The Chanute times. [volume] (Chanute, Kan.) 1897-1913, 1902-12-19
is TIME TO LINE UP
FOR THE POLITICAL FOOTBALL
GAME IN 1904.
Tariff Is to Be the Issue, and Wob'
blers Must Decide Whether to Re-
main Republican or Join the Ameri-
can Free-Trade League.

The Free Trader (organ of the
American Free-Trade league) for No
vember says:
"Now and during the next two years
is the time for the Free-Trade league
to gain the opening ear of the people,
to educate their intelligence and di-
rect their growing indignation until
they rise in their might and make an
end of protection monopoly"
President Lamb in an appeal to
the people invites the Republicans who
are nursing the Iowa and other ideas
to join the free traders in the battle
against protection. He says:
"The true policy, the plain duty, OF
these reformers is to ally themselves
with advocates of free trade. Free
traders do not concern themselves
with the past belief Of the present OPP
ponents of the Dingley tariff, and they
do not ask for any retraction. They
welcome these dissatisfied protection
lists; and what they do ask of them Is,
no matter what led them to support
protection in the past, that they
should now realize and declare that
the time has come for them to advo-
cate change of policy
How proud Gov. Cummins, Director
of the Mint Roberts and their allies
should be to be thus welcomed to the
free trade camp! In one sentiment
we must agree with Mr.. Lamb; man
must be one thing or the other; there
is no middle ground, no straddling.
Any departure from the policy of the
American system Of protection is
step into free trade.
Free traders know that they cannot
carry out their wishes to the full.
They will only be too glad to break
the ranks of their opponents, to con-
quer by dividing. This is the only
hope they have of gaining victory
for their un-American cause. They
do not insist on their opponents be-
coming pronounced free traders; they
are satisfied to have them renounce
protection in whole or in part, but
they want them to stay dissatisfied"
AS President Lamb says:
1.-THE reason why free traders be-
lieve it important that all reformers
of the tariff should renOunce adhesion
to protection is the same which leads
them to believe that they, on their
part, are right in consentlng to the
gradual steps proposed by dissatisfied
protectionists, even while confident
that better measures could be taken.
The reason is that measures of re-
form, to be permanent, should secure
a support from public opinion which
shall be united and loyal If tariff re-
form does not avow its intention of
consistent progress toward free trade,
1t may succeed at the polls, as In 1892,
but 1t is sure to fall in Congress, as
it did in 1894, and to be undone as in
1897, and the work must all be done
over again. The tariff reform move
ment failed because 1t was abandoned
by the dissatisfied protectionists, who
had supported 1t in 1890 and 1892"
This is the new free trade idea, and
| it is most acceptable. Let us be, as we
must be, enc thing or the other, Tree
traders or protectionists. If the tariff
is to be the issue for 1904, and the bat
tie is to begin now, let us line up
where we belong and as We believe.
| Those who want commission, or re-
vision, or reciprocity, or any of the
cure-alls, are in line with the Ameri-
can Free Trade league, whether they
want to acknowledge it or not. The
proof of this is the fact that the league
no longer calls upon the old guard of
college professors for arguments, but
contents itself by quoting from Cum
mings & Co.
So let us line up for the great game
of 1904, and let us Ill be honest enough
to get on the side where we belong
and face the opponents goal.