The Tucson citizen., 1902-01-17
THE SOUNDEST PARTY.

Senator Fairbanks of Indiana, who
is candidate for the Republican
Presidential nomination in 1904. re-
Gently delivered a speech which may
be accepted as bid for the support
of the extreme conservatives OF his
party. The fact that the speech has
been printed in pamphlet form, and
that the country is now being flooded
with it. shows that the Indiana Sena-
tor lays a good deal of stress on his
delivery.
In the course of his speech Mr.. Fair
banks made the astounding statement
that the Republican party Judgment
upon great public questions has in
yariably been the soundest This III
cudes every phase OF the financial
question, down to free silver TIE ,ariff
question. commercial expansion. in
fact all the great national questions
of the last forty years This is modest
to say the least, and proves that far-
banks partsanship aims to satisfy
the most extreme members OF his
party.
We are disposed to think, however,
that the sane opinion OF the country
will not agree With the indiana Sena-
tor Was the Republican Judgment
sound on its policy Of reconstruction
of the South after the Civil VIZ Was
there no mistake in the ten ,ears Of
gross corruption and misrule that tre
i Republican party forced on the south
ern states until they reacted on The
whole country and eliminated in the
revolutionary theft of the Presidency
in 1876? The vaStncss OF the ursound-
ness OF that policy was so evident that
the Republican leaders themselves
were forced 10 abandon 1t ana tahg 4
differeng course
Was The Republican policy sound
Whou it cnrrancuiaed the neeio uu-
iAtdialcly after his emtrsenca from
slavery. ana added to the sutlrages Of
the country vast mass of iliiterate
and wholly unqualified voters, Nine
Republicans out of ten admit privately
that it was not, and indOrse the mea-
sures that are now being taken to re-
ufF i1a tn
body now venture to pr0I ose "A similar
extension of the franchise to lndiars,
Chinese. Filipinos. or any other Hit
crate race?
Sound on every phase of the finan-
cial question? Was 1t sound when it
issued the greenback currency" All of
! its alleged financiers now avow that it
was not. Was it sound when it de-
monitized silver? John Sherman ad-
mitted that it was not, Was 1t sound
when it passed the silver purchase
/ law? All OF its leaders conceded that
! it was not, end joined in the move
ment for the repeal OF the law. There
has not been single feature or our
currency troubles that was not due to
Republican legislation.
Has the Republican party been
sound in its tariff and other lcg!ala-
tive favors by which the gigantic
trusts of the country were built Up?
Is it sound in its present position
that trusts are necessary incidents to
commercial Development and really
beneficial to the country? president
Roosevelt does not seem to think so
and there are thousands Of Rrpubli-
cans WHO recognize that the party has
made an awful mistake in this line.
Is the Republican party sound ir
its colony grabbing policy? We put
the judgment of Eek President Harr,
SON George f. Hoar and Ex-senator
F3munds against that of Senator Fair
banks on this question. lnvariahlj
the soundest" What impudence' 4
political party that is always soun'
has not yet arisen. The Democratic
party has made mistakes. 1t has a
times been led into false position. Blu
it is founded In the great principle o
popular government for popua" bcnc
fit. and on all questions wher" tha
principle was involved in the pas
forty years it's Judgment mas beer
the soundest.