Evening star., 1897-06-12
Disposition of Democrats to Abandon
Free Trade.
PROTECTION FOR SOUTH and WEST
Silver Men Inclined to Ignore Tariff
Questions.
RECENT VOTE ON COTTON

Abundant evidence has been produced
this week of the disintegration of the DEM
ocratic party on the tariff question. There
is nothing about it so very surprising to
those who have been In with the current
private talk among leaders. There Is really
more Indifference toward the tariff preten-
sions Of their party in the past among
democrats than the vote on cotton this
week, or any vote that has been taken,
clearly indicates.
AS far as it's significance to the demo-
cratic party is concerned, taxed cotton has
a great deal to do with free silver. With
the doctrine that high or low tariff has
little to do with the condition of the coun-
try. which has been preached by the silver
people since the Chicago convention, there
has developed among the democrats a
greater or less Indifference toward the con-
tentions on the tariff between the two
great parties during the past several
years. AS rapidly as the democrats are
relieved of the idea that free trade is an
essential article of faith the spirit Of self
restraint grows weaker and the disposition
tends toward looking out for local self
interest. The determined purpose to oblit-
crate the tariff issue furnishes an
excuse to every democrat to be as much
of a protectionist regards his local in
terests as he wants to.
A significant fact is that those demo-
cratic senators who voted for protection
to cotton this week are the ones who have
most recently come from among the peo-
pie. Tillman, McLauren, Bacon and Clay
all represent the new dispensation In the
politics of the south. But the disposition
to ignore the former tariff contentious of
the democrats is more nearly universal
than Is indicated by this vote. If 1t were
not SO the consideration of the tariff bill
during this extra session of Congress would
rot be as rapid and free from obstruction
as 1t is.
Opposed to the Tariff as an Issue.
There ia a fixed and definite purpose on
the part Of the opposition to the republican
policy to prevent the tariff from becoming
an issue. The free silver element of the
democratic party are not protectionists as
first proposition or of necessity, but by force
Of circumstances they are compelled to be
tolerant of a certain amount Of protection
sentiment In order to advance the interests
of silver. The position of the party turns
on this question. If the tariff is the para
mount issue democrats will fight for low
duties, tariff for revenue only, or free trade,
II ny you please. standing shoulder to shoulder.
gold men and silver men alike, without re-
gard to the financial question. All who op-
pose protection are with them; all who
tavor protection are against them.
With money as the issue, the situation is
directly reversed. Fighting for free silver,
those who are protectionists and those who
are free traders may touch elbows in the
night so long as they stand by the main
together under the leadership Of Mr. CIeye-
land and Mr.. Carlisle for low tariff entirely
disregarded each others opinions on the
money question and stood together on the
one main Issue, SO the present dominant
silver element In the party ignore differ
ences on the tariff so long as there is an
agreement on the one question which they
Wlsn 10 maintain as the main issue. This
n Qn to
bent as to tariff unless they have an indi-
vidual record Of the past to regard. The
older men have their records behind them.
and. though they may be disposed to
abandon the tariff issue, they are reluctant
to make a public recantation of all they
nave said In the past about the wicked
selhshness Of protection. They are gener-
any ready. however. to let the matter slide
freer from the entanglements Of the past.
Free Traders More Tolerant,
The attitude Of the silver republicans.
who are really the great leaders of the
silver cause. encourages them In the posi-
ton that they may do what they please as
to the tariff and the necessities of the
case make even the hide-bound free trad
ers. like Vest of Missouri, in a measure
tolerant Of certain forms of protection.
Men who have disagreed SO long on one
issue as have the democrats and silver re-
pubicans, now that they are united on an
other issue, are looking for points of agree
ment in the question which they gen.
orally disagree. They find this in the fact
that they represent the so-called raw ma
terial districts, and have no important
manufacturing interests to consider. The
silver republicans may modify their pro-
lection views so far as to exclude the
manufactures of the east, and the new
democracy will modify their views SO far
as to assent to the protection Of the raw
materials OF the south and west, both
finding sympathetic impulse Of antagon-
ism toward the "monopolistic manufac-
lures of the east"
This char ge of issue and new associa-
ton Is leading to an utter abandonment OF
the former tariff contentious of the de-
mocracy. No declaration to that purpose
is to be expected. but they will simply
cease to contend. The free raw material
proposition of Mr.. Cleveland Ia openly
and publicly abandoned, on the theory that
the equal distribution of burdens and
benefits"
Silver and Protection.
This means simply that the democrats
are getting themselves into a position
where 1t will be possible for them and the
silver republicans to affiliate without any
feeling Of compunction on account of the
tariff. Their tendency is toward the forma-
ton of party of free silver and Incidental
protection.
The fact that Teller. Dubois, Cannon Of
Utah. Hartman and Mantle can be re-
garded as acceptable allies and still be pro-
tectionists of a sort causes the democratic
constituents of the leaders from the south
to ask why they may not seek a measure