Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1904-07-09
DEMOCRATS Turn
| ON TIE Tariff h
Almost Complete Reversal OF
the Party's Attitude Toward
the Protective Policy
REVISION ON REVENUE BASIS
While Still Insisting on the Democrat
ic Principles of Revenue Tariff, as
Distinguished From Protective Tar
if, They Virtually Recognize Protec-
ton as Necessary.
Special to Times-R Republican.

previous dispatches, the really most
significant change of policy for the
democrats came upon the tariff ques-
tion and not upon the coinage question.
1t has been remarked many times here
the past week in corridors and consul-
tation rooms that beside the tariff
question, with all its ranifications, the
question OF the size form and material
Of coins is mere pigmy. And SO when
the resolutions committee came to the
coinage question sham battle was
put up for the delectation Of those who
came to see fight of some kind, and
after 1t was all over Bryan and Hill
locked arms. But what attracted quite
as much attention among the more
serious minded delegates was the tar
iff and trust declarations. The reversal
Of democratic policy was all but COM
plete. The publication of the tariff
plank came to many as surprise.
They studied it and pondered over its
meaning. But this gradually dawned
upon them, that the democrats now
for the first time recognized protection
as reality and as something that
must be dealt with as a condition, and
while still insisting on the democratic
principle OF revenue tariff as distin-
guished from protective tariff, they de.
manded reduction OF the tariff and not
abandonment of projection. Then there
was the to be expected coupling of the
tariff with trusts and demand for
such changes as would prevent Amer.
lean dealers from selling abroad for
lower prices than they sell at home
the thing Secretary Shaw anticipated
III Des Moines when he praised this
business principle adopted by the
Americans. But the strangest thing
about it all was that there was not
once In any st. Louis newspaper. so far
as the writer observed any attempt to
make 1t appear that the democrats
were adopting the Iowa idea" II
would not have been strange il demo-
cratic newspapers, which predominant
here, would have made specious effort
to cast discredit on the republicans of
Iowa by trying to make it appear that
the democrats were right in line with
the former position taken by Iowa re-
publicans. But in all the platform talk
there was kept to the front by the
democratic leaders the central thought
of revision on a revenue basis rather
than revision from protection stand-
point And so it was impossible with
out strain beyond the attempt Of the
most degenerate democratic thought
moulder to twist things about SO that
the Iowa idea" should get mixed up In
the case in the slightest degree. But
it was pointed out here on many occa
isions that the revolution OF the party
on the tariff brought the democrats
more nearly to the republican positions
than they had ever been before, and
they might some time go to the length
of asking for revision to better the pro-
tective policy and claim 1t as their own.
There are a lot Of good democrats
from Iowa who are going home VOW
ing that never never will they again
consent to sending an instructed dele
cation to national convention. There
are few, or none, on the delegation who
have not regretted the past week that
they had not followed the sage advice
given in Judge Wade's letter of last
winter in which he insisted that Iowa
should not attempt to forestall the ac-
tion OF the national convention. But
were insisted on. for pur-
poses we'll understood within and
without the party, and the delegation
has been here for a week. more an OBJ
ject of pity than anything else The
delegation had no standing because II
was tied to cause which was found
to have no life and no purpose. lf Iowa
could have sent twenty six good men
even tho q majority ia
vored Hearst at the outset, then the
delegation would Immediately have be-
come an object of great interest. But
the delegation has been here helpless
and hopeless. But for the personality
and good fellowship of Charles A.
Walsh. he could hardly have hoped to
retain such prominence for himself in
the natioual councils. But for the rec
ognized ability of General Weaver,
Iowa would have cut no figure at all In
making. And so on thru the
list. 1t was in spite of the Hearst in
structions that whatever prominence
was gained by the delegation.
After the settlement of the room
question on Monday the Iowa delega-
tion got together seldom. The anti
Hearst people rather tiocked by them
selves, and they had a large share of
the attention Of the visitors from
iowa. But there, was nothing done by
either side to snow feeling or to stir
,p strife. The men acted like men and
Aveided at all times discussion Of the
aifferences which divided the Iowa de-
nocracy this year. The. troublesome
question Of the state chairnanship was
not discussed save when two or three
got to talking about it informally But
here was general agreement that 1t
Will be settled peaceably before the
of the state convention. Both