Wausau pilot. [volume] (Wausau, Wis.) 1896-1940, 1903-02-03

gone by ana not single reciprocity
treaty has been negotiated The simple
reason for this is that the power behind
the throne in the Republican party is
greater than than the party itself. The
party stands powerless before the thing
it has created.
We of the Democratic party maintain
that no part of our prosperityis due to
protection, but assert that it is due to
the inventive genius and to the energy
and industry Of our people and to our
vast natural resources greater as to
most products than those of any coun-
try in the world We do not believe
that in order to enjoy and develop these
| resources we need any system OF re-
strictiye taxes.
Thousands of Republicans have de-
manded that the duties on trust-made
goods should be either removed or
greatly reduced, bat this demand is
unheeded by party leaders President
Roosevelt and his advisers have adopted
the popgun policy with monopoly.
They are trying to catch the con-
science of the trusts with butterfly
net, and the trusts are sitting in com
placent ease in the midst Of this mimic
warfare. The circ .mlocution office is
in full activity at Washington, and Re
publican congressman are asslduously
studying the art of how not to do it MN
Poor Mckinley only approached his
fetch in fear and trembling The
nearest he ever came to rebuke was
when he said something like this: IL,
perchance, some duties may De higher
than are needed" etc, etc.
President Roosevelt faced many perils
in war and peace, but when he com
;nenced to sail the sea of stateeraft he
did not put cotton enough in his ears
and the tariff trusts sang their siren
song of eircumlocution and took him
into camp as their bond servant. He
has treated them with a deferential
courtesy touching to behold, as if he
would say:
Ear be it from me to even hint that
any of my friends are getting more OF
tariff benefits than they are entitled to-
but if in some unforeseen way and by
some inadvertence, any one of them
should have greater DEMENT'S thrust
upon him than our theory warrants,
then we can safely leave him to be re-
formed by his friends
Our Republican statesmen are full OF
these Chestertieldian airs and graces
toward their friends, the trusts. There
must be some tariff teaching school at
Washington educating Republican
statesmen in the correct rules of deport-
ment toward trusts. 1t IS true that
that rude, nasty little boy, Babcock,
sometimes makes faces at the tariff
trusts behind their backs, but he can
always be made amenable by good
spanking, and after he is thus dis
ciplined can be counted on with great
certainty.
There is another duty resting upon US.
the duty of restoring our merchant
navy to the high seas. Our
quack statesmen stand around the re-
mains of our merchant navy and with
the plaiuest evidence before them that
the industry has been done to death
bY one guack nostrum they can only
advise that it should be saved by an
other boIus called subsidy.
England controls the shipping trade of
the world, aud she has gained this con-
trol by free trade and free ships, not by
bounties and subsidies. Not 10 per
cent of her steamships receive any
government aid, and those that are thus
lided are paid for carrying her mails
and for the duties of her packet service
The common superstition that she has
built up her merchant navy by subsidies
is entirely without foundation.
Our ships have been driven from the
seas BY policy OF ignorant barbaTism
unworthy of this enlightened age
knowing that we can hope for nothing
from the Republican party. which Is
welded 70 It's idols of protection and
subsidy We should make il the mis-
sion of the Democratic party 10 repeal
our navigation laws aud permit Ameri-
casS 10 purchase foreign built ships and
pitt them under the American dag. and
TO bring about the removal cf ali the
duties AID exactions that prevent the
upbuiIding of our merchant marine -
We should as q party. stand firmly