Dakota farmers' leader. (Canton, S.D.) 1890-19??, 1897-02-26
THE TARIFF AND PRACTICAL
POLITICS.


anxiety lest the silver protectionists
should make some misplay in the game
Of politics. They bend their energlts to
point out pitfalls that open in the path OF
the silver protectionists. to say nothing
of the Democrats. and are free in their
advice as to how thew may be avoided.
In the welfare of their opponents. in
their future success they seemingly take
great interest. II would appear from the
freedom with which they point out pos
sble tactical blupders in the game OF
politics to silver protectionists and
Democrats that they want TO remove any
possible obstacles to the success of their
opponents over them in the next Cam
paign. Thus they tell US that consider
atons of practica! politics demand of the
silver protectionisls that they give the
Republicans a free hand in the framing
Of tariff measure built on the false
basis that manufacl uring prosperity Can
be built up independently Of agricultural
prosperity, and thus give the country an
object lesson of the fuLility of the Repub
lican remedy. Give the Republican par
" a free hand to discredlt itself, and thus
| your path to political success in the Cam
paigns of 1898 and 1000 will be bright.
This IS what the gold Republicans want
to impress on the silver protectiopists.
1t IS not disinterested advice, it is given
in the hope that those to whom it is gra'
tuitously rendered will follow it, and
aid the gold Republicans in the accom-
plishment of their ends.
II is not for this that those representa-.
tives of the people elected in opposition to
candidates pledged to the maintenance
Of the gold standard were sent to Con
gress. 1t is their duty. the duty OF all
those who see the injustice of d tariff tha,
aims to protect the manufacturers and
leave the farmers and planters to strug.
gle. unprotected. as best they Can to op-
pose such tariff. 1t is not right for men
who see how futile it is to build up a tar
if barrier TO check foreign importations
while encouraging such imports by hold
ing out to silver using people bounty in
the shape Of premium on gold, who see
how utterly impossible it is TO build up
manufacturing prosperity without build
ing up agricultural prosperity, and who
see that it is impossible to build up agri-
cultural prosperity while paying to our
great com mpetitors for the European mar
kets Il bounty on production Of one hun
dred per cent; it is not right, we repeat,
for men who see this to lend their assist
ance TO Republicans in passing a tariff
that cannot better existing conditions.
Nor can men in Congress who see this
justify themselves in voting for tariff
that cannot protect on the ground Of
practical politics. They were not elected
to aid their opponents in the application
Of their unavailng remedy, they were
not elected to facilitate the enactment Of
mistaken legislative remedies that the fu.
til:ty Of sucn remedies might be shown.
Practical politics, in the long run. con-
sists in doing what is right, not in MAX
ing it easy for ones opponents TO do what
is wrong; in striving to extricate the
country from its difficulties, not in lead.
ing ones opponents to involve the coun
try deeper in difficulties; in pointing out
the path to safety, and not in aiding
ones opponents to push our peo-
pie along the road to ruin and disaster.
A little more than year ago. sixteen
Republican Senators subscribed to this
declaration Of faith: =.
"Whereas, The difference of exchange
between silver standard countries and
gold standard countries is equivalent to a
bounty OF 100 per cent. on the products
of the silver standard countries; and.
"Whereas, The cost of production in
the old world, and particularly in China
and Japan, is less than products can be
produced or manufactured in this coun-
try by American labor, without reducing
our farmers, miners, mechanics. manu-
facturers and industrial workers to the
level Of Chinese coolies; therefore be it
Resolved, That we are in favor of
rescuine the people Of the United States
from such impending danger by removing
the difference Of exchange between gold
standard countries and silver standard
countries by the only method possible.
which is the free and unlimited coinage
of silver at the ratio of 1871 by the inde-
pendent action OF the United States, and
we are in favor of tariff which shall be
sufficient to eq qualize the cost Of production
in the United States, and in European
and Asiatic countries; and that the pro-
lection incident to such tariff shall be
equally distributed in every section OF the
United States and between the various
products and industries of each state.
Thus was outlined the only policy that
can give protection to all classes of our
people and bring general prosperity. A