The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1904-03-31
AGGRESSIVE DEMOCRACY.

4 BOUT THE MOST encouraging sign
u in public affairs for a long while
is the aggressive activity OF the Demo
Gratis in congress and the sensible man
agement Of their campaign. For a
while it looked as though the minority
had gone to pieces hopelessly and the
Republicans We're going TO have things
ali their own way. Now, thanks 70 the
shrewdness Of John Sharp Williams of
Mississippi, the brilliant leader of the
house Democracy. scarcely a day
passes without some move that embar-
raises the Republicans and inspires
Democrats all over the country with
hope Of victory during the coming cam
paigu.
No party administration was ever
more vulnerable than the present gall
axy OF stars headed by Roosevelt. Ex-
posed corruption shows a condition of
NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. IN public Office more
scandalous If possible than the dis
grace which overshadowed the Repub-
licans in the day OF the Credit Mobilier,
the whisky frauds and the war depart
ment scandals under Belknap. En-
hbtHFAAEhA ny AAlt over " AtEAAAlAlt5 CuENE0H
OF the two Mckinley campaigns, the
Republicans had grown so bold in their
programme of loot that they made it a
wholesale business, apparently believ-
ing they could never be discovered, or
Il discovered, would escape punishment.
The scandalous corruption of Repub-
lican officials is enough of itself TO
make a change of administration de-
srable and imperative. But in addition
to this. the Democracy has a great OPP
portunity in the presidents own per-
sonahty. Spectacular, impulsove, un-
safe, he has repealed the strongest ele-
ment i'm his own party by his chief poll
cies. Entering Office with a reputation
for anita gonism to the trusts ne has
said a good deal about the evils Of
monopoly and the necessity for curbinE
illegal combinations and monopolies.
Instituting proceedings which won a
partial victory in the Northern Secure
ties case. his attorney general. presum-
ably with the approval Of the president,
Immediately FASTENED TO assure the
trusts that there was nothing serious
I'm the situation; that the administTa-
ton did not intend to upset their plans
and that everything between them
would be just as pleasant as if there
had been no Northern Securities case.
Committed to Imperialism in the
worse sense Of the word: committed TO
a strong" policy which finds its vent
I'm exploitation of his own peculiar
views: antaEonizing capital by his in
reference in the Pennsylvania strikes,
and labor by his attitude in the gov
eminent printing Office affairs he has
managed to secure variety and viru-
Ience Of opposition within and without
his party. which affords his political
opponents every opportunity imaginable
for successful campaigning.
Even IL the presidents policy and the
corruption Of his party oficeholders did
not offer reasons for a change. the con-
tinuation of the Dingley tariff sched-
nles. designed solely for the benefit OF
the trusts. would furnish ample reason
for a battle royal. While the country
at large may not wish an absolute tarifr
for revenue only, there can be no ques-
tion but that honest reform OF the tarifT
Is demanded by everybody except the
chief benefciaries
Evidently the leaders OF the Dem0c-
racy I'm congress have struck the right
plan of campaign, and from now on
they viii have the administration and
its supporters on the defensive.