The Alliance-independent. (Lincoln, Nebraska) 1892-1894, July 14, 1892, Image 11
THE ALLIANCE -IN DEPENDENT. THE DEMOCRATIC MUDDLE. To say that the democratic party is completely in a muddle is to put it mildly. What is to be its policy in the coming campaign is something no man can find out. On the silver question, the party took its stand with the money power at Chicago. Its platform was made as nearly as possible like that of the republicans, and both of them are unmistakably against the free "coinage of the present silver dollar. It nomin ated the most pronounced gold standard leader in the party for president. But immediately on the heels of that con vention, the Stewart free coinage bill passed the senate with sixteen demo crats voting for and only seven against it. Now the bill will in all probability come up in the houso with the prob ability that two-thirds of the democrats in that body will support it. But if it should pass, Harrison will certainly veto it. Then Cleveland and his friends will be called on either to ap prove or condemn that veto. There can be little doubt that they will ap prove it. They are compelled to. For Mr. Cleveland to do otherwise would be to violate every declaration he ever made on that subjoct. Besides to con demn Harrison for vetoing a free coin age bill would blast all hope of demo cratic success in the northeastern states, and make every one of them so 'id for Harrison. The only way out of such a muddle is for the party to entirely ignore the silver question dur ing the campaign. But this is not the worst of it. The party U almost as hopelessly muddled on the tariff question. The platform committee at Chicago reported a tariff plank almost identical with that of the republicans, one that fully endorses the doctrines of protection, and assured the great tariff robbers of the east that tho party would not interfere with their vested rights to continue robbing the people. But when that plank fell on the ear of Henry Watterson, ho rose in his might and "smote it hip and thigh." A sub stitute was reported which went right down to constitutional bed rock in true democratic fashion. It declared that it is a "fundamental principle of tho dem ocratic party that tho federal govern ment has no constitutional power to impose or collect tariff duties except for the purpose of revenue only." Mr. Watterson carried the conven tion by a vote of about 5 to 3, and the substitute was adopted. Nobody seems to know whether this result was pleas, ing to Mr. Cleveland or not. But cir cumstances would indicate that it was not. The committee's plank was report ed and defended by Vilas, his man Fri day, and the free trade substitute was championed by Watterson, his most determined opponent The ptatform as amended goes to the root of the matter by condemning the principle of protection, hence it com mits the party to opposition to all pro tective duties, and doesn't even leave room for "incidental protection." This is the most radical free trade doctrine ever enunciated by the democratic parly. The Chicago convention was followed by an ominous silence of the great lead ers and prgans of the party. But that silence has been rudely broken. The great protection democrats are now takiDg their turn at the smiting business, and they are doing it quite as effectively as did Watterson in the convention. The New York Post-ExprcsJ tays that freo trade plank was the one adopted "by the southern confederacy, but was never "a fundamental doctrine of the democratic party." Then it goes on to quote Andrew Jackson in a way that is utter ly paralyzing to the "fundamental-principle-constitutional" fellows. In fact it shows from Jackson's second annual mcssago that ho actually advo cated and defended tho doctrino of protection. In fact he sav3 in his message that his opinion is "confirmed by tho opinions of Jefferson, Madison and Monroe who have each repeatedly recommended this right under the con stitution," i. e., the right to levy pro-" tcctive duties. Then tho Post-Express gets right down to business and says the democrats must do one of three things: (1) Advocato tho entire aboli tion of protection; (2) Ignore the tariff issue; (3) Call a new convention, adopt a new platform, and nominate a new ticket. And it recommends ignoring the tariff issue as the least of these three evils. And now comes the New York Sun, tho great Tammany organ, and ap proves and emphasizes what tho Post Express says in an article headed: "Nothing in the tariff question as a present political issue." It refers to the tariff plank as "deplorable and preposter ous." The Sun says, however, that it doesn't matter much since the tariff question is "entirely over-shadowed, dwarfed and obscured" by a mightier issue: "No force bill! No Negro domination in the South! f" And so the confusion increases, and the situation gets more muddled as the days go by. It reminds one of tho small boy's description of the world when first created "Confused chaos." But as tho politicians become more and more confused, the minds of tho peoplo become clearer. They see one party in the field that stands for prin ciple, and has the courage "of its con victions!, and they are flocking to the standard of tho people's party, tho true party of Jefferson and Lincoln. There is but one way out of tho pol itical wilderness and that is tho way of THE PEOPLE'S PARTY. The people of England may admlro nenry M. Stanley as a great explorer, but they don't care to use him in tho houso of commons. ONCE a Lion felt sorry for a poor little Lamb and to protect tho poor little animal and its interests, swal lowed it at one bite. That's about tho manner in which the State Journal protects the interests of the peoplo for whom .it now professes to feel such a fostering spirit. "In spite o' this 'ere 'ot weather, they're keeping good," said Superinten dent Goudy to Mrs. Goudy, as ho stuck his head out of tho cellar door up at the state house after he had examined his household goods, which ho has stored in the people's building to keep from paying rent in some storage house. - "Foil God's sake, quote lower rates on apples," was a recent cry of tho rail road to its tools oh tho state board of transportation. "The people are de manding railroad regulation. Tho apple crop is a failure this year and that picco of regulation may make some votes. It will cost no money, anyway." lt V --r -1 w - i" - -v"-r -'. -"7 1 'i ! - ..' 1 - ... -M '-I ... .: M - ; . - T. h-gj V , i i .1, .1 1,1 i in II Hi I, I' I IM -- iiiniiii-iTT- -tz-TntJ-j--iiT.r::ri--7-- --.r-r : P'f rT "rij 1 1 1 jin 1 .iux - - uui'ml-Mii mjm ' n rm TirnfurmnrTf-irr ii ti -"H j&fei kwyjfW -: '- ,ut' - - - .2- ' . -j- 4 .'. ' "r MS tie ' i"S - " v . A FURNITURE. LARGEST STOCK, LOWEST PRICES. Solid Oak Three Piece Chamber Suit to Match this Cheval Dresser. Oil 111 HARDY & PITCHER 211 SOUTH 11TH STREET, Lincolri, r - r Nebraska,