The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1901-05-02
WHAT RECENT POLITICAL HIST.
DRY TEACHES.


in 1896 when it left the Cleveland plat
form of low tariff and went off after
free silver. Think of it! These men
say this in one breath and in the pre-
vious breath they were praisng McLaurin
and applauding his advocacy of protec-
tom!
What Democrat was it who left low
tariff and made the money question the
leading question in 1893 80? In 1892, after
Cleveland had written a straddle plat
form, the Democratic National Conven-
tion met and repudiated it, and adopt
ed the following plank, written, if our
recollection is good, by Mr.. Neal of Ohio:
I'VE denounce Republican protection as
a fraud on the labor of the great major
ity of the American people for the bene-
fit of the few. We declare it to be a
fundamental principle of the Democratic
party that the Federal Government has
no constitutional power to impose and
collect a tariff duty except for the pur-
pose of revenue only. And we demand
that the collection of such taxes shall
be limited to the necessaries of the gov
eminent when honestly administered"
After adopting this tariff plank, forced
upon Mr.. Cleveland against his desire,
the Democrats went into the campaign
and made tariff reform the paramount is
sue, The Demoerats-Q lied by Cleveland in
the East with Bryan an eloquent young
lieutenant in the West)-put low tariff
in the front as more important than any
other question. The Populists were trying
to put the money question to the front
but the Democrats were able to prevent
it, and the Democratic victory in 1892,
which secured control of the gov
eminent in all its branches except the
judiciary, was an approval of the doctrine
of low tariff enunciated with straight
wardness in the National platform. When
Mr.. Cleveland was inaugurated, he was
urged to call a special session of Con-
gress to repeal the Mckinley tariff law.
That was manifestly. the duty with which
he was charged. Instead of doing this
duty, he postponed it in order to give
financial legislation first place. 1t is not
to the purpose to discuss the particular
rock OF financial legislation upon which
his administration went to pieces, wheth-
er good or bad, 1t, is enough that after.
declaring in the campaign that tariff re-
form was the paramount need of 1.-The
country, Mr. Cleveland deliberately put
financial legislation forward as the para
mount need of the country. 1t was tao
teal blunder of the first magnitude, if
nothing worse for three- fonrths of the
Democratic members Of Congress- were
committed by every honorable pledge to
silver legislation when money legislation
was under consideration. From the minute
Congress was convened in extra session in
1898 to repeal the purchasing clause of
the Sherman act the Democrtic admins
tration threw tariff reform aside and
made legislation paramount And when
an attempt was made to pass tariff
law in accordance with the party plat
form, the money question had already
been given leading place and there was no
power then to close the discussion, and
unite the party upon tariff reform. The
attempt afterwards made resulted in the
passage of bill that Mr.. Cleveland called
party perfidy and party dishonor" be-
cause it contained milder protection than
Senator McLaurin now advocates. And
yet there are men who applaud McLaurin
and say they stand for the old Democracy
of 1892 The tariff plank of 1892 was the
best ever. written. ,McLaurin repudiates
it because he has espoused the Republic
can idea of protection which the 1892
platform called "a fraud on the labor of
the great majority OF the American peo-
pie for the benefit of the few"
But these papers that have come to ad-
vocate or sanction protection and ship
subsidies, tell us that the Democratic
party in the Chicago convention turned
its back on the Democratic tariff doctrine
when it ran OFF after free silver. Nothing
is further from the truth. Every politi-
cal party, every leader in every party
in 1896 recognized that the money ques-
ton was paramount. This was as true
of Mr.. Cleveland and his school of thought
as we'll as of Mr.. Bryan and his school of
thought. If the Chicago convention had
simply declared, as it did, that until the
money question is settled We are opposed
to any agitation for further changes in
our tariff laws, except such as are ne
cessary to meet the deficit in revenue
caused by the adverse decision of the
Supreme Court on the income taxi
it had said that and nothing more, it
would not have been regarded as re-
pudiation of the party principles on the
tariff, but as merely recognizing the issue
which the people of all sections had
forced to the front. But the Chicago con-
vention did not stop with that declaration.
1t went ON TO say:
I'VE hold that tariff duties should be
levied for purposes of revenue. such duties
to be so adjusted as to operate equally
throughout the country, and not discrim-