The Washington weekly post. (Washington, D.C.) 1878-1916, 1899-08-15
THAT Strain Once More {"

| In view of the disheveled condition in
which the free traders emerged from their
latest and greatest assault on protection.
and remembering that the logic Of accom-
| plished facts has demolished one after an
| other of their alleged arguments until
only an unsightly heap of frayed and NAL
odorous remnants remains, one would
suppose that they would preAr any other
topic OF discourse than their old clay idol.
But with them the ruling passion is not
only strong in death but shows In q
post-mortem activity which, though it
may serve no very useful purpose. is an
unfailing source of innocent merrimAp,,
to the victorious opposition-to the hosts of
Republicans and Democrats who have
stood by the doctrine OF protection and
witnessed its triumph over the free trade
heresy. One Of the most lavish contrIh-
utors to this fund of amusement is rho
ST. Louis Republic, and one OF the funniest
OF its unconscious gifts for the promotion
OF hilaFity is this extract from its issue
Of the 18th instant:
What has the Republican party done
10 indicate that IL had ever the iniAnfinn
OF the desire 10 Keep the hands of mOnon-
oily from the Threats of the peonl,.1
1T has fostered and exploited Tho fatso
principle OF protection for forty vasrs
sanctlonlng and encouraging monopoIv IN
every platform IL has written since -
birth OF the Morrill, war tariff. That false
principle built up preferred classes who
have amassed millions through tribTto
levied for them by the Republican nsrty
upon the great body OF the people Ont
OF these classes was bred, as logically as
magSots are bred in carrion by the favor
ing beams of the sun, the trusts. The stem
from foDbing by RETAIL as the tariff bene-
nciaries did for so many wears. 10 rob
bling by wholesale, as the trusts are doing
unger the aegis of protection, was an in
eYitable development"
The Republican gives too much crsdit n
the Republican party. 1t was a Demo-
cratic Senate which drew the fanss from,
the Wilson bill, and in so doing won for
protection the most signal of all its no.
litical triumphs. As to the influence of
THE false principle of protection for for
~ years. look at the country. its trade
statistics. its wealth. its population and
above all, its savings banks deposits and
ITS building and loan associations as tbav
were in 1853 and as they are in 1899 All
mat the free traders have declared fr,nos-
siole under protection has been achieved
Not one of the deductions OF their philos-
ophy has escaped demolition. The most
important of their old-time assertions
one that the late Frank Hurd. an bspast
ana eloquent champion OF error. used to
dilate upon with force and effect. was
that free trade was the only policy thar
would give us footing In the worlds
markets. Where, on where-we ask the
Republic to Tells that argument TO-DAY
when We are successfully competing with
England in her own specialties nor only
IN her colonies. but in Great Britain
Meanwhile We have kept our home mar
KETTLE greatest commercial prige an
earth-for our own labor and capital This
time OF unexampled business activity, this
time when labor is so much In demand
that harvest hands cannot be had for
80 a day In the wheat-growing States
beyond the Mississippi; this time wheu
our growth In manufactures ard their
exports excite the wonder Of all nations
well this is bad time to huri anathsmas
at protection or 10 yawp praises of its ex-
unguished opponent AS to the trusts, |