Dakota farmers' leader. (Canton, S.D.) 1890-19??, 1897-02-26

canDot therefore be truly protective, they
should oppose. If Repu blicans would
pass protective measure they must
frame 1t along these lines.
To this declaration of principles Sen.
ators Teller, Mantle. Cannon. Pettigrew,
Du Bois, Warren. Shoup, Pritchard,
Wolcott, Mitchell. Hansbrough, Carter,
Perkins. Cameron, Clarke and Brown
affixed their names. When the Rppub.
lican party sold itself out to the money
power the last eleven Saw fit to eat their
words and go with the party, the first
five had the courage to stand by their
principles and repudiate the party that
had repudiated its principles. OF the
five Senators who thus stood up to their
convictions. Senator Du Bois. of Idaho,
failed of election in the recent contest, a
Populist having been elected to fill his
seat. The other four will be members OF
the Fifty Fifth Congress, and they will
be re inforced by the new Senator from
Washington, Mr. Turner. So there will
be five Senators in the next Senate ready
to fight for real protection and. as no
high tariff measure can pass the Senate
that will not command the votes OF al
least three OF these Senators, the Repub-
icans Can choose between true protect
i've tariff and none.
There will probably be forty-two
memb bers in the next Senate who will go
into the Republican caucus. at least at
the beginning of its sessions. Thus it
appears that the Republicans will lack
three votes of the requisite number to
pass a tariff measure. This is poor
enough showing from the Republican
standpoint. But their position is weaker
than it first appears. There IS no solid
tv even in the Republican minority
Nine out Of the forty.two Senators max.
ing up this minority are avowedly in
favor of free silver coinage. OF the
eleven Senators who signed the above
quoted declaration Of principles, but who
saw fit to place party before principle,
Cameron and Brown, whose terms expire
with this Congress, failed Of reelection.
The other nine will be members OF the
nex,Sena,e. And upon these Senators who
subscribed themselves in January a year
ago as "in favor of rescuing the people
of the United States from impending
danger by removing the difference Of ex-
change between gold standard countries
and silver standard countries in the only
possible way, which is the free and un.
limited coinage Of silver" the Republ-
cans have to count IN making up the
minority of 70 votes. How many of the
other 33 Republican Senators. who, like
Senator Chandler, have decided leanings
to bimetallism, is uncertain. We can
count several.
So it is quite evident that the Repub-
l,can minority in the Senate lacks Of that
soldity which gives promise of perma-
nence. IL is held together by the party
whip and nothing else. Such being the
case, the Republicans have very lnfirm
ground from which to push manufac-
turer's tariff. for nine of these Senators
whom they count upon for support have
their belief that to be effectual tariff
must be Joined to bimetalism. for in no
other way is it possible to remove the
premium on gold, as measured by silver.
which is equivalent to a bounty OF 100
per cen. on exports from gold using to
silver.using countries, and which must
enable our silver competitors to overleap
our tariff barriers.
So it is far more likely that the Repub-
licans should lose votes after the tariff
debate opens in the Senate than that they
should gain. The only argument that
can be addressed to the silver protection.
lists now outside of the party is that Of
practical politics. The argument to be
addressed to the nine free coinage Repub.
licans within the party is: Do what you
know to be right; stand up for your con-
vlctions heed the interests Of your con-
stituents, comply with their demands.
and throw off the yoke OF the party that
has sold itself for gold, and which you
are demeaning yourselves by wearipg.-
Philadelphia American.