New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1911-06-22
CURED.

When we tWitted Colonel Henry Wat
terson the other day Oh having for
sworn allegiance 10 the once Star-Eyed
Goddess Of Tariff Reform we did not
think that he would be 50 ungallant as
40 admit his delinquency and even boast
about it, We said that it was perpleX-
ing TO find him abandoning all his old
beliefs and applauding Messrs. Clark and
Underwood for applying tariff revision
methods DOW which he condemned rs
uDiustifallc and odiOus when they were
applied in the Wilson-GOrman tariff act
of ISas. il does not relieve our per
pleXity 10 learn from n recent issue of
The Louisville Courier-Journal' that
Colonel Watterson gave up fighting for
true tariff reform when the Wilson
German act became law and never
hoped thereafter 10 make another bat
"tlc for the principle that the govern
"ment has no right, lawful or moral, TO
levy and collect dollar Of taxation
EXCEPT for its own support He says
that so far as the theory Of tariff taxa
ton which he once championed is CON
ccrnpd public opinion is as benighted to-
day as if was in The 70'S, adding:
The work Of popular education will
have 70 be begun all over again. David
4. Wells Is dead. Frank Hand Hurd0
is dead. The Old Parsce Merchant. More
is dead They were the men who filed
The caissons. Cleveland merely mounted
a mule and rode ahead OF the band
wagon. Carlisle fell victim to the
dominating Of Cleveland. TO merry he'll
we went. all Of us, horse, foot and
dragons.
Rut is there 10 be no return from the
Inferno: II the ideas which Wells
IIurd and the ParSec Merchant p0pu-
larizcd were sound why should they not
have retained their vitality after those
worthless disappeared from the scene ~
action: We do not mean TO cenSure
Colonel Wattcrson for not needing the
adaee that he who fights and runs away
may live 10 fight another day. But we
can hardly accept such an excuse for his
inactivity rs that the country is far
more dcnsely ignorant now than it was
in 1894 about the tariff question. To
assume that is to deny the enormous adj
vances made in the last two decades both
IL the diffusion OF political knowledge
and in the elimination of partisan preju
diceS
The ideas Of Wells, lIurd and the
Parsee Merchant are ont of favor with
Democratic newspapers ana politicians
because the public has become educated
beyond them. The fault is with the
ideas. not with the voters. Even Tine
in the free trade school, Is becoming
dubious about what it calls excess Of
zeal on the tariff question" II sug-
gested Yesterday that the Democratic
party in the House Of Representatives
should beware Of trying 10 carry cam
paign promises into effect. "a promise
40 revise the tariff in the manner Of
"the popular mandate IL said. sis bet
"tcr politics than buncling attempt to
redeem the promise" In The Timess"
opinion "the country is no more ready
"for free trade. whatever its merits.
ethan if is for free silver or New Ma
'tionalism."
That confession coupled with the fur
ther advice that downward revision
should he stretched out over Il genera
ton. indicates that orr former neighbor
Is about ~ thoroughly cured Of its old
enthusiasms and economic PROPOSES
fiOns rs Colonel Watterson is. They
have both dropped idealsm for oppor
luniSm. and are therefore willing 70
follow the counsels OF Messrs Clark and