Akron daily Democrat. [volume] (Akron, Ohio) 1892-1902, 1902-02-28
THE ENTERING WEDGE.

The disgraceful attitude OF Soisrcss
in refusing to deal fairly with the
Cuban people must Of course have
some cause back of il besides mere
peryerseness. That body ana espe:.
cinlly In the lower house, responds
sympathetically to each breeze OF
public opinion, when the latter Is
fairly ascertained, from motives Of
self-,nterest. if from nothing higher.
And since there is no room for doubt
ing how the people stand on this qucs-
ton, we are forced TO think that the
underlying cause for the present sit
uatlon must be of greater Significance
than appears on the surface OF things.
II is incredible that one or two burly
Infants" of an hundred years or so
can he enough TO make the average
Congressman run counter to the wishes
of his constituents, the angry cries Of
the press. or the vehement protests
of various Chambers of Commerce,
and the like, even If he Is deaf to the
voice of Justice and needless of our
pledges TO the islanders.
A reduction of 20 per cent, as pro-
posed by the majority of the Ways
and Means Committee, but not sus-
tained by the caucus, Is SO small n
thing, that of itself 1t could not be
considered a formidable breach In the
tariff wall, and especially as in this
case 81 per cent Is still left.
The fact Is the entire protective
system Is on trial here; and
those who are prosecuting this invasion
OF 1t are as remorseless as those
who called 1t into being; in fact they
are the same forces.
Disguise the bitter pill of reciprocity
az politicians may, 1t Is still in prin-
ciple the antithesis and destruction OF
protection. They can no more live in
harmony, one with the other, than
nature and vacuum. Mr.. Charles
Emory Smith and others like him, may
talk in lofty phrase of reciprocity be-
ing the handmade OF protection till
the crack OF doom. 1t will still be
true that where the former begins
the latter hcgins to end, Reciprocity
is only cuphemism for free trade
in sections. II is the wedge which
once entered into the now lusty tree OF
protection, and whether under the
garb of justice to Cuba-,as In this
case II really is-or by its right name
II will split II from center to circum
ference. No men see this better than
the high protcctlonists themselves
Their vision for nterlopers on their
preserves IN both keen and accurate.
Hence their stubborn resistance ia
doing anything for Cuba in the first
place, and their attempt later to switch
the movement from reciprocal trade to
rebate.
The great protectionlst organ OF tho
country sees the outcome OF the pres
ent movement clearly enough. And
80 ~ snvc. s,frha Dn nos oo,, ,ol,,.
tion ls the wedge. II enters the tariff
the more easily for It's very dlminu-
tiveness And the moment that Il Is
introduced the clang OF score OF
hammers will forctell the destruction
OF the whole economic edince."
This outcry OF grief aud alarm at
the approach OF the enemy is ad.
dressed to the various allied protected
interests, and they are exhorted to
come up to the help OF the faithful,
for that the common cause of spoil
is In jeopardy.
They are not likely to respond.
They would do M II the relief asked
as a matter OF mere Justice 10 Cuba
and 20 redeem our national honor
pawned to the Cubans, rested on no
other ground, no doubt They would
strangle the movement readily enough
II. like most agitation for free markets
II was pushed only by the scholars
and the doctrinaircs, who can enlist
nothing In the cause but brains and
sound economic principles. But here
the very forces which have built IN
protection, which have grown by feed
ing upon 1t, which have been i'm
"measurably enriched by 1t, are inter
ested in i,s overthrow. They are ex
plotting the immense resources OF
Cuba, and to do so at profit they