The Montgomery advertiser., 1904-01-15
DEMOCRATIC OPPORTUNITY.
And Democratic Folly Can Now Have
 Their Innings.

Savoyard in Washington Post. The Democrats are just as anxious for an early adjournment as the Republicans. They, too, have fences to mend at home; that is, the ones who want to remain in Congress, and very few of them want to retire. So we may expect an adjournment in June Some time ago Senator Bailey they would find no more '.Whi.e House Senators" on the Democratic side. We shall see when the Panama treaty is put on its passage. Perhaps no speaker we ever better fitted for adjourning Congress early than is Uncle Cannon. Randall was superb at 1t, and he did not have the Cannon. In 1880 MT. Randall brought the session to a close in June, just in time to get to Cincinnati convention that nomi- mated Hancock. There was a great deal of opposition to this action on the part of the Speaker The Morrison following was exceedingly wrath; but the Speaker was frmness itself, and the session came to a close.
 And speaking of Randall-his vindica- tion, If we may call It that came after his death. There never was so much of Randalism in Democratic councils as now. The tariff plank of the Chicago platform of Ss Ta5 So T9s RaFty Mills, Wilson and Turner since. Bailey of Texas is a Randal.ite, and unless Car mack be he, do not know of single Mills man in the Senate at this time. and the great idea of tariff reform is asleep.
 So far as tariff reform is concerned, as the term was understood twenty years ago. there will be no more of 1t until this generation shall have passed away. The idea gained victory after vic ory only to be barren of fruit. Even the Wilson bill was a protective measure, and full of demagogy of several kinds. The e was the income tax-which capital would have collected of labor in the end--that had no business n the bill. David B. Hills speech documents the Senate had heard in years, and 1t made 1t certain that the courts would have to pass on the question. Not withstanding that fact was staring the n this lawsuit must go into the bill to the confusion of the treasury, to the deple- ton of the revenues, to the demoralizatlon of business. and to the disaster of the Democratic party. It was folly so gross that it was wicked.
 When 1t was proposed to tax the alco- hol In beer at as great rate as the alco- hol in wi.iskey, they threw up their hands and surrendered to the brewers, who threatened to withhold their con tributions to the campaign fund. When. 1t was suggested that tea and coffee were ideal articles on which to levy tarift taxes, for revenue only. they took up that cry of Pig Iron" Kelley. "a cheap breakfast table," Then they let German, Brice Pugh. Smith, Murphey & Go. butcher the bill in the Senate. Tariff reform was slaughtered in the Democratic household. It died the death of Abner, and since then the curse of Joab has followed the Democratic par ty, and there has not failed the house of thak
 that Is leper, or that leaneth on a staff, or that falleth on the sword. or that lack eth the bread" They say they arc going to have q con servative platform. That is all right The American people are more conserva- tive than radical. Who is going to write 1t? Shall it be John c. Carlisle or Jerry Simpson? Shall 1t be Bailey of Texas. who will not surrender protection on wool, or Vest of Missouri, who regards all protection as vicious and un-Democratic. And then, when the thing Is made, who | is to decide whether 1t is conservative CT radical? Champ Clark says the platform must be conservative, but that if must
 contain the essential features of the | Chicago manifesto of 1896 and the Kansas City encore of that folly in 1900. If they are going to do that, there Is no use put | ting a ticket in the field. I believe ire platform will be ''conservative," and | fear it wlll be meaningless, unless ,hcy
 nominate ticket that don't need a ylat- l form. Unfortunately the party $ awful
 shy of the stuff of which such tickets | are made. and the one man whose Et nj. | nation would render platform Ugaless
 and who is himself better platform tbsr | any man or set of men can write. has eliminated himself from the contest, SC | far as his personal aspirations are cen,