The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1901-05-25
PARALLEL BETWEEN WAITER.
SON AND BRYAN.

Col. Watterson draws parallel be-
tween his long and brilliant advocacy OF
tariff reform and Mr.. Bryan's champion
ship of bimetalism., and takes a gloomy
view of the outlook for the success of
either policy. In a recent editorial, he
seeks to admonish Mr.. Bryan by his
own disappointment after sixteen years
of devotion to Tariff Reform. Here are
his admonitions to Mr.. Bryan:
My dear sir l know every foot of the
road you are now travelling. | have been
ali along there myself. For years / ad-
hered to tariff reform quite as stoutly
and as stubbornly as you are now adher-
ing to free silver coinage. / put my case,
too, quite as extremely as you put yours.
The robber barons' were in my eyes
what the money changers now are in
yours. l was the phrase maker of that
day as you are of this. My phrases
counted. and / was assailed as bitterly
as ever you have been. They tell you
that you know nothing about finance.
They told me that | knew nothing about
the tariff But I held on. The Star
GOudeSS OI RClOTm Hdu SIedlSi luIi
than the Gross of Gold and Grown of
Th0rns.'
1--WE began the fight for tariff reform a
quarter Of a century. ago, but did not win
until 1892. After each defeat, and espe-
cially after those of 1880 and 1888. there
was the loudest clamor for the abandon
ment OF the tariff issue Its opponents
within The party declared that we could
not hope for success as long as we kept
that, flag at the masthead. The country
we were told, had decided against it in
a way that was absolutely unmistakable
Butsmy reply invariably was, Well win
under that flag, or not at all.
well as you know, at last we won
Need / remind you of the result? You
were a member of the House of Represen-
tatias when the bill was drawn for the
redemption of the tariff plank of the plat
form upon which Mr. Cleveland was the
second time elected President. You help
ed draw the bill You were all right
You wanted a deep cut all along the line
But | ask you, as man to man, was there
ever a greater fasco than that bill as il
finally passed Congress? Did ever a
mountain labor so and produce smaller
m0use?, Think of it, The German Wilson
bill as the Fruit of sixteen years of con-
tinuous agitation for tariff reform!
Now, my friend, apply this history to
your fight for free silver coinage. I'm
derstand me. | like fighter. I'm a
fighter myself But I've learned some
thing as I've grown older Suppose you
hold or to silver as l did to the tariff.
suppose you whoop it up all along the
line, and after several more trials win
at the polls. Do you imagine that your
triumph could be written into law? 1t
could not You would find there were
Democrats who would work to nullify
the victory Just as there were Demo
Gratis who supported free trade platform
in 1892, and afterward checkmated in
Congress the effort to redeem it with
legislation, there would be Democrats to
checkmate, after voting for free coinage
at the polls. every effort to put free
coinage law on the books. Victories OBJ
tanned in that way turn to ashes in the
mouth" ~
What would Mr.. Watterson advise? He
intimates that there is no hope for tariff
reform and that bimetalism is hopeless
Latterly he has indicated that the hgh
in 1904 cannot be successfully waged upol
Imperialism What is the issue, then, TO
1904? There are scandals and evils enough
in the Mckinley Hanna administrator
for vigorous campaign against thi
trust-ridden, contract-scandal, facing
both-ways administration to warrant
campaign upon Turn the rascals out,
but will not a policy of reform be ne
cessary? Is victory worth winning tina
does not insure legislation that will guar
antee s'equal rights to all and specia
privileges to ncne?,' Is the failure to max
a consistent tariff law in 1894 a warnin
against adherence to the time honore
Democratic doctrine? Mr.. Cleveland wa
elected upon the tariff issue. Instead {
throwing his influence at once to carr
out the pledge for tariff reform, upo
which the party was united in Marcel
1893, he precipitated contest for legisla
tion upon the financial policy abou
which there we're irreconcilable differ
ences within the ranks of the Democrat
party And then the breach was so dee
and so wide, that make-shift tariff bi
was enacted which Mr.. Cleveland damne
by declaring that he could not sign
because ii represented party perfidy an
party dishonor." Does the mistake of tn
administration of Mr.. Cleveland and th
divisions in the Senate in 1894 justify
belief that another victory for Tariff Re
form would turn to ashes? Today as eve
Glitch Your 4 Kite to Star and the
organize. as il organization alone woul
win is the open sesame to political SUE
cess.