The San Francisco call., 1904-06-21
THE NATIONAL CONVENTION.


vention that meets to-day and many OF ITS prede-
cessors is not as great appears to some OF the
special correspondents The fact that President Roose-
welt unanimous choice of the delegates makes 1t
unlike the of 1876 and of 1880 and 1888 and
1906 when the Presidential nomination was an open
question But the convention of 1864 was merely tor the
purpose of nominating candidate for the VicePresi-
dency as Mr. Lincolns denomination was inevitable.
The same was true of the conventions of 1872 and 1900
The issues now are the nomination of NlcesPresl-
dent 1t probable the choice will fall upon Sena-
Fairbanks of Indiana. He is 81 years OF age and
native of Ohio Born and reared farm he chose law
for his profession and admitted to practice by the
Supreme Court Ohio in 1874 and removing to Indian
apols began professional there After achieving
great success at the bar his political life started 1892
when he was chairman of the Indiana State Republican
Convention his partys candidate for the Senate
in 1903 in the Democratic Legislature which elected
Judge David Turpe.
He is stranger in national conventions having
been delegate at large that of 1896 and its
chairman and in that of he was chairman OF the
committee on resolutions He elected to the Senate
in 1907 to succeed Mr. Voorhees, and chairman OF
the United States High Commissioners in 1893 to settle
our boundary and other questions with Canada His
present term in the Senate ends in 1909 He is of tall
and commanding presence dgnihed and approachable
speaker of winning power, and in all respects strong
His location in the West is favorable and adds to
the party strength in the Middle West
The question of platform will cause very proper divi-
sons and discussion. The party will adhere to the
principle of protection and need not say that the pres
ent tariff schedules immortal Every expression by
Democratic leaders comedies protection national
policy. John Sharp Williams the Democratic leader OF
the House. has broadly accepted protection and differs
only as to its AS wants an undue de-
gree of protection going further than is necessary
safeguard our home market and defend the American
scale of wages and standard of living, the margin be-
tween the Republican and Democratic positions
row that it is difficult to see how the opposition can
make winning issue of the tariff Free trade is no
longer heard of anywhere in the country. This does
not mean that there free traders but with both
the leading parties committed protection they have
no party through which make themselves felt They
may be expected ambush in Democratic declarations
about the trusts using the antitrust sentiment to as
sault the tariff. But they must work by indrecton
The country has great work before it. The Panama
canal, work of peace and mighty in its consequences
to the whole world be constructed speedily as
physical conditions will permit 1t is of impor-
ance than anything likely to be taken in hand by any
foreign power Other nations may make engage in
schemes of selfish aggrandzement and dynastc anbi-
on but their benefits to mankind imperceptble IN
the presence of this undertaking of the United States.
Not only will we build the canal, but in building and
administering il, presence and example on the
isthmus will regenerate cvics in Central and South
America and induce freedom and stability in those Gov
ernments where disorders have for nearly hundred
years restricted progress and threatened the peace OF the
world President Roosevelt made this stupendous con-
structon and all of beneficial consequences possible
and that fact alone the National Convention OF
his party with unsurpassed dignity
What the convention does will be ratified by the
try in November because it will represent the aspra-
tons and the hopes of the American people. The
venton does have any policy Of the party
or snub any of its record In it there is contention
between reorganizers and regulars All elements are
regular and there nothing needful of reorganization
Since its power 1897 the party has adopted
the gold standard liberazed banking policy made
currency pancs less possible and has saeguarded
trade and finances make it unlikely that any hard
times can reach the distressing proportions that
made desperate the awful years between 1893 and
1906
We are likely the South again in the position
occupied in the campaign of 1000, when it supported
BRYAN for policy and prayed for his defeat for pros
perity When the speakers at the annual
ing of the Confederate Veterans suspended their
prosperity greater than the South knew before
furnished Republican campaign argument of the greatest
value 1t proved that the prosperity brought about by
sound money and protection exclusively for the
manufacturing and commercial North but is for the ag
ricultural South as we'll
Russian authorities ask believe that the battle
Of Vafangow and the attack Japanese transports
part of great strategical movement that bristes with
Of to