Aberdeen herald. [volume] (Aberdeen, Chehalis County, W.T.) 1886-1917, 1904-07-14
REPUBLICAN
PLATFORM
BOASTFUl BUT NEITHER TRUTH
Full NOR COURAGEOUS.
Framed to Catch Ignorant Votes, Il Dodses
the Issues Of the Day. Is Positive Only
on the Tariff Question. An Attempt to
Manufacture History.

Manufacture History.
Some one has described the republican
party as like the potato vine-''the best
part Of it being under ground" The
platform adopted at Chicago by the re-
publican national convention seems to
justify this description. 1t is devoted to
"reminiscences and CLOVIS with funeral
phrases. The eulogy pronounced in the
platform would seem immodest if it de.
scribed the wor!, of those present in the
convention and, as the republican lead
ers are nothing if not modest, their Ian
guage must be construed as referring to
the dead or the absent. The pledges for
the future are go meager, as compe red
with the praise of past achievements
that the party's attitude resembles the
attitude of prisoner at the bar who re-
fuses TO testify and relies for acquittal
upon the testimony OF friends as to
former good character.
The most emphatic part OF the plat
form, SO far as it deals with pending
issues, is that devoted 10 the tariff Ques.
ton, and the language on this subject
seems intended as rebuke to the tariff
revisionists in the republican party.
Republican leaders seem to go on the
theory that their platforms supply the
only authentic history OF the country,
and that instead Of being under obliga-
lion to recite facts they can by their sim
pie statement create facts. Witness the
gross Misrepresentation contained IN one
sentence. The platform says: "a demo-
cratic tariff has always been followed by
business adversely; republican tariff
by business prosperity" Now what are
the facts? The democratic tariff OF 1916
was followed by an era of prosperity SO
widespread that when the republican
party wrote its first national platform in
1856 the platform did not mention pro-
tective tariff. Here, then, is an his
torical fact which shows that adversely
does not always follow democratic
tariff. How about the panics Of 1873 and
1893? Did they follow democratic tariffs
When the panic OF 1878 occurred the re-
publican party was in power in all the
branches of the federal government and
the county was in the undisturbed pos
session of republican high tariff law.
Not only that, but the panic came just
after the overwhelming republican vic.
tory of 1872 that put the party in position
to make the tariff still higher if that was
deemed necessary. Did the republican
leaders forget the panic of 1878, or were
they simply Indifferent to the truth?
Here, then, is an historical fact which
proves conclusively that prosperity does
not always follow republican tariff.
But what of the panic of 1893? 1t came
while the Mckinley tariff was still in
force--a year before the Wilson law went
into effect. They may reply that the
panic was caused by the threat of the re.
peal of the Mckinley law involved in the
election of Mr. Cleveland, but there is no
force in that argument, for if the people
We're pleased with the Mckinley law why
did the democrats win asweep ping victory
in 1890 and two later defeat by nearly
100000 votes the republican candidate
who as president signed the Mckinley
bill?
The republican platform claims 100
much. 1t boastfully asserts that the re-
publican party has controlled the gov
eminent during nearly all of the forty
four years since 1860. 1t declares that
the democrats had undisputed control
during but two years Of the foity-four.
Why, then, does it try to escape response
bility for the two disastrous panics which
have occurred since 1860?
In discussing the trust question the
platform appeals to memory rather than
inspires hope. 1t claims credit for re.
publican antitrust laws (which the
democratic party failed to enforce" and
declares that they have been "fearlessly
enforced by republican president"
Here again Mr., Cleveland is charged UP
to the democratic party. Only by con.
trast can President Roosevelt's admins.
tration seem to be fearlessly antitrust
Shown against black background OF
Clevelandism almost any color looks
bright, but standing alone and judged
on its merits the Roosevelt administers
ton is anything but an anti.monopoly
administration. The existence OF null.
titude OF trusts is we'll known; the ex.
tortion practiced by those trusts is enor.
nous and everywhere apparent. What
is the president doing to destroy them:
His friends point to the decision Of the
merger case, but it has not been followed
up by the enforcement Of the principle
established by it, and the temporary