The herald., 1897-05-03
MONDAY. MAY 3, 1907.
A GREAT LOCAL ISSUE

A striking characteristic of the Re.
publican politician is an overweenine
confidence in his own wisdom and in
that of his party as reflex of his own.
The natural correlative to this is a
contempt for anything proposed by any
person outside the fold in which he
herds. When he or one of his colleagues
utters an opinion it is always in the
ope my mouth let no dog bark" When
some one on the other side of the house
assumes the role of statesman and
would try his hand at the business of
chart-making for the ship Of state he Is
treated to a guffaw as resonant as ever
greeted the ear of landlubber on his
first attempt to splice the main brace
on real craft.
How memorable is the utterance OF
General Hancock the superb, when IN
1880 he defeated himself in the race for
president by a remark which hit the
tariff nail so sQuarely on the head as to
drive it through and out on the other
side. Hancock said the tariff was To-
cal issue. The meaning was that mans
views on protection depended on the
part of the country he came from; in
other words on the interests Of those
he represented.
Followed out fully this means that the
Pennsylvania iron manufacturer natur-
ally wishes to shut out foreign compe-
tition in order that he may make a
larger profit out of nails. But the west
ern farmer who makes no nails and uses
many naturally would prefer to have a
lower duty so that his fence around the
meadow or the roof over his barn may
cost him less.
But from one end of the country tc
the other the laugh was said to be or
the gallant hero Of the civil war. He
knew nothing about the tariff! O1
course not! Any school boy could in
struct him!
Well, it is seventeen years since Han
cocks saying was laughed off the stage
OF politics and the question Of the bene'
fits of high protection is as far from
being settled now as then. But there
is one thing pretty well settled abou
the matter, and which is getting set
tied better every day; that Is, deer
seated conviction not easily laughed
away now, that the tariff is local ques
ton.
We do not have to go to Mr.. Bailey o
Texas, nor to his Democratic colleague
from his own state and Louisiana, wht
voted for the Dingley bill; nor to Sena
tor White, who is SO manfully tryins
to get something of the benefits of pro
lection as against all it's disadvantages
for the sections they represent. If W
are to get high tariff program il is n
more than natural and no more thai
right for us to seek to get some of til
advantages and not take all the disad
vantages.
But the Republicans are the peopl
who are rubbing in the conviction tha
the tariff is very local issue The grea
manufacturing commonwealths whicI
gave Major Mckinley such overwhelm
ing majorities seem to regard it as
local issue, so local that they want a.
the pudding on the table, while the res
of the country is to be content with
small bowl of very thin soup.
Woolens, cottons. iron products, mar
ufactured boots and clothing, are all t
enjoy safe monopoly of the home MAJ
ket, and all that can be secured abroa
matterifthe farmer pays more for h
shingle nails, for his hoe and plow, fl
his blue jeans and cowhide boots. n
matter if his wife pays more for the b
of cotton cloth that goes into her dres
or into the ''panties" of the little boy
girl 1t is all right if the stewpan
which he boils his eggs or the plate @
which he eats his potato, the chimney
his lamp or the lock on the stable cos
more. 1t is all for the general benefit (
the home industry and the manufat
turer In MASSACHUSETTS is better off +