New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1897-06-11
TIE WORD "ONLY."

1,,s y little bit of q qualifying wOrd' tHis WI"
"orlv" about which the Democratic staleSiioH
+, .ho I-nited States Senate have been having
CANA rotber high debate. but 1t seems 10 nave
IONS If Significance 1t began 10 cut something
90 . agnre in the Democratic platforms IN loo-
,rhor !, Suddenly appeared in a resolution WHICH
denounced Republican Protection as ii"uN
ond robbery and declared 1t 10 De iunu
.mental principle Of the Democratic part! Una,
.the Federal Government has no consutu'iohai
"nower TO impose and collect tarilI duties eAcep'
..for the purpose Of revenue only. III tne
nrevious National platforms there hau oeeh
more or less loose talk about n necessary re-
dnc,ion in taxation that could be ehccleq WIFI
.out donriving American labor OF the AFFINITY 10
..comnote successfully with foreign labor. III
1900 Tho Marty came out boldly with the asser-
,,or ,hot nrotcction to American labor was
froud and robbery, and that the Government
bod no mower TO collect tariff duties except FOR
revenue only" The little word "only' had tons
Of Significance in that platform. 1t did not SIP
IN II was no accident. 1t was not surplusage'
II was there for business. 1t was fought over
IN tho Committee on Resolutions, and was car
ried. as everybody on the inside or the deiioera-
ton at Chicago IN 1892 well Knew Tor '"o
reasons One was the insisence CT the eAIeihc
Free Traders in the convention, whose calu'-
date was Grover Cleveland, upon that eNphclt
declaration and the other was the Willingness
and even anxiety Of Mr.. Clevelands opponents
when they found that his nomination was new
>,ble. 70 weigh him down with radical PLATFORM
which would insure his defeat and get the party
finally rid Of him Colonel Watterson, OF Ken
tnckv. n member of the Committee on Resolu-
tons. is our authority for this statement.
There is ample testimony that the little word
"on,v" was made a crucial test in the National
Convention Of 1892; that 1t was fought over IN
the committee and that at last 1t was agreed
upon for widely different reasons by the TWO
onposjng factions In the convention. It's mean
ing was carefully weighed and thoroughly IN
derstood II committed the Democratic party
n n specifc definition of an abstract principle
rs II had never been before. The election Of
Mr.. Cleveland and consequent implied indorse-
ment Of the platform. as is well known, disap-
pointed Mr. Ccvelands opponents inside the
Marty. Our versatile contemporary The New
York Sun which with all its vagari"a was
never a Free Trader, diverted the issue TO the
question Of Negro Domination" more in the
hope as was generally believed, of defeating
than assisting the candidate to whom it gave
Il nominal but rather insincere and fantastic sup
port When, TO its surprise and disappointment,
It's candidate and Congress of its own party
were elected. and they proceeded 10 follow out
or try to follow out. in vague, incoherent and
haphazard way. the declaration Of their plat
form. few things have ever been 50 funny in
| political journalism as the Incompatible cyni-
clsm with which our negIbor continued day
after day nagging its OWN party and bringing it
| face TO face with the "reductio ad absnrdum'
! which The logic Of the situation provoked Our
| versatile contemporary was never so much in its
| own element and never so successful. 1t may
! have been malicious, 10 be sure, but much is
/ pardoncd TO peculiarites Of temperament and
| constitutional weakness.
| One thing however, Is certain: That In the
! c9lnpalgn Of 1892 the word only" in the Demo
cratic platform had significance and potency.
! IT was omitted in the platform Of 1886 It's
| omission had no less significance ana potency.
| 1t was omitted with deliberation and purpose.
! Omitted because the Democratic party, having
come 10 full power upon the strength Of It's plat
form declarations in 1899. including that for "A
tariff for revenue only" had made such horrid
work of carry Ing It's promise into performance
| that 1t did not dare repeat its enumeration OF a
| fundamental principle but meanly lodged 1t
| and ran to the cover Of another demagOgic di-
version in the gulse Of free silver coinage. to
which it devoted It's entire energies during the
, campaign. So the word "only" did not appear
In the tariff plank OF last year. although the
| Republican National Convention had already
frankly met the issue In the selection OF It's can
didate and the clear and unm!stakable avowal