The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1897-06-11
Tho Political Situation.

by developments in different parts of the
Union showing that the readjustment of
party lines which took place last year is to
be maintained perhaps permanently, and
that the political changes in consequence
Of 1t are to become even more radical and
complete than has been supposed.
The tariff discussion now proceeding in
the Senate, and incidentally In the news.
papers of all parties and all parts Of the
Union, is making 1t manifest that a revision
OF public sentiment with regard to the sub
ject is occurring, which promises to remove
that vexatious and wearisome question as
. foremost issue Of party strife. The two
great parties are now nearer together, so
far as the tariff is concerned. than ever
before in their history. 1t is dis
cussed with a temperatures and a
fairness previously unknown in the
history Of our politics. Democratic news.
papers,, of course, have not lost their alert
ness in taking advantage of such oppor-
tunities for tactical party purposes as the
debate in the Senate offers; but it is obvious
that they are not relying on them as of any
great importance for use in the political
contests to come. They recognize, as all
discerning men must recognize, that there
is no sharp line of division between the two
parties on that question. They see that
there is no difference of principle between
them as to the tariff which indicates that
1t can again, at least in the near future, be-
come a dominant issue of politics.
The sectional division Of sentiment as to
free trade and protection has also practi-
cally disappeared. Pride OF opinion may
to some extent attempt to keep it up, but
the effort no longer is animated by sincere
conviction. The actual and substantial
agreement on the tariff is much greater
than old disputants, whose great bust
ness in life was to prevent it., wish
TO believe. Practically they have them
selves given up the contest. though
they are loath to confess or even to &C.
knowledge to themselves that their occupa
tion is gone. The creation of a distinc-
lively protective tariff having been the prac-
teal result of the election in 1892, al
though the Democratic platform denounced
protection as pernicious and ~unconstitu-
tional, has had the natural consequence of
opening the eyes of the people at last to the
fact that Democratic denunciation of a pro-
tective tariff amounts to nothing, is a mere
pretence. 1t shows that there is no gen.
eral and homogeneous Democratic opposi-
tion to protection, but that really that pol
icy is Democratic as well as Republican,
n therefore it affords no opportunity for
an honest and square issue between them.
So far as the tariff goes there is, then, no
justification for a separation between the
two parties. Practically they are one in
their views of n general tariff policy, and
even as to particulars there is no difference
between them which is made by opposing
principle. To the extent that the tariff
fight continues, it is kept up only be-
cause of a past habit of fighting
over the question, not because there is
really anything to fight over now. On
all sides, in every part of the Union, the
popular desire, without regard to partisan
prejudices, is that the Tariff bill now under
discussion shall be passed as speedily as
possible. All hands are impatient of the
vain and c~aptious efforts at delay and OBJ
struction made by spiteful Mugwumps al
most exclusively. TIL people, business,
trade, and industry are anxious to have
the tariff question settled and out of
the way. They are tired of it. It's
long and purposeless discussions have
brought only disaster. Legislation has
simply been travelling around a circle.
Thu free trade talk was either a waste of
breath or sheer humbug but 1t has caused
dangerous discomfort and produced calam-
itous business and industrial confusion.
The result has proved that the American
people want the policy Of protection and
that 1t will remain as the fixed American
policy until there comes a substantial agree
ment that 1t Is no longer profitable.
The line of separation between the Demo.
cratic and Republican parties due to the
tariff, having been obliterated, where, then,
and what Is the line separating them2 II
would be childish for them to fight over the
pretence that a dead issue Is alive. The
issue must be real and vital and apparent
to the intelligence.
Such an issue was unquestionably raised
by the Chicago platform, and it is now the
only issue dividing political opinion and
sentiment in this republic. Nominally II
is the Democratic issue, for it was put for
ward by more than two-thirds of a Demo
cratic National Convention empowered and
alone empowered to express the princi
pies, policy, and desire of the Dem
ocratic party. Officially there Is nc
Democratic party outside of the or
ganization which proclaimed the Chicago
platform as its standard of political faith
Whoever dissents from that standard ant
rejects it, is no longera Democrat, according
to the existing and official definition O.
Democracy. He may have been a Democrat
but he ceases to be a Democrat as measured
by that standard, until it has been de
stroyed and another substituted which
shall be expressive of his political princi
pies and convictions.
Will another be adopted and when ma!
the requisite and radical transformatio
be expectedl There is no reason to expec
any u change until after the issue
raised at Chicago have been settled in 1900
They, and they alone, must continue t.
cause the separation of parties until the,
have been fought out. 1t Is useless to lool
for any other dividing line in politics, use
less to hope for 1t, until then. The hetero
,ananna nolIftnaI aIau,anfa h.orohk o.,