the California gospel. In
high tariff lies our only hope Of prosperity.
The Italian-Swiss colony, which /;
body of naturalized citizens largely
engaged in vine growing and in other
branches Of agriculture, says hrougl
one Of its representatives;
The great need is a protective tarif. II is by
long odds the greatest issue in this state The
suece ssfu party will have 10 recognize thi'
fact.
These are but few of very many
declarations Of the plain people who
live by buying and selling. Protec
tion is the issue of issues. The money
that we now use is good money; ano
there is plenty of it. What is needeo
is to prevent the outflow of American
gold to Europe in payment for goods
that ought to be made mt home, anC
in payment of loans that would have
been unnecessary had sufficient rev
enue been raised by II soundly pro
teetiye tariff.