Semi-weekly Windham County reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1897-1901, 1901-10-08
MIR. Ouincy,s Comments.

| JCSidu NSuluCy uhHuicS VIZ NoPe'''
can platform deliverance 10 Massachu
setts this week rather effectively wher
he points out that the most striking
thing about it is that it almost abso'
lutely ignores the existence of any
questions or issues pertaining to the
government of this great common
wealth, or to the state interests Of its
2, 800, 600 people. We are preparing for
a purely stats election in which not a
single official is to be chosen who
will have anything to do with ma
iional queStiots, and yet practically
the whole platform relates to qoes-
tions of federal legislation as far as
it suggests any legislative program
at all. A Ill the vast and varied inter
ests of this commonwealth, so far as
they depend upon its Legislative or
executive action, are practically DIS
missed as unworthy of attention or rs
not requiring it. Extraordinary as it
may seem, a careful inspection of the
| platform discloses the fact that the
Republican convention made no refer
| enca whatever to any state question,
| except in two sentences, and these
are absolutely vague and meaningless
generalitieS.
Compare this with the definite and
positive program the Democratic con
veption presented last week and it is
obvious enough how the people of any
state miss it when they permit their
votes to be carried for a state cleo
ton with a yell and shout 90 some
f,r away national issue 1t is folly
that inevitably makes against good
government. Even or national issues
the weakness of the Republican plat
form is trenchantly shown by Mr.
Quincy;
The Republican party has always
excelled 10 professions of virtue AID
excellence, and its eulogy upon itself
as embodied 10 this platform is doubt
less as sincere as il is handsome. We
are glad to know that it is in the
van of progress and civilization,
ard that it is ''earueSt for the vel
fare, happiness and prosperity of the |
whole people. ~ But the denuncistiou |
of ''all laws that confer special priv
ileRes upon the few coming from
the party which passed the present |
tariff act, and which has notorlously |
and opetly shaped so much of its leg
islatinn to benefit special interests, is
merely calculated to create smile
The task of reconciling reciprocity and
protection was evidently felt to be
one of some difficulty, The conclusion
aH tp ho In |
iprocity may be inconsistent with ex
IRENE protection as embodied in thet
present tariff, it is not inconsistent
ton. With this sensible view dem
seem to be mathematical PROPOSE
tion that if we can reduce certain
tariff duties for the benefit CT nations
which will make similar concessions
to Us, and still leave adequate
protection, then some of our present
tariff rates must afford inor iinate and
excessive protection. Republican rec
ignition of this important fact is GER
taiply gratifying and it at least shows
that the Republicans of Massachu-
sets do not adopt the narrow
view that reciprocity should be con-
lined to articles not produced by this
But this planh OF the plat
'orm would have been much more val
liable and interesting If it had in
ormed the public whether the reel
)rocity treat now before the Senate
or its action, and heretofore opposed,
{ repeated statements il the public
lress are to be believed, by the Sena
ors from this state are of that wise {
md "buSiness-like" variety of reel {
,rocity, which is favored, or whether I
he lsts administration was guilty of ,
lnwise. uuhusiness-like action in ne
them.