The Elk Mountain pilot., 1901-08-06
THE NEW PROTECTION. !

agreement at all between the factions
of the Democratic party, it is to be
| found in demand that the tariff be
attacked. One faction of the party are
the old free traders, who are now as
they always have been, against any
protective features in the tariff; and
another faction regards the changing
of the tariff as the best means of at
tacking what they call the trusts.
The Republicans being intrenched,
the Democrats have the initiative;
and they can make the campaign on
whatever issue they please. They have
done this for two campaigns past, not
withstanding the attempt of the Re-
publicans to get them on diherent
ground. In 1896, the Republican plan
was to have the fight on the tariff and
that may have been one reason why
Mckinley was nomoinated. The Demo
Gratis, however being really the at
lacking party, although the Repubh-
cans were not in power, preferred to
fight the campaign on the silver issue,
and they did.
In 1900, the Republicans wanted the
fight to be again on the financial ques-
ton, and tried all through the cam
paign to make it on that; but again the
Democrats assaulted from another
quarter, and made n platform which
declared the paramount issue to be i'm
perialism. Next time the Democrats
are likely to take advantage again OF
their superior mobility. and attack on
some other front of the citadel; and
the indications are that 1t will be on
tue tariff.
The fight will not be on the old
lines exactly, for we don't believe the
Democracy will come out for free
trade; but they will attack the trusts,
and the Republican party as an alleged
friend of the trusts, and the tariff as
the means adopted by the Republican
party for building up the trusts.
The Republicans have fair warning
and they will do well to put some
thing into their platform to meet the
new issue. They will have this ad-
vantage, that whatever they put into
their platform, the people generally
will believe that they will make an
effort to carry out in legislation. What
ever faults the Republican party may
have, even its enemies cannot say 1t
has not the courage of its convictions.
There is some discussion going ON in
the Republican press over what is
called the "new protection" and
there is likely to be a good deal more
before the next campaign Is fairly on.
Now is n good time TO discuss the sub
ject, SO that there may be some gen
eral agreement, by two years from
now, as to what the Republican party
proposes to offer as n defense to the
new attack on the tariff as the mother
of trusts.
So far as the discussion has proceed
ed. there is quite general agree
ment among Republicans that the
notifications of the tariff, when they
are made, shall be mainly on reciproci-
ty lines-on the Blaine plan; rather
than by n general or large reduction
of duties all along the line. 1t is
pointed out that the trust which Is
now denounced perhaps more fiercely
than any other-the steel trust-can
hardly be the product of the tariff. for
the tariff on iron and steel was low
cred by the Dingley bill, and the rates
under the trust are lower than the
rates before the trust was formed.
We do not know that such facts would
make any difference to the Democrats
in their attack on the tariff. If they
could convince the people, first that
trusts are bad in themselves and
ought to be suppressed; and second
that the tariff fosters trusts; then the
conclusion would follow irresistibly
that the tariff party must be turned
out.
1t is altogether possible that the
Republicans, seeing the attack that i
coming, will change front to meet it
The best definition that we have
seen of what may be called "the new
protection" is from the pen of John l.
Platt, for many years editor of the
Poughkeepsie Eagle, and n platform
maker of great experience. Here is the
way he puts it:
Heretofore it was the building Vi
of manufacturing Industries which W.
needed, and in framing tariffs thu
statesmen of the period sought sec
ondary effect that would diminish th'
competition of foreign manufactures
The success of the plan has takel