Daily Kennebec journal., 1897-06-12
R.marhsbls Develop pn.n,s ia TAIN Views.


Several occurrences In the last few
days have attracted general attention
to remarkable developments in the
tariff sentiment of this country. The
votes of several of the Democratic
senators on the lumber and cotton
schedules most emphatically showed
that there had been radical change
in the tariff opinions of their constit-
uents since 1892. The Democratic
theory that the government has no
constitutional right to impose any du-
ties other than such as shall most
quickly and surely provide revenue
without regard to protection for any
industry has in the past week received
such q set back that it cannot recover.
if at all, until another revulsion may
have taken place in the opinions OF
many hitherto free trade Democrats.
The tariff theories which Grover Cleve-
land forced to an issue have been cut
to the heart in the house of their
friends. We all know that this was
done when the Wilson bill was framed.
1t was not allowed to fulfil the promises
solemnly made by the Democrats. 1t
was warped this way and that to cater
to this interest or that locality. But
the measure was then of their own
party and required united support in
order to become a law. The measure
now under consideration is that pro-
posed by the opposite party. which is in
a minority in the upper branch of
Congress and which must seek support
outside party lines. In this situation,
with possibility of making stout and
formidable resistance against it. of
making political capital for future cam
paigns, the Democrats cannot unite
even in opposition! The detection has
disheartened Messrs. Vest and Jones
and has so encouraged the friends of
the measure that recent report from
the capital indicates union of forces
between certain Of the newly fledged
protection Democrats and Republicans
to the exclusion of Nevada Jones and
few of those silver senators, who would
exact the pound of flesh in return for
their votes.
AS if to lend significance to this al
most startling change of front facts are
coming to public notice which indicate
somewhat of revolution in the tariff
sentiment of the country. Several of
those backsliding senators tried to ex-
cuse themselves, as did Bacon of
Georgia, with the assumption that they
voted for duty on certain articles as Il
revenue duty, and that the Bryanite
platform favored a tariff for revenue
but not for revenue only" This was
regarded as very lame explanation by
their colleagues, even those Of the Bry-
ante faction. But the facts just made
public and to which we previously. al
lijded show that the change in senti@I
ment throughout the country is not try
ing to excuse itself either on the omis
sion or addition of word in the Chica-
go platform. By facts" we refer to the
statement just issued by the American
Protective Tariff League. This shows
marvellous increase in the number OF
papers through the country, particular
ly in the South and West, that are seek
ing protection literature of the league.
Today there are nearly 1000 papers dis
seminating protective tariff arguments.
an increase of over $500 within a COM
paratively short time. OF the new ones
453 are straight Democratic local jour-
nails some of which five years ago were
ultra free-trade in their views. There
are 23S more which have hitherto been
neutral on the tariff. OF the Democratic
papers 1872 are in the South. The next
largest accession from this class of
newspapers is from the states west Of
the Mississippi.
Zone exceedingly interesting thing
regarding the matter" said Secretary
Wakeman, "is that of the 250O papers
that have answered the circular, fully
80 per cent. have had a great deal to
say about the money question. Many
of the answers say that the editors are
for free silver as well as for protection.
l can't tell how to account for this un-
less it is that the hard times have made
a lot of people think that nothing but
change will revive things. However,
the tariff league does not touch this
question at all. It's literature is ex-
clusively about the tariff. The change
in sentiment that these letters show is
one of the most important things po-
litically that has developed since the
campaign. These country newspapers
usually reflect the sentiment of the 10
calities in which they are published,
and a change of front of this nature
means that there is great change in
the sentiment of the people who sup
port the papers"
Now we do not doubt but that many