Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1902-10-30

! be made in that State 20 elect all the
Democratic nominees for Congress. save
, one, to whom II objects for personal rea-
scns. because. as 1t conttnt't, y
from Democrats that anything but hes
tility to tariff reform can be expected.
The Times argument applies, OF course,
in all the other States. Moreover. .e
logic of the case points the duty ana the
wisdom OF eIecting Democratic Congress
men by as large majorities as possible
Republican efforts to confuse the ques-
ton. and failure of the Democrats to
give it prominence in their campaign
book nevertheless tariff reform is the
issue of this campaign. 1t was made tnt
Issue by the people. The congressional
contest of this year is but preliminary
to the final struggle for the overthrow OF
.obber protection and the emancipation OF
the ncople from the grierous burdens of
the trusts.
It is true that If the Democrats shall
secure a majority of the next house
what with the complexion of the Senate
they will not be able TO accomplish any
thing practical In the way Of positive
legislation: and il is to be anticipated that
the Republicans will seek to make them
responsible in the eyes Of the people ior
any sins of omission or commission
chargeable to Congress as q whole i Is
to be foreseen that the minority Will SCI
ALI sorts of traps for the majority: that
they Will propose all sorts OF ins1ncere
legislation, well knowing that 1t "o"lo
have no chance of passing the senate,
even if the Democrats agreed to H. anu
that than they will go before the masses
in the ensuing campaign with an expiol
tation of what they would have done for
the relief of the dear people, had the ma
jority not prevented them
game of that sort. shrewdly engineer
ed. is undoubtedly something TO be reck-
oned with. But we believe that any sue
cess it would meet with could be more
than Offset and compensated for by wise
Democratic leadership. The old issues
which divided the party the country
over are recognized as dead, and the as
tinct southern issue which often in the
past necessitated timidity and compromise
on the part of the southern Democrats
has been virtually eliminated. There Is
now no reason why Democratic ma
ioritv in-consress should not be thorough
" united. and given that there is no reason
why such a majority should not bring
10 grief all schemes for public plundec
7i7p mt nd EnENeTSlDIl
of the Constitution. Ther will be an op-
portunity for making record in this re-
spect, when, added to the fact that the
party stands for tariff reform, would nave
incalculable influence. not only in soIloi
fying and inspiring the party in 1904, but
In attracting to il the disaffected elements
IN the Republican ranks as represented IN
the Republican tariff revisionists OF iowa
and other western States.
Every Democrat Who shall be elected TO
the next Congress will have been elected
on the issue Of tariff revision. The more
that may be elected, and tt greater
the majo1ities they receive, the more
clear-cut that issue will have been MADE
and the greater the moral effect in the
direction of cncolSa ging the people 10
continuous struggle for the overthrow OF
the tariff fetch. and relief from the
trust evils and impostions. 1t will be in
the power OF a Democratic majority. con-
servatively led, and which will hew to
the line of principle so to supplement
this supreme issue by the formulation and
championship of auxiliary ones that the
rarity will. ere the session closes, occupy
firmly the vantage ground as to the Presi-
Dental election. A victory in the cur
rent congressional campaign will involve
serious responsibility, but ii is g response
bility it would be political cowardlce
not to accept-nay, court-end which could
only fail of being turned to the benefit
of the party and the country through
laundering. which would be little short
of criminal