The daily morning Astorian. [volume] (Astoria, Oregon) 1883-1899, 1897-06-25

ocratic papers throughout the whole
country accepted it as democratic doc
trino, and almost without exception de-
manded either that sort OF tarifr or alb
solute free trade. No democratic paper
wanted protective tarir literature and
offers OF 1t by the tariff league were
replied TO in thousands OF instances with
bitter denunciations and eplthets
These papers stuck to this tarirr policy
up to the las, campaign, when the taritr
was shunted and free silver was made
the slogan OF the party. Then the change
bcgan 1t was FIRST noticed by the tarin
league people when they recently sent out
a cirrular TO a list OF newspapers that
did rot take their literature, Offering to
send It to them The New York Sun sew
eral weeks ago printed story giving a
lot OF the answers sent by the editors
OF freak list that was ruug IN on the
secretary Of the tariff league by one OF
his typewritors, At that time the an
swers to the circular sent out TO the gen.
uine list had no, begun to come IN. but
they have been comins since ON June
IN the sun published another article con-
corning the same subject in which it
said:
Up to yesterday the grand total o. an
ewers requesting the league to send the
literature was 2Ss7 This. added TO the
AeO and more papers that were already
taking the literature, makes nearly j.O0
newspapers throughout the country that
are supporting the protective tariff doc
trine. But the significance OF the change
in tariff sentiment is not In the large In
crease in the list OF the papers served. 1t
is in the political predilection OF the
newspapers. Four hundred and afty-
three OF them are straight local demo- |
cratic journals and some OF them have |
Two hundred and thirty-eight more have
b.en independent in politics and neutral
on the tariff question. More sigilcant |
stll is the fact that OF the ~ demo-
cratic papers that have come around. ls2
are in the South. where the tariT-ror-rev-
enue only sentiment was the strongest.
In an interview with Secretary Wake
man, Of the league. the sun reports him
as saying one exceedingly interesting
thing regarding the matter. is that Of
the 2,so papers that have answered the
circular, fully - per cent have had a
sreat deal to say about the money qIes-
ion-some ansyers saying that the edl-
ors by whom they were written were for
rec silver as well as protection The
ariff league. however. does not discuss
he money question at all Its literature
5 exclusively about the tariff.
The change in sentiment that these let
ers show Is certainly one OF the most
important things politically that has de-
eloped since the last campaign. Coun-
ry newspapers usually reflect the senti-
nent OF the localities in which they are '
'uhlished. and such a remarkable change
( front as is signifed by these letters
D the tariff league from democratic edi- =
DTS means that there is a great change t
! the sentiment of the people who sup t
ort their papers.
This famous tariff league circular has
cen out now about one month. and It b
reported by the league that the re- C
'onses to it have run up into the thou r
lnds-every one being from a democratic
aper. or one heretofore hostile to a pro- /,
ctive tariff a