The Denison review. [volume] (Denison, Iowa) 1867-current, 1898-10-04
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THE CAMPAIGN OF 1898.

statement of some recent history.
Since 1860 Grover Cleveland twice
made president has been the only man
other than republican chosen president.
His family for generations were puritans
in religion and federalists in politics.
Probably there was in America no more
complete type of the wing OF conserva-
tive republican than he. A very strong !
and honest man but without learning it !
was late in his life before his attention
was drawn to economic questions. Then
he fell upon free trade dogmas and took
them up with the enthusiasm of col
lege student and the insistence with |
which man not a trained scholar takes /
up some elf-taught idea in the sphere of |
learning. His enthusiasm for his new
study was the only bond of connection
between him and the democratic party.
That party has been increasingly pre-
vaded by the vague communistic i'm
pulse of populism. Grover Cleveland
was as remote from that as George
Washington. He was the only man in
his party the people would make pres
ident. The only man they would dis
place the republican party with, because
by taking him they could bring the
republican party to judgment without
giving place to the populistic, COM
munistic, anarchistic impulses in the
present democratic party which the
people will not yield to.
The estrangement between Mr.. Cleve-
land as the exponent of stable govern
ment law, order, property and con-
served individual and public security
and the populistic, communistic, an
archistic impulse in the democratic
party became deep and bitter. The
latter hate him as they do no other pub
lie man in America. They took control
of the national democratic convention
of 1896 and had it all their own way.
But in the elections, when the American
people became arbiters of the question
the Chicago convention democrats were
beaten nearly million votes. OF the
voters rejecting Organism about five
millions were republicans and about
two millions were democrats.
AS this is a government of law made
by representatives chosen by the people
the beginning of the contest came in
the congressional elections of 1894. The
issues were two: protection and money.
The democrats were for Mr.. Cleveland
as to his doctrinaire free trade notions,
but against him as to money and every
thing else. The republicans and the
majority of the American people were
against him as to free trade but sup
ported him in his policy as to money
and property, law, order and stable
government
The people gave the republicans a
large majority in the Fifty fourth con-
gress chosen in 1894. And repeated it
in 1896 adding republican president to
republican house. Grover Cleveland
and his adherents contributed by a
more or less pronounced support to this
result.
The situation in 1898 stands substan-
TALLY as in 1894 and 1896 except as
modified by time. A majority of the
American people as Of Germany, France,
Russia, Italy and all the nations except
Great Britain are protectionists but
American democrats are not. Probably
majority of the democrats whose votes
gave the republican party victory in
1894 and 1896 were free traders as an
economic and revenue proposition but
put their thought as to that in the back
ground for what they deemed more
urgent reasons Of public security and
good government. Yet they knew the
republicans were protectionists an6
would make tariff based upon protec
ton principles. The republican con
gress and administration have done it
If the results were disastrous to tn,
American people and their we'll being
democrats might we'll feel that they
were wrong in waving their opposition
to protection two years ago and fou
years ago. And that the benefits the,
secured or hoped to secure on other line
were not compensated for by the harm
done by protective tariff. This woul'
be wholly valid and legitimate consid
Grafton for those democratic voters. S
it becomes pivotal question: ques
ton of political good conscience. Wha
has been the result of the present pre-
tective tariff which democratic vote
enabled republican congress and &C
ministration to have the power to make
1t is gratifying on all accounts thu
sound money democrats and republic
ans alike who took that responsible
can appeal to the experience of the
countrymen without any fear or mi
givings as to what the judgment mu