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Show ; lin. cr.YAii and TnETArjFF. Hi ' The Nation hSr)Vw the wisest possible' poKcy for Hr. Bryan to pursue in the coming campaign is to force the tariff issue, and thinks he has "a magnificent magnifi-cent opportunity before him," and says "if he can reveal clearly the protectionist feet of day to a long-deceived long-deceived public, he will render a great and patriotio purpose." - , We predict that Mr. Bryan this. year will deal - with the tariff question only in glittering generalities. His disposition is anti-tariff all right, but his arguments argu-ments will be effective only in Congressional districts that are inherently democratic. It is true enough . ' j that the tariff ought to be revised, but the people of I this country have a choice who shall revise it. They trusted the task to the Democratic party in 1893, and : that was enough for them for a full baker's dozen of . years. Mr. Bryan and the Nation and men and newspapers news-papers that believe as they do have no desire that the tariff shall be revived they want it wiped out. j They made clear what they wanted when the "Wilson bill passed the House. The Kepublicans remember ; that, and remember, too, that Mr. Gorman, who paved the country's industries before, is dead. " ' Mr. Bryan will come direct from England when he returns. - England was a hard and fast tariff -' ootzntry until she had more manufactories than all ' the world outside, more ships than any other five na-. na-. tions, more money than all the rest of the world, and j more skilled workmen than any other five nations, j ; She had, too, her mines of iron, tin and coal close to ; her manufactories; she had ample seaports all ; around "the tight little isle," and colonies in every xone. Then having the world by the throat, she tore ; down her tariff barriers and announced that the only : enlightened economic policy was unrestricted free i trade. A wolf, in the same 'spirit, might make a like ; declaration to a flock of lambs. . .She bankrupted every nation that accepted her advice; she stranded this country more than once; she worked her own colonies to a fiaish. But now, when Mr. Bryan returns, let him go out Into the country and tell the great agricultural masses how he found the same class in England. They are not bnly stranded, but their brains are breaking down, as shown when a draft was made upon them for soldiers for the Boer war. Lest it might cost her artisans a little more for food and compel a little advance in their wages, England permitted per-mitted our prairie States to send bread and meat to England and sell it at prices to starve her own agricultural agri-cultural population, until national decay has begun with them. Cecil Rhodes saw it. Mr. Chamberlain saw it, and has tried to change it, but England lives by trade and .her manufactories will permit no change. It will be interesting to hear Mr. Bryan . explain it. |