West Virginia argus. [volume] (Kingwood, W. Va.) 1877-1946, 1904-11-17
TWO COMING MEN.


Out of the weller of Democrat
&c disaster rise two commanding
figures, each with message full
of instruction and hope.
Joseph w. Folk has won, next
to President Roosevelt, the most
extraordinary personal triumph
ofthis whole bewildering election.
Mr.. Roosevelt has ridden on the
crest of a Republican tidal-wave
"a wave raised, it is true, in great
part by his own popularity, but
still owing much to other influ-
ences. But Mr.. Folks victory
was purely individual. He was
the only man on his ticket who
carried his State. He carried it
purely on his own record, not on
that of his party or on general
inclination to let well enough
alone. He carried it against the
bitter enmity ofthe principal lead
ers of his own party. He was
elected as a reformer who had
actually reformed things-a pros
ecuting attorney who had sent
public rascals to the penitentiary.
Mr. Folks career is an inspir-
ing demonstration of the value of
Incorporating, aggressive hon
esty to a public man. Folk per-
sonifies one of the overshadowing
issues of present and future poll
tice-cRUsH CORRUPTION.
The triumph of William l..
Douglas in Massachusetts, is even
more spectular than that of Folk,
although not quite so strictly per-
sonal. Stemming a Republican
landslide in State which even in
normal years is a Republican
stronghold and which gave Roose-
welt $4,000 plurality, Mr.. Douglas
wins the Governorship by ma
jority that would be handsome
one even for a candidate of the
dominant party, and by this tri-
umph commands national atten-
ton. He is individually strong
with the masses, and he had the
acuteness to seize upon an issue
that Massachusetts clearly APP
proves. "MY ELECTION" says the
Governor-elect to The World,
"MEANs THE FIRST GUN IN A BAT
TIE FOR RECIPROCITY AND TARIFF
RELIEF" And that gun fired in
Massachusetts, will be heard round
the world.
Mr. Douglas explains:
made the fight solely on the
proposition that we should have
reciprocity and that all trusts
which sell their products abroad
cheaper than we can buy them
here should not be permitted to
enjoy protection. ! gave them
practical examples of the working
of the tariff. instanced a recent
purchase of S550,000 of leather
which | bought from the trust. on
which there was n duty of $50, 900.
/ gave concrete illustrations in
the woollen. cotton and other
trades.
1t was an issue that touched a
popular cord. They said in the
national campaign that we had
issue We had the greatest, the
most vital Of issues. For some
reason it was subordinated i'm our
national campaign it was the
one issue of all others to have
pressed We made our people
understand that the tariff and
trust question is the same-that
it is idle TO talk Of solving the
trust question so long as we are
sheltering these giant paupcrs"
under our protection system.
told our people that Massa-
chusetts put SO in the protection
pool for every dollar that took out.
that our 100000 homes contribut-
ed SG5, 100000 q year to the
trusts. that the Steel Trust alone
reaps S80,0O0,O0O a year out Of
| protection, and pockets it. selling
abroad cheaper than we can buy
from it. And set they have 1Ic
assurance 10 tell us the trust ues-
ton has nothing TO Do with The
tariff.
Two million plurality for Roosc-
welt viii not hide the handwrit-
ing ON The wall oftrust protection
revealed by the vote Of Massachu-
sets for reciprocity and tariff
relief IN Folk and Douglas the
Democrats have two fine cxamp-