Gloucester County Democrat. (Woodbury, N.J.) 1878-1932, 1903-05-21

with them," is an old and ia
miliar saw. Many illustra-
tions of its truth are found
In both foreign and domestic politics.
William e. Gladstone, England's
Grand Old Man." began his public
career as Tory. Indeed Macaulay in
one of his essays speaks of him as 'the
rising hope of the stern, unbending
Tories but he lived to become the
greatest Liberal of them all and the
bette noire of Queen Victoria. On the
contrary, his brilliant rival, the most
brilliant Englishman since Lord Byron
died, Benjamin Disraeli, Lord Beacons-
field, the marvellous jew" began as
radical of Radicals and died the chief of
Tories, not only an earl and prime min
lister, but the prime fayorite of his
queen, whom he made an empress.
Back of them was a greater than Ell
ther of tEnnl, who turned a complete
somersault, Sir Robert Peel, the high
protective tariff premier who became
the father of free trade in England.
Henry Clay's first speech in the SEN
ate was against national banks, yet he
stands forth in history as their most
doughty champion. He wrecked the
old line Whig party because he could
not induce President John Tyler to
accept his views on that subject.
Daniel Webster from being rank
free trader became rank advocate Of
a stake and rider tariff, and his titanic
rival, John Caldwell Calhoun of South
Carolina, from being moderate friend
Of protective tariffs came to regard
them as unmitigated nuisances.
Presidents Change of Base.
Harper's Weekly charges President
Roosevelt with having been at one
time an out and out free trader and
that he has somersaulted. I cite the
above cases not to excuse Colonel
Roosevelt. but to show that, even if
he has somersaulted, he has illustrious
company. Harper's says:
Mr.. Roosevelt is young man still, but
when he was much younger than he is
now he was a free trader of such vigorous
hue that on one occasion, he announced
that he would .tdie for free trade" Prac-#
tically he has since learned nothing con-
cerning the tariff, but he has accepted
the post hoe propter hoe sort of philoso-
ply to which protectionists have resorted
in these days of the degeneracy of their
doctrine. and he is, therefore, ready to
say, with home market clubs and other
like disinterested authorities, that be-
cause we are now prosperous we are so
because of the tariff law. This is utter
folly. of course, but the president does
not know 1t because since the days when
he was a crusading knight of free trade
he has learned that the doctrine of ex-
treme protection is essential to the life of
his party. Mr.. Roosevelt, besides being
very young. younger perhaps than David
Copperfield seemed TO be to Steerforth's
valet is an ardent party politician. He
has indeed the disposition to reform
within the party" but this disposition
brought him in conflict with the party
leaders who write the platforms and
make the nominations. So. after trying
for time to be that impossible thing, a
free trade Republican. he has gradually
settled down into a protectionst of the
most advanced type. He is of the school
which says: "Stand pat:' mo revision at
all;'' revision only by its friends which,
being interpreted means revision only by
those who insist upon maintaining the
existing exorbitant rates of duty which
are so enormously increasing the cost of
living in this country and which are also
incidentally giving to some of the trusts,
those which are most fagrant from the
presidents own point of view, that mo-
nopoly of the home market that sub
stantially kills the competition which the
president believes to be the life of health
full trade.
BY the way, has not Harper's Week
ly itself somersaulted on several i'm
portant questions within the memory
of men now living?
First and last certain ribald and bla-
tant Republican organ grinders have
had much to say about Democrats be-
ing read out of the party, and they
have had lots of fun. 1t will not be
impertinent, therefore, to remind these
hilarious incense burners that they
would do well to set their own house
hold in order before they venture on
the doubtful and hazardous experiment
of Strengthening up the affairs of other
folks.
A Question of Laughing.
Everybody conversant with the facts
will admit that the American Econo-
mist is not only Republican paper, but
that it is also the organ of the ''stand
patters'' or whole hoggers" among
the Republicans on the tariff question.
1t has been for months reading out of
the Republican party all those who
support "the Iowa idea" or who in any
way advocate tariff revision. 1t incon-
tinently fred that palpitating and per-
spring patriot from Wisconsin, Repre-
sentative Babcock, because he made
signs of turning reformer. OF course
Bab's ideas of reform were decidedly
hazy and were only intended to scare
the tariff barons into coming down
with the dust for the Republican cam
paign committee. The Economist has
also read out of the party that eminent
Republican statesman. Hon. George e.
Roberts. director of the mint and also
editor of the Des Moines Register and
Leader. Divers and sundry of the
smaller and more obscure Republicans
have been placed outside the breast
works by tie Economist. all of which
goes to show that the Republican or
gan grinders laughed prematurely
about Democrats being read out of the
party. which illustrates the old saying
that "he laughs best who laughs last"
A Certainty.
Evidence accumulates that the ''re
formers among Republicans have
been lashed into line. The American
Protective Tariff league is distributing
q pamphlet known as No. 40. entitled
Let the Tariff Alone" containing
President Roosevelt's Minneapoli
speech, Secretary Shaw's Peoria speech
and Secretary Roots Boston speech
all three of them rantankerous stake
and rider tariff arguments. Even that
illustrious tariff revisionist, Mr.. Taw
ney of Minnesota, falls into line with
the stand pstters' war cry of Stand by
the presideilt!' They will all come to
it before long. Tawney Is quicker in
motion than the others that's all. If
the people hope for any relief from the
Dingley rates they had better be vot-
ing the Democratic ticket. They viii
never get any relief from the Repub-
lieans that's one of the certainties of
the future.
Statesmen In Luck.
Charlie Curtis, who represents the
Topeka district of Kansas in congress,
is one of the most popular Republicans