Daily capital journal. (Salem, Or.) 1896-1899, 1898-03-05
SinceTest FIatteTy,
Republicans Copying What The
Denounced
Formerly When 1t Was Advocated By
the Democrats.

II
national platform Of 1896 will make
strange reading for 2osterity, IL The
present administration continues in
the way that it has begun. A com
parison of the work Of the present
administration with that Of the last
will show. in a general way, that the
present has bestOwed on preceding
that sincerest form Of fiattery, or
rather compliment. imitation.
The writer Of the Republican plat
form OF 1896 must have had some
training as writer Of circus ads Al
least at the beginning he turned him
self 10, se 10 the sly lie which character
izes that unique sort Of composition.
Referring To the fact that for the first
time since the civil war the American
people had been underfull Democratic
control. II said that IL had been "a
record Of unparalleled incapacity, dis
honor and disaster " Among the
specifications we're that it had zen
tailed an unceasing d-hcit. and that
il had involved, .'dishoDor abroad"
and other charges Of tine same sort.
II is a notable example how the
whirliglg Of time brings its revenges
that the Republicans since the All
OF March last have iLtimated the
policy which they denounced in the
presidential campaign. In passing
the tariff they could not, TO be sure,
be accused Of following Democratic
precedent. But let IT. be observed
that what they denounced in reference
TO the tariff OF 1894 was that IL was
followed by an "unceasing deficit"
Now their own tariff Of 1897 has been
followed by precisely the same result,
and the deficit is larger, for the time
IL has been In operation, than it was
under the so-called Democratic tariff.
Besides, the Democrats can plead that
large revenue element OF their tariff
was annulled by the supreme :court, a
circumstance which thas no parallel
under the Dingley bill. So II IL be
conceded that deficit OF revenue was
one Of the features Of the last admin
istration, IL must be owned that the
present administration has Initiated
IL, and in fact gone beyond IL. The
difference is that the deficit under
the Wilson bill was accidental aud
unforeseen; that under the Dingley
bill was predlcte1 by Republicans Of
the highest standing In the party,
and was made for the distinct pur-
pose Of checking importations.
The matter OF "dishOnor abroad"
was an expression OF the old conten-
tlon OF Republicans that theirs Is
the only party In this country
capable OF vigorous foreign policy"
We all distinctly remember the
howls that came from Republican
senator's, the Republican press aud
Republican orators as TO the attitude
OF the Cleveland administration
taward Spain was mercilessly de-
nOunced. IL was upon that policy
that was largely based the charge
OF the platform that a Democratic
administration had been guilty of
"dishonor abroad" Yet the present
administration has followed In the
footsteps OF the last, but with more
uncertain step. without critIclsing
the policy Of this administration, II
must be said that IL is far less ''vigor.
Gus" In the sense that that word has
been used by Republicans than that
OF the last. IL is an imitation of the
Cleveland policy OF peace, but far
ieebler.
There are other respects in which
the present administration mas fol-
lowed It's Democratic predecessor. IL
has recommended the continuance \
OF the Issue OF bonds when necessary
10 replenish the gold reserve, though
It's platform denounced the last ad
naturalization for doing this. IL
has advocated the retirement OF the
greeDbacks, as Mr.. Carlisle did. 1t
has advocated the Issue OF gold bonds
as the last administration did. In
short, IL has In the main followed the
finansial and foreign policy OF the