The age-herald., 1902-04-09
Washington Day by Day

 ling poets of newspaperdom:
 q am an infant industry,
 And need protection so
 It won't be such a job for me
 To get a chance to grow.
 1T am an infant industry
 That doesn't care a cuss
 How many people point to me
 And call me Octopus.
 q am an infant industry,
 Now somewhat known to fan1e.
 And though am a little one,
 I get there just the same.
 q am an infant industry,
 Which, In my zeal to save,
 I'll split the Grand Old Party from
 The cradle to the grave
 That's good as 1t stands; but 1t is better in adorning some politico-legislative gos- sip with which an eminent Democratic Congressman, the bearer of a-name his- toric. has but now refreshed me. He dropped in upon me in my place Of toll to talk things over," and having gone
 
 and of national interest.
 This man of Congress is informed that the Democrats in the Senate are practi- cally unanimous in agreeing to fight the proposed 20 per cent reciprocal tarin re- duction on Cuban raw sugar; ana ne VIII do all he can do to induce Democrats III the House to make a like effort against this particular and peculiar form or re- cinrocity. But. to set forth a perfectly we,l-lnovn fact in its mildest possible form. he. in common with most Demo- crats. is dissatisfied with the present oiii- cial leadership of the minority. More cannot be said in this immediate oirec- ton. You will recall that Plutarch, in one notable instance in his Lives oe- clares in effect that he cannot proceed further because of fear of offending cer- tain of the gods!
 Reciprocity is not only not Democratic doctrine; it is the antithesis ot the sec- ond of the primal principles or Dehoc- racy. The first is the widest degree oi nersonal liberty compatible with the in- tegrity of the state-the general "ehare' The second is the lowest and most eaua- ble adjustment of taxation necessary TOT the ,naintenance-not the maintainanceT of the state as the state. In another form' democracy In the generic anu ho' 'ne Dartisan sense means and IS that .he hest government is the government that governs least Our Democratic party ID based upon democracy - the inherent rights of the people, This is not what the Congressman saio iuet now. 1t Is merely a recital of accept ed propositions which are in themseiVes entirely self-evident. What the congress man did say is of momentous present ih- terest. The Democratic party stands for tariH for revenue only. That '-ord "oniy mas caused much trouble of one kind or an other but whether it be lodged or pro- claimed 1t stands as a vital fact in the Democratic creed. A tariff for money sufficient for the public or governmental needs-not one cent for protection as protection!
 In the pending issue of justice to Cupa' Democratic congressman have maoe speeches in favor of reciprocity with Cuba and proclaimed themselves against a disturbance of business which they declared would result from agitation In favor of tariff revision or adjustment Those speeches by Democrats are the best Republican speeches delivered dur ing the present session of Congress.
 Even as MT. Watterson in his perfervid
 and 1njIlStifaDle words. declared that the one and only Democratic shibboleth henceforth and un- til November, 1904 would be, ''Toe the line" so in fact and substance the sole battle-cry of the Republican party is that one, repeated by Democrats of the House. against disturbance of busi- ness" by tariff agitation
 The Republican party is stalking it's control of the government upon "Itecip- rocity," in the sense that reciprocity" means a refusal to promote disturb ance of business" which that party, aided by some speeches by Democrats, claims would be brought about by an attempt at tariff revision. If the Demo- crats yield to this contention, they yield all their party possessions. There would be nothing to fight for. The issue of 1904 would be simply whether the "ins' should be kept in or the "outs" be once more placed in power. The result could not be of any possible doubt whatever" The American people have passed that stage of nationhood at which they might have been willing to make change" of gov ernment simply for the purpose of mak- ing "a change" And with the issue be- tween the fins" and the "outs' the laughter-loving people would be irresst- ibly reminded of that incomparably hu- morous war between the Big Endians" and the Little -Endians" as recorded in "Gulliver's Travels" satire upon Liliputian strife as to whether an egg should be broken at the big end or the little end-a whole volume of highest humor that was greatly enjoyed before this people began to cackle over the blas- phemous ribaldry of Mark TwGin
 This is not what the Congressman said but 1t is what he might have said in the progress of his devoted protest against the Congressional representatives of the party of tariff-for-revenue-o being led away from principle by the Republican wooden-horse of 'reciprocity," "Reci- procity in its political and pseudo-eco- homie sense Is a word coined by MT. Blaine. great man who out-Heroded all