The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1902-08-13
ANOTHER CONFIDENCE GAME.

Iowa state Republican platform. 1t did
not take long to reveal the Minnesota
document for what it really was-a lie
out of whole cloth. 1t will probably
take longer to reveal the Iowa docu-
mentin the same character
A number Of Republicans with a
leaning toward tariff revision are pro-
claiming the Iowa platform as a docu-
ment exhibiting rare political courage.
A number of Democrats, who are not
always wise in their choice of their line
of criticism of their political opponents,
are shaking the tariff plank of the Iowa
production in the face of the present
national administration and vocifer-
ously proclaiming that it expresses a
national demand for the protection of
American consumers against the extor-
ton of the tariff-fed trusts.
The truth is that there is nothing
whatever in the Republican platform
adopted at Des Moines which offers the
slightest encouragement to tariff re-
formers. Like the Minnesota platform
the Iowa document is the production
of a number of expert platform build
ers who set their joint strength to the
task of successfully smothering the ex-
preston of an enlightened public senti-
ment. How poorly they bufIded will
make itself apparent long before the
congressional campaign has seriously
opened.
Here is the sentence on which certain
tariff reformers build up their under
standing of the Iowa state Republican
platform as declaration in favor of
tariff reform: I'VE favor such amend
ment to the interstate commerce act
as will more fully carry out it's prohi-
bition of determinations in rate MAX
ing and any modification of the tariff
schedules that may be required to pre-
vent their affording shelter to monop-
oily"
1t would require an expert philoI-
ogist to evolve from this sentence any
real encoura cement for the friends of
tariff reform. Yet paper setting itself
up as leader of Democratic thought.
the New York World, sapientIy SAYS:
1T admits the need of tariff revision.
1t admits what is VIGOROUSLY true, that
certain tariff schedules now afford
shelter to monopoly"
1t demands nothing Of the kind.
Ihere is not a square admission, af-
firmation or denial in it relating in the
most remote way to undisputed public
policies. 1t is impossible to say from
the sentence from that platform that
we have quoted that the Republicans
OF Iowa regard modification of tha
tariff schedules as a serious or neces-
sdry undertaking. any mod
1f1cation of the tariff schedules that
may be required =" R,1t IL is
cardinal doctrine of the imperialists
IN national affairs that none is reouir-
ed. Has not Babcock spoken? Has
not congress and the present executive
united to damn every effort put for
ward to promote such modification
either through the ratification of the
reciprocity treaties or otherwise?
If there were any serious Intention
OF declaring in the Iowa platform in
favor of tariff revision, would It NOT
nave expressed the idea? Even if the
thought of modification of the tariff
schedules" had found serious Judgment
In their brains, would they not have
adopted in it's entirety the platform of
year ago, instead of emascuIating it2
What was that platform of wear
ago? 1t was the same exactly in the
sentences we quote, but it went fur
ther 1t urged such changes in the far
III as from time to time become adj
vlsable through the progress of our in
dustrles and their changing relations
toward the industries Of the world y
why was reciprocity not urged this
year, as 1T was last year, "as necessarv
TO the realization of our highest com
mercial possibilities The answer 80
found in the statement that the ex-
preston shelter to monopoly was
thought to be good catch word. II
meant nothing, and it was afa RI 70
produce 1t. But when it came to re-
producing these parts of the preceding
years platform which declared snuare-
ly In favor of tariff revision and feci-
procity, the platform builders tried a |
confidence game on the enlightened
public, following the example of orr
own crowd over in the Auditorium.