Evening star., 1902-08-02
The Tariff Issue,

Mr. Bryan having declared that the demo-
cratic party did not abandon it's position on
the tariff question in 1896. the indianapolis
News replies:
This Is simply not true. The Chicago
convention did abandon the democratic
party's position on the tariff question. and
1t did so designedly and deliberately. for
the purpose of COnciiating the Teller re-
publiCanS, who had just walked out of the
republican convention. 1t was understood
perfectly well a the time that there was Il
deal of this kind on. The Bryan crowd
was bidding for the votes of men who were
not democrats. 1t was known that the
adoption of a popuistic platform would re-
pei many men who were democrats. These
had to be made good. So the Chicago con-
vention turned to the popu!ists and the sill
yer republicans. and probably a million OF
these men voted for Bryan, thus making
up that army of 650O.oGO democrats, of
which he is so fond of boasting. But there
had to be concessions to get them. And so
the word only was struck out of the tariff
plank. and the convention declared for a
tariff for revenue, instead of for tariff for
revenue only.
However this may be. 1t is certain that
several of those silver republicans have
since abandoned their position on the tariff
question. Mr.. Teller and Mr.. Dubois were
both pronounced protectonists when they
went to the st. Louis convention In 1896
They had supported their party in all of It's
contests over the tariff. They were pre-
pared at that time to accept a ringing decia-
ration for a revision of the schedules on
protection lines: and what was written
would have suited them to had the
financial plank OF the platform conformed
to their demands 1t was the silver ques-
tion solely that caused them to turn their
backs on their old associates and ally them
selves with new
The silver question now is dead. and the
tariff question is coming to the front again
In way the old battle is TO be renewed
On the one side are those who see great
virtue in the policy of protection wisely ap-
piled, and on the other those who would if
they could reduce protection all. along the
line u minimum. But where are Mr.
Teller and Mr.. Dubois? In position to re-
turn to their old protection affiliations? Not
bit of it. Both are democrats row with
out condition. Mr.. Dubois announced his
conversion several years ago, and Mr. Tel
Ter has just put himself into the hands of
the democrats of Colorado in the matter of
his candidacy for reelection to the Senate
As the case now stands. therefore, we shall
probably witness these two protectionists
supporting a candidate for the presidency
In 1904 on an anti-protection platform the
issue which took them into the democratic
party having virtually disappeared,
Something of this kind, however, has ap-
peared before in our affairs. There were
men who left the republican party in 1884
solely, as they declared, because of Mr.
Blaine's candidacy. who did not return to 1t
after Mr.. Blaine had ceased to be a domi-
mating quantity in the party. They opposed
General Harrison both in 1888 and In 1892
on an old-fashioned republican platform
quite as vigorously as they had done Mr.
Blaine when he led.