The Montgomery tribune. (Montgomery City, Mo.) 1892-1910, 1903-12-25
DEMOCRATS AND THE TARIFF.
wouid wcicomc the 0u~s-
lion Of Duti-s.

Two Leading democrats have declared,
In substance. that their party viii make
an attempt TO put the tariff nj the front
In the campaign OF 1904 one NJ these
was DE Almond. uf Missouri. who was
c~onspicuously mentioned for many
months In connection with the post Of
lender ON the floor OF the house. The
other was Williams, Ut Mississippi. who
was chosen to be- leader The discussion
Of the Cuban reciprocity troaty Was the
occasion which gave them the orpor-
tuniiy to say that the tarin was The
greatest issue nov before the country.
They have been attempting. says the
St. Louis Globe Democrat. 10 make par
tisan capital out nf the disbursement
among the republicans un the cuban
matter. and have had some hope NJ being
able tn accomplish something out uf this
Issue In the way of strengthening their
party In advance of the meeting Ut the
national conventions All the speeches
which nre being made In congress these
days on any question ut national conge-
qucncc have the national campaign OF
next year In mind.
What do lie Almond. Williams and the
rest of The democrats think they ran do
for their party by making the tarlm para
mount In 1901? n the tarin mn 10
the front In that year the Wilson Cor
man act % 1894 will come up for pretty
extensive discussion among the republic
an newspapers ana stump speakers.
Cleveland IL ont Of the running. but does
anybody suppose that he viii support
German. who Is supposed TO be- strength
encd by the cX-proSidont's retirement?
1t viii be remembered that Cleveland
called the democratic tnrin ct 1894 n
party pcrfdy and party dlHhouor" act.
aud asked the house OF Representatives
Ia refuse 10 accept II. II was the amend
monts which were placed on the blll IN
the senate that Cleveland objected IA,
and these. Il was said Gt the time. were
dictated by the Maryland boss. II waB
the Maryland man who was attacked by
C!ovclnnd's onslaught, and he countcrcd
on Cleveland IN u speech Of marked Bit
ternoss. The cN-prosidcnt does moi for
get that episode. II viii be brought M
against German In the convention. II
he should be- nominated. the republicans
will take pretty good rare tina, the dem
ocratic feud Of that time shall be kept
before the country.
\ large majority OF the people ~ the
United States believe that II was the
fear Of the tarln which was not enacted
until 1894 that produced the panic OF
1893, The country knew. just aa soon as
II learned that Cleveland was elected that
n democratic tariff would be passed. II
was known, too. that that act would rs
SAL the country's Industrial system at
many vital points. Therefore. entor-
prise was checked Immediately, and by
tho time that Cleveland entered of,co
all the elements which precipitated the
destruction were ready To begin opera
tions, The gold redemption fund In the
treasury. oon after Cleveland went into
power In 1898. dropped below the $780,
100000 mark for the first time since the
republicans gold resumption act of 1879
went Into effect. During the five months
between Cleyeland's election In 1892 and
May. 1898. the net gold expectation from
the country was sci Nh 5000 Mills
closed. there were 'runs'' on the banks
and n panic was on. All this will be
brought out in the campaign Of 1904 by
the republican newspapers and stump
speakers II the tarir Is made the para
mount issue In that year. The repub-
leans would be exceedingly glad to meet
the democrats on the question Of a
change In the customs schedules. Moth
Ing would please them better than to see
this question brought To the front next
year. The tarlr issue. no matter In
what shape II is brought up. Will. II made
prominent In 1904, be particularly disas-
III for the democratic party.
t|The democrats may array them
selves sg:inst the Panama canal. but II
old Tom Jefferson were alive he
Wnuidn't ataud for q, = M Auratn. H..