The Globe-republican., 1902-08-14
REAL TARIFF ISSUE
HOW THE COMING CAMPAIGN
MUST BE FOUGHT.
Leading Republican journal Declares
Tariff Revision Is Unavoidable
Meaning of Ex-Secretary Villas Let
ter to Chairman Warden.

Ex-Secretary Villas letter to Chair
man Warden may or may not be per
fectly spontaneous utterance. Possibly
Judge Griggs, manager of the Demo
cratic congressional cam paign, may
have had something to do with this
dramatic temperance on the politi-
cal scene of leading Democrat of the
old school, and we may perhaps expect
to hear these voices from the past at
regular interva1s-as part of the fight
for recognition This, however, is of
minor Importance. Despite the wrig-
Cling of the Bryan faction, the issues
of this years campaign for control of
the house will certainly be the trusts
and the tariff This letter from Mr..
Villas is symptomatic, and Mr.. Bah
cock will not miss its significance.
There is no great difference between
the position taken by the ex-secretary
and the famous Cleveland message on
tariff reform Mr.. Cleveland de
nounced the tariff as .sthe communism
of pelf;" Mr.. Villas demands the over
throw of the grand, central governing
conspiracy of protection There were
few trusts in the eighties, but even
then Mr.. Cleveland, in almost the same
language as Mr. Villas employs to-day
warned the people against the con
federacies of protection and the con-
spiracies against popular liberty and
popular opportunity.
Recognizing the ability and political
effectiveness of Mr.. Villas keynote
epistle, the question arises as to how
the Republican congressional COM
mittee ought to meet it. There is an
issue between the two great parties
here, beyond all question, but what
form and shape shall it be given? The
Republican party cannot and must not
enter a general denial, and either ex-
pressiy or by implication assert the
sacredness of high protection as ex-
emplif1ed by the Dingley act. 1t must
admit the need of revision all along
the line. 1t must place itself squarely
on 1.-The Buffalo platform"
The Democrats, to be consistent
must advocate a revenue tariff pure
and simple, free trade being out of the
question. They will have to descend
to particulars and tell the people ex-
actly what they propose to do and how
they propose to demOlish the grand
central conspiracy Will they, if re-
turned to power, reduce the duties hor-
izonta1ly SO per cent? Will they with
draw protection from trust-controlled
industries and leave the present rates
of duty where combination is still
weak? G1ittering generalities will not
answer; the voters will demand def
mite suggestions and businesslike
statements.
And the Republicans must meet this
demand for def1niteness and certainty
They will naturally deny that protec-
ton is robbery, "a false and deceitfuI
name, a conspiracy, etc, but they
must admit that the system has been
misapplied and abused. Certain sched-
ules, as Mr. Mckinley said, are no
longer needed either for revenue or for
legitimate protection; they must be
lowered, repealed or so '-emp1oyed," by
means of reciprocity, as to increase
our foreign trade.
In short, tariff revision is unavoid-
able Shall it be undertaken by the
friends or opponents of protection :?
This is the real, the Immediate tariff
issue. The fanaticaI and militant
high protectionists in the Republican
party must be sent to the rear.-Chi-
cago Record-Hera1d.