The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1904-05-20
FRIDAY, MAY 20, 1904.
GONE PROTECTION MAD.

The stars in their courses are fight
ing this year the battles of the Demo-
cratic party. Perhaps it is not so
much the stars in their courses how
ever, as it is the trust-made million
aires in their bond proof easements.
They have forced the Republican party
to its knees and choked from it a COM
plete acquiescence in their most arro-
giant dogmas. The party has been
forced not merely to let the tariff alone
at the last session, not merely to make
the coming campaign on the basis of
the Dingley act, but to admit and de-
clare that no changes will be allowed.
that no revision is possible, that the
Dingley act is a sacred thing and that
no relief will be permitted from tariff
rates as they are while the world
stands.
For the Democratic party this is an
admirable happening. For the country
at large We regret the clash of ex-
tremes which it necessitates. The Re-
publican organization is simply pro-
lection mad. Every leader and every
newspaper hitherto championing tariff
reform is made to eat its words. There
is no longer a pretense that the pro-
lection enjoyed by the trusts will be
cut off, or that the slightest relief will
be given to the American consumer
subject to such infamous burdens as
tariff on lumber and on steel 1t is no
longer an inference, but fact prova-
BILE from the declarations of Repub-
licans themselves, that if the Repub-
lican party succeeds this fall all posi-
bility of a change of letter in the
Dingley law win be ended for four
years to come.
one OF the catchwords used by the
standpatters is extremely significant.
1t sums up the whole Republican doc
trine and is a sufficient commentary
on Republican criticism of the Demo-
cratic position. 1t says: Reciprocity
is tariff ripping, and tariff ripping is
free trade" The reduction of any ex-
listing duty by the millionth part of
cent is free trade Anything that
touches the consecrated body of the
Dingley tariff is blasphemous free
trade. Upon that mere expression
free trade" Republicans intend to rely.
That ancient bugbear and scarecrow
they propose to hold before the eyes
of an affrighted people as a reason why
millions of unearned profit wrung from
the taxpayer should continue indef-
n1tely to roll into the Golfers of mo-
nopoly. We can at least meet extreme
with extreme. Although no Democrat
prominent in public life as far as we
are aware, has the slightest sympathy
with free trade or any notion that it
is practicable as a public policy. it
would nevertheless be respectable as
compared with the now openly avowed
Republican policy of "the Dingley law
forever" If the American people had
to choose between these two extremes
we think they would choose free trade
and choose wisely. Inasmuch, how
ever, as they are not thus limited. as
Democratic policy in it's largest form
goes no further than a tariff for rev.
enue only; inasmuch as it proposes to
inJure no industry, but only to Top off
me gratuities now secured to the
trusts; and inasmuch as the Repub-
mean plan. avowed in the Iowa plat
form and elsewhere. is to maintain the
'ariH as it is indefinitely, we challenge
Z khe ontnion CT the nation on this issue