The Montgomery advertiser., 1901-12-22
THE ISSUE IS AT HAND.


 The Democratic Party should put itself in line once more for a vigorous tariff campaign. The issue bids fair to be stronger in 1904 than 1t was in 1876, 1884 or 1892 in all of which years it gave the Party the popular vote. It Is an issue on which all factions of the Party are agreed. Let the subject of Philippine ownership and government go for that Is a dead issue, as is also silver; but let the tariff question be revived.-Kansas City Star.
 The Star is eminently correct in that statement. The tariff is the only import ant question upon which Democrats can even hope to unite The ghost of free coinage cannot possibly be brought back to vitality. Those who cling to it, as an old man will cling to the joyous recollec- tiohs of his youth. can no more control the Party and lead it to defeat. That question has had it's day in court and the verdict has been made up. confirmed and accepted. Let its worshippers lay it away carefully, speak funeral orations over 1t if they like, and then turn their faces and their minds to the live and vital questions of the day.
 No political issue can be made up on the questions of imperialism, foreign ex- tension and the like, for those questions have adherents and enemies in both po- litical parties. There are Democrats who agree thoroughly with the administration on it's foreign policy and there are other Democrats who oppose it bitterly. There
 rNrVT pathy with the administration on that issue as any Democrats have, but ma jority of them support 1t. On those ques- tions neither Party is unanimous, and they cannot be made such an issue as will do to wage Presidential campaign on.
 We know there are high tariff Demo- crats both North and South. Sam Ran daII was one of the most persistent and influential protectionists in the Union, but he always submitted to the will of the Democracy when it spoke in conven- tions and supported the Democratic tick ct. And we are free to admit that there are honest high tariff Democrats in the South, but we do not believe they will go to the extent of fighting a national Democratic ticket. At least, we think it would be safe to count on the Southern States to give their electoral votes to the candidates of the Democratic Party Let us go so far as to admit some of the claims of the protectionists and as- sume that certain of our infant indus tries" have been benefited by the almost prohibitive duties imposed on foreign goods. Let us go further and admit that in some lines these duties have added to the prosperity of the country at large, but if we admit all this 1t does not alter the fact that change is needed. Those industries have been coddled and nursed and fed on pap long enough. It is time for the people of this country to have an inning. and they can get it in no other way than by a material reduction of some duties and the removal of others. The people are paying more for both lux urles and necessities than they ought to pay and the surplus goes into the pock- cts of corporations and manufacturers who have grown rich off the people and who are no longer in need of special priv ileges, if they were ever in such need.
 The truth is that protection for protec- tion's sake is wrong in theory, unjust in practice and contrary to sound Democ- racy. Our Party has always been an anti protection Party and has succeeded only when it made it's campaign on that line. To unite on the old Democratic doctrine of tariff for revenue only" will not only be just to the people, but will be good and sound politics The Republi- eans--some of them, at least. see that their position on the tariff is becoming untenable and unsafe, and they may make bluff towards modifying the du- ties in some cases, but it Is hardly likely that they will accomplish anything essen- tial. or that they win dare to go to the extent that the people require and should have They are afraid 10 risk it, for 1t would alenate some of their strongest supporters
 From whatever point we view it. this is the question for Democrats to unite on l and it is none too soon to begin 1t. It | should commence in Congress and the Democrats in that body have a grand opportunity before them They should 1 play for position and fight for justice.