The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1903-11-20
GODFATHER OF A
NEW DEMOCRACY

NEW DEMOCRACY
Continued from First Page.
land was a tariff reform party. which
meant to lower the duties. no mat
| ter what interests were harmed or
| what the effect on the country as a
whole. Under Bryan the democratic
party. while maintaining the Cleve
/ land position on the tariff. subordi-
mated 1t to the advocacy of the free |
/ coinage of silver. Under the leader
| ship of German, Clevelandism would |
| be restored to It's former place. The
| party would stand still, or. more
| properly, go backwards. Under Will
| liams the democratic party if his
plans carry, will seek to adjust itself
in practical, common sense way, to
! the needs of the hour. 1t will ask for
a revision of the tariff, but chiefly that
monopolies may be attacked. 1t will
not lower the duty on monopolistic
goods. 1t will stand for reciprocity
with all the great trading nations, es-
pecially with Canada, our closest and
most logical commercial ally: and it's
reciprocity policy, as now seems
likely, will emphasize the republican
failure to live UP to repeated cam
pdiSIl anu pidIlOIlil plGuSSS.
I If Mr.. Williams succeeds In bringing
his party around to his way of think
ing--and he had the unanimous sup
port of his colleagues when he made
a statement of his position in caucus
the other night--a good many repub-
liean hypocrites will be uncovered.
Those leaders Of the majority party
who for years have stood in the way
of real progress, who have been in re-
ality the agents Of the trusts In both
houses of congress, while protesting
with their lips to be serving the peo-
pie, will find themselves without an
occupation. The republican party
! will pass into the hands Of new mana
gers, and the party itself will be
! forced, if continued in power to make
good a large number of platform
pledges, especially as to the tariff and
reciprocity.
!, A Fine Political Strategist.
AS a political strategist, Mr.. Will
! liams has taken high place already,
for his policy has struck the repub-
lican party, on tariff and reciprocity
J matters. which he puts ahead Of
everything else. at its weakest place.
If the Williams ideas find Judgment
next year In the national democratic
platform. that party will find itself adj
justed to changed conditions and once
more abreast Of the times. And thus,
# nothing else should happen. Mr..
: Williams will be entitled to the thanks
: of the entire people for making the
minority party in this country an eff
cient factor for better legislation and
better government, for the first time in
y many years.
:: Moreover, Williams followers be-
lieve their modified tariff policy and
: views as to reciprocity, crystallized in
: this platform next year, will probably
carry the Fifty-1linth congress. an UNI
usual thing In a presidential year
which promises republican success,
but by no means impossible. They go
further and say that under certain
conditions which may easily arise,
they may win the presidency also.
The Williams leadership pledges a
determined effort at both. and not the
marking time'' campaign which has
been outlined by Mr.. German.
A reorganized democratic party
after the Williams idea, would make
a strong appeal to thousands of indie
pendent voters in all northern states,
During the present session of con-
gross he will undertake to commit the
4 democratic leaders so thoroly@to his
views as to merit the confidence OF
business interests. He wants to say
to these interests, in effect:
We will not harm you by tariff
Legislation, II we are successful at the
polls. We will simply, for the mos,
part, carry out the policies~to which
for years the republicans have beer
committed, but which they have beer
unable to deal with on account of the
questionable connections of some Oh
4 their leaders in congress. We will re.
wise the tariff along protection lines
because protection is the order Of the
America could not adopt free trade
4 or tariff for revenue only, and hope tt
maintain her commercial prestige. We
will make reciprocity a fact, not 8
slittering generality in party platform.
will we urge reciprocity with Canada,
Mr.. Williams is no tyro in publi
affairs. For a decade he has been
Il member Of congress. "A doctor Of phil
4 osophy Of Heidelburg university,
4 wide experience In practical affairs
and, as public man, honest an
trustworthy, he brings to his positio
OF democratic leader in the house al
those qualities of mind and all that in
4 telligence and sincerity OF purpos
lacked for years, His reasoning on tn
tariff question is Interesting. I
theory free trader, he yet believe
that the protective idea. is essentis
"A to continued prosperity in this cour
a try, and this is how he figures it out:
81 How He Reasons 1t.
q Russia, on account of the difficult
II
al raised her duties, on the average, Q
81 American products, SO per cent, an
Il we are virtually shut out of the Ru
81 sian market in consequence
W Germany has, by recent action {
M the reichstag, which only needs pre-
n mitigation, raised the tariff on Amer
la can agricultural products 200 per cen
IA on wheat, until the rate will be
N cents bushel; on flour, to SIS a. ba
ii rel; on shoes, bicycles and other good
n that have become very popular in tn,
III country, Is per cent.
81 France by reason Of our failure
M act on reciprocity treaties formulate
D. by Mr.. Kasson, and because we ha,
n put practically prohibitory duties {
Il many of her goods, has imposed h.
"a maximum tariff against us. SO tn
III while we are the people with who
81 she would be glad to trade, the ba
n ance of trade last year was again
ri us to the sum of $12,0O0,OO0.
III Switzerland has followed the lead
n France and Germany and has impos,
W her maximum tariff against us.
RI Canada is our liberal customer, @
"a exports of agricultural and other m
Ia chinery to that country are small VIII
m compared to. the vast quantities of a