New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1904-08-31
LODGE ON ROOSEVELT.
Senator Tells Why President Should
Be Reelected.

In the current number of THE North Ameri-
can Review Henry Cabot Lodge. United States
Senator from Massachusetts, sets forth his view
Of the reasons why the people should re-elect
President Roosevelt next November In it he
says, among other things
The Republican party is for protection. as it
always has been. \ somewhat careful study
OF the Democratic official utterance upon this
question leads one to the conclusion that the
Democratic party is not for free trade, but is
for some kind of protection which shall be
little different from the Republican kind. but
which shall result in tariff that will suit
every district and every State, guard our in
dustrieS and our labor. be a burden to no one,
and afford no help to wicked persons combined
in trusts. This kind OF a protective tarlif
which the Democrats propose is one which
everybody desires: but the only law which
would meet these requirements is one which has
never been drafted, and which exists only in
the glitterng generalties of the platform max
ers. The tariff. however. is eminenuy a prac-
teal question. which cannot be settled by I'M
made laws or unformulated schedules, varying
for every district and suited for all localities,
and the only real way TO decide it is to see
what the two parties have done in this dlrec-
ton.
The last Democratic revision of the tariff,
whether from a free trade or protective stand
point, a gloomy failure. Dir. Cleveland
took so dark view of the performance that ne
called 1t 'perfidy and dishonor, and would
not sign the bill. The last Republican revision
of the tariff, on the other hand, has been
great success Under ii the country has had
varying degrees of prosperity, but always pros
ptIily, anu SSlSTIliy Ol HIGHEST h44lH II
produced abundant revenue. and mas been ac2
companied by the greatest expansion of foreign
exports ever known.
If business conditions in the course of the
next year two demand revision or the
tariff. is it. not likely to be made better by the
party which has been eminently successful in
revision than by the party which absolutely
failed when that task was committed to it?
The highest authority in the Democratic
sured that the gold standard is not an issue,
and that the Democratic candidates can hold
any opinion upon this subject which they see
fit. This is liberal and tolerant; but Is II re-
assuring? The gold standard depends upon
laws upon the statute books, These laws were
placed there by the Republican party so long
as the Republican party is in power they will
neither be attacked repealed, because the
Republican President and the Republican party
are absolutely at one in their belief in these
laws. The Republicans cannot hold any views
they desire about the gold standard and remain
properly speaking, Republicans. The Demo-
cratic candidate for President voted for Bryan
and free silver in 1886 and 1900, and the Demo-
cIatic candidate for Vice-President voted
against the Resumption of Specie Payments act
in 1875. They are both of opinion now that
the gold standard is fixed irreVoca bly,, but they
have themselves shown interesting hexibility
this important question. Democratic Con
gressmen and Senators, for their part are at
perfect liberty to go to Washington and make
any attacks they please upon our currency laws
and upon the gold standard. Even If they
should fail in their assaults. agitation about
the standard Of money and attacks upon 1t are
only less prejudicial to business confidence than
the absolute repeal of existing laws would be.
II is. in other words. of the utmost Importance
not only that the President should regard the
gold standard as fixed and irrevocs BILE. but that
he should believe in the gold standard point
upon which the Democratic candidate has not
instructed us. and that his party should hold
that the gold standard is not only fixed and ir-
revocab bic. but the only sound standard to be
maintained by great commercial country
Our administration Of the Philippines has
been a great and acknowledged success, Law
and order reign in the Islands to a degree never
known before. We have conferred upon the
people an amount Of civil liberty utterly un-
known TO them hitherto We have given them
a larger share in their own government than
they have ever had, and are steadily increas-
ing their opportunities for self-government Is
it likely that party which has opposed every
measure for the benefit of the Philippine Islands
will admin ,ster their affairs better than the
party which I'm three years has done so much
for them? The Democrats demand that we
shall promise them independence, not now, not
in five years, not in ten years, nor at any def
mite time, but simply make empty promise
The Democrats in this proposition thinking
of votes in the United States which may be
gained by such promise as they propose to
offer. The Republicans. thinking OF the Fill
pinos and OF their interests, and not OF the
votes to be gained or lost in the United States
know that nothing could be more harmful to
the Phllppine people and their interests than
to make to them vague promises or. Indeed any
promises which are not prepared to carry out
at once and to the letter.
The country has been much excited and public
opinion much aroused OF late years to great
combinations Of capital. The Republican party
has enforced the law against these combinations
Illegal freight determinations and TO secure due
publicity in regard to corporations. The Demo-
cratic party, having failed to enforce the law
when II had the opportunity. now promises TO
to enforce il II intrusted with power. and al
leges that the Republican party. when Il en-
forced the law. did not really mean to do what
actually and effectively done. Is this a
sufficient argument for taking the question from
the hands OF the party which has really acted
upon II. and intrustng II to party which has
contributed TO the solution of this difficult prob
lem. requiring the 1rmest most careful and
most conservative treatment, nothing but lungs
and language?
To attempt to separate a Presidential can
didate from his party is always both idle and
mischievous. We do not, elect a single to
govern the United States We ntrust the gov
eminent to a party. represented both In the
Executive and in Congress Is the Democratic
party as well constituted as the Republican
party to carry out governmental policies and
deal with existing questions? The ruling ele-
ment In the Democratic party. both In the Sem
ate and in the House Is furnished by the South.
and Southern Sena tors and Representatives are
elected exclusively a single issue. that OF
race which is not existent question in the
Congress Of the United States. The result is
that the ruling element OF the Democratic party
in Washington is chosen to Office a wholly
irrelevant issue They agree as TO what the
the South should be, and they agree upon moth
ing else. When they to dealing with the
tariff they vary In opinion. from the high pro-
tectionsts of Louisiana to rabid free traders,
like Bourke Cochran, of New-York For this
reason they cannot pass a tariff bill, because
they have no general agreement among them
selves upon q tariff policy. In regard to the
currency they vary from the free silver of
Nebraska and Nevada to the extreme gold
standard of New-Yoriz. and there is CO.
hesion among them sufficient to prevent any
sort Of attack upon the gold standard emanating
from their ranks. They clamor for reciprocity.
which is essentially a protective policy: yet
when they came to the treaty with Cuba every
vote but one against Cuban reciprocity was
furnished by a Democrat. They were vociferous