Rensselaer Republican, Volume 20, Number 27, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 8 March 1888 — TIMELY TOPICS. [ARTICLE]

TIMELY TOPICS.

7 WHAT THMY SAY IM IMOLAMD. The London Echo: Englishmen have a peculiar interest in the results of the great Democratic conference which has just concluded in Pennsylvania. Had Senator Randall’s party triumphed the policy of President Cleveland as regards tariff would have been upset—-firstly, because it would stood condemned at the first Democratic convention hel4 after its announcement; and, secondly, because the Democrats of Congress, whose word makes the President’s propositions law or overthrows them,would have been divided in opinion and failed to have carried a tariff reduction. Senator Randall, if the American papers to hand this qrorning be correct, has left no stone unturned to defeat a free-trade policy; he has made all sorts of propositions, some of them involving extravagant expenditure of the public money, in order to do away with the reduction of customs duties. He has, it is solemnly asserted, intiigued with the friends of President Cleveland to overthrow him, and even won over to his side Governor Hill, of New York State, an old friend of Mr. Cleveland. But the Democratic conference has resulted in his utter defeat,and it is now seen that the party has resolved to support the reduction of tariff. Thisis good news for England, for it means an increased wool, iron, and steipl trade. More than that, it is the beginning of an enbghtened policy which will be of great value to both nations. The Pennsylvania Democrats have inaugurated an enlightened and beneficial policy. Indianapolis Journal: The speech of the British Minister ol Agriculture in the House of Commons, on the condition of agriculture in England, points a moral in the tariff discussion in this country. No phase of the free trade argument has been more vigorously worked than the alleged “robbery” of farmers by a protective tariff. Facts and figures have been juggled with and twisted out of all resemblance to truth to prove that American farmers have been systematically robbed and plundered without knowing it. They have imagined that they were doing fairly well, and certainly in the long run they have done as well as any other class, but the free traders assure them they,are the victims of the most cruel extortion. Statistics show that during the last twenty-five years, in which the progress and growth of the United States have surpassed anything recorded in the history of the world, agriculture has kept up with other inter-

ests, 'Rue farmers have shaied in the general prosperity. Of course the agricultural interest, like all others, has its ups and downs, its periods of unusual prosperity and of more or less depression, but a comparison of one deca ie, or one term of years with another, shows that the agricultural interest has prospered under a protective tariff to an extent that is simply marvelous. Against this great fact, as plain and palpable as any in history, the free traders oppose their theory that the farmers are robbed and plundered by a protective tariff because all their a prior reasoning shows it cannot be otherwise. Tbe force of lhe logic makes it inevitable, from their point of view, and therefore they assert that it so because it must be so. If this theory were true we might expect to find the most prosperous condition of agriculture under free trade. If agriculture is depressed here it mus be prosperous in Great Britain. Let the British’Minister of Agriculture testify. He said the question of the depression of agriculture w«s more important than the Irish question; that agricultural values had shrunk during the last year not less than $200,000; that thousands of acres of land had gone out of cultivation, the number of cattle and sheep had been greatly reduced, and 900,000 men were idle, owing to the paralysis of agriculture. This is the present condition of agriculture in Great Britain under free trade, as described by an official hot likely to make the case appear worse than it really is. There is no inch condition of affairs in the United States. To paraphrase the language of Mr. Cleveland: thia is not so much a question of theories as it is of conditions, and surely the condition of the agricultural interest of this country, after twenty-five years of protective tariff, is very different from that described by England’s free trade Minister .of Agriculture as existing in that country. Perhaps the depression of agriculture in England is not owing to free trade, and perhaps its prosperity in this country is not owing to protection; but it is at least an interesting coincidence, and presents two sets of stubborn facts against the school boy theories of the free traders. In view of the contrast, American farmers will probably prefer to continue, to be robbed. I'KMNfc YLVANIA DKMOCBATS AND THE TARIFF. Wasbißgion Bp*ci«J. -—— -> ■ In a little knot of Democrat who were .standings together in the hall of Representatives previous to. the opening of the session, to-day, there was one poor, lone Pennsylvanian who was being cruelly tortured by certain of his brethren from the South. They were nußgnltang him with the foreign theory, and rubbing it in somewhat unmerci-

folly. At last he broke out with the words: “You fellows are a lot of d fools. There are just two freetraders in the State of Pennsylvania—Bin Singerly and Bill Scott, and they are not certain what they want. Anybody who has the least knowledge of the feeling in Pennsylvania will understand that the indorsement of the President’s message and the election of Kisner were solely for the purpose of propitiating the administration and its Pennsylvania representatives. Cleveland iglooked upon as certain to be the next nominee or the Democratic party for the next presidency: If elected, he and his official and political lieutenants will have the distribution of the loaves and fishes for the ensuing four years. “With this near future staring them in the face, do you imagine that Pennsylvania Democrats, who want anything for themselves or their friends, desire to administer a direct slap in the face to President Cleveland, or to the Pennsylvania Democrat who most frequently strelches his legs under the White House mahogany? That is all there is of this thing that is being heralded aa a slaughter of Randall and an advance toward free trade. Put’the issue squarely at the polls in Pennsylvania, and you see where you’ll come out. A reasonable protective tai iff would have practically the unanimous vote of the State.” Mr. Cleveland, in his letter accepting the Democratic Presidential nomination, intimated that he was opposed to a second term, on the ground that “the eligibility of thg President for re-election is a most serious danger tb that calm, deliberate and intelligent political action which must characterize a government by the people.” Tnis would be a good time for Mr. Cleveland to define bis position on this question. Has be changed his mind on this matter, or have the joys of office proven too seductive to be relinquished voluntarily? If Cleveland should do as Blaine has done, and withdraw his name from the list of possible candidates, there woulch-be a new deal in the Democratic as there will be in the Republican paity, and the canvass would be made decidedly novel and interesting.

The country should not fail to take note of the significant feet that the Sec rifary of the Treasury recently transmitted to Congress estimates to meet deficiencies for the last fiscal year and for the current one amounting to JB,656 250. As anillustration of Demo cratic economy,these fieuresare specially interesting and instructive.—St. Louis Globe-Demccrat.