Courier Democrat., 1904-07-28
TURNED 4 somERsauL1
opportunist Statesman Who
Made a Complete Flop.
PROTECTION VICIOUS IN THEORY
Some Republicans Support "solelv
ON the Grounds of Expediency."
President Roosevelt's Extraordi.
nary Change of Base,

sAOent FtOOSevelt'a EXtraOrdi.
nary Change of Base.
Many people nowadays possibly for.
get that the discussion Of the tariff and
protection is no new thing in American
politics. AS long ago as 1924 it was
often paramount issue, and national
campaigns were fought over schedules
and rates Of duty, as will probably be
the case in this campaign. President
Roosevelt in his life of Thomas H.
Benton, on pages 66 and G.. explains
this and tells why Benton voted for a
protective tariff bill. Although repre-
senting Missouri, an agricultural state.
because of the bribe of "a heavy duty
on lead he felt himself forced to sup.
port it." President Roosevelt extenu-
ates Benton's sudden change of front
by saying that he was like "a good
many other men who in their public
capacities are obliged to appear as pro.
tectionists, but who lack his frankness
in stating their reasons"
Then President Roosevelt notes that
Webster changed his position when
Massachusetts, which had hitherto sup.
ported free trade, became through the
growth Of her manufactures more in.
terested in their protection than in the
general welfare. He says, describing
the attitude of those two statesmen
that, turning full and complete SOM
ersault, neither the one nor the other
was to blame" and adds that ''it is in
reality purely business matter and
should be decided solely on grounds of
expediency.''
AS President Roosevelt was practi.
cally free trader when he wrote the
life Of Benton and has been decidedly
tariff reformer until short time ago
his effort to show TINT Benton and
Webster were not to blame was really
defense of his own full and com.
plete somersault'' on the same impor.
tant issue. How he viewed protection
is clear, for on the next page he says:
political economists have pretty
generally agreed that protection is
vicious in theory and harmful in prac.
tice. But If the majority Of people
wish it, and it affects only themselves.
there is no earthly reason why they
should not be allowed to try the ex,
pertinent to their hearts content
That President Roosevelt is now 8
candidate Of party that favors and
has put into effect the highest pro-
tective tariff ever conceived by Ameri.
can statesmen and will in his letter Of
acceptance indorse the platform adopt.
ca at Chicago hardly agrees with his
former position that political econo
mists have pretty generally agreed that
protection is vicious in theory and
harmful in practice"
Perhaps President Roosevelt now, as
when he wrote the life Of Benton, be.
lieves the tariff is "purely business
matter and should be decided on
grounds of expediency." He doubtless
finds it expedient not to disagree with
the high protection policy Of the party
whose candidate he is, and he may hug
the selfish delusion that it is no affair
Of his if the American people elect
him to office on platform which ad'
vocates this vicious theory" and this
"harmful practice"
If President Roosevelt was not con
sidered such decisive man, always
expected to fully express his true opin'
ions, his plea Of expediency and his
evident adherence to the "opportunist'
school of politics would not cause him
to be open to criticism on his extraor'
binary change of political convictions
He may console himself with the fact
that ''if the majority of people in inter
est wish it, and it affects only them
selves, there is no earthly reason why
they should not be allowed to try the
experiment to their hearts content .
Still that is the policy of the trimmer
and politician in its worst sense ano
no ko+4