Potosi journal. (Potosi, Mo.) 1894-1929, 1898-03-16
Democracy and the Tariff.

| Democracy and the Tariff.
! Gov. Cnlbctson's reply to that
part of Senator Mills letter which
attacks the Texas Democrats en-
their attitude toward the tariff has
"a significance which may not
appear upon the surface. In the
] discussion Of the Dinglcy bin it
was discovered that many Demo
Gratis were favorable to distinctive
/ " protective duties for certain
| products, and in some instances the
products were not those which the
districts Or states of those Demo
Gratis had IN especial interest. In
the House five Democrats and one
| Popllist voted for the bill. and in the
Senate one Democrat and two other
! Bryanites voted for that measure.
The number Of Democrats, how
ever, who favored particular
features of the bill, but who did
not vote for it as a whole, was
larger. This break in the Demo
cratic line caused much uncasiness
among the leaders Of that party at
that time and since.
1t is known that the revolt in the
Democracy against that party's
free trade position of 4 few years
ago is particularly active and pre-
nounccd in Texas. This fact re-
cciycs especial attention in the
letter of Senator Mills in which he
withdraws from the race for re-
election. There is a strong proba-
| bility that this fact has something
to do with his withdrawal. Mr..
Mills clings to the position on the
| tariff which he held ten years ago
when, in response to President
| Clevcland's assault on the protec-
tive system in his message Of 1887,
the Texan prepared the bill which
was the issue in the campaign OF
1SSS, and which defeated Clevc-
land and his party that year. The
bulk of Mills party shows a dis
position to abandon that position.
\ considerable portion of the
party has already abandoned it.
Mr.. Mills says this shifting OF
ground is party trcachcry, and he
virtually calls the leading spirits OF
the Texas Democracy traitors.
But Gov. Culberson, who is an
aspirant for Mills seat, neatly
counters on Mills. He shows that
the advocacy of duties on imports
of raw materials was not always
considered treason to Democrat,
principles, and cites the case Of the
tariff of 1916 to support his con-
tcntion. The tariff of 1916, which
was drawn on the lines laid down by
Robert j. Walker, the Secretary
of the Treasury at that time, put
duties on most of the raw materials.
and that act has been considered
hv Democrats ever since to be tho
most scientific tariff law ever de-
vised in the United States. AS a
free trade or ''revenue onl y" act it
has for half a century been the
form by which Democrats model
and measure tariff legislation. Ii
has been the Koran of the Democ-
racy in the field which it covered.
and the touchstone by which Dem
ocratic orthodoxy in tariff matters
has been tested. Gov. Culbcrson
can say that II there has been any
treason on the tariff question
among Texas Democrats. Mr..
Mills, and not any of the mer
whom he assails, is the traitor. 1t
is an exceedingly interesting fight
that has broken out among the
Texas Democrats. The circum,
stance which gives it nationa
bearing is that the same sort of ;
FIGHT will have to be waged among
the Democrats of every state when
they bring the tariff up i'll polite:
aeain.-Globe- Democrat.