Gloucester County Democrat. (Woodbury, N.J.) 1878-1932, 1904-04-21


therefore ex offieio floor leader
of the Republican majority, recently
acted as permanent chairman Of the
New York state convention and, Of
course, sounded the keynote" They
all do it. The dispatches inform us
that his speech was received with
great applause. and no wonder, for it
was the richest humor-of which he
was unconscious no doubt-that has
fallen from human tongue this year
After claiming every good thing for
the Republicans and eulogizing Presi-
dent Roosevelt for enforcing the anti
trust law in the Northern Securities
case, Brother Payne said:
The result has called a halt on unlawful
enterprise 1t has improved the business
tone. 1t has brought security to legiti-
mate enterprise. The administration win
proceed with careful investigation. 1t
will indulge in no gallery play. Those
engaged in lawful business have no cause
for alarm. Unlawful combinations only
j will be attacked. In word the law viii
be impartially enforced
Wonder what Mr.. Hartman, presi-
dent of the Union Pacific and Southern
Pacific railroads, who goes to the Chi
cago convention as delegate from
Mr. Payne's district along with Mr..
Payne himself, thought of that? Does
Mr.. Hartman subscribe to the doctrine
that the antitrust decision of the SUI
preme court has called halt on I'm
lawful enterprise How Mr.. Chair
man Payne must have laughed in his
sleeve when he rolled off that polished
sentence, and how Mr. Hartman must
have slapped his thigh in ecstasy.
OF course to such as Mr. Hartman,
who is in the play, no explanation was
necessary, but to reassure any trust
magnate who might be scared by his
eulogy OF the president and supreme
court for the antitrust decision, Mr..
Payne then declared, 1.-The administra-
ton will proceed with careful investi-
gatien," etc. OF course it will, for did
not Mr.. Attorney General Knox i'm
mediately upon the rendition of that
opinion undertake to reassure the
trust brethren that the administration
had no idea of running amuck on the
trusts? It will be observed that Mr..
Payne differentiates the trusts into
good and bad He might with equal
propriety differentiate fends into good
and bad. OF course tile trusts and the
Republican leaders thoroughly under
stand each other; no opera bouffe ever
put on the stage was as preposterous
as the Republican warfare on the
trusts. Having disposed of the trusts
in this happy fashion, by first singing
high, then singing low, Mr.. Payne de-
cIared that the Investigations into the
postoffiee department have been thor
ough and complete Now. If that is
true, why have Mr. Payne and the Re
publicans in congress refused every
proposition of the Democrats to insti-
tute a genuine and thoroughgoing in
vestigation? The very suggestion of
a congressional investigation throws
them into an ague fit. On at least a
dozen occasions the Democrats in
house and senate have tried to have
an investigation that viii investigate,
but the Republicans stand like d stone
wall against it. Wherefore? Because
they fear that if there should be an
investigation from top to bottom
enough corruption would be found to
rout the Republicans, horse, foot and
dragons. in the coming election.
Mr.. Payne delivered himself on the
tariff question as follows:
We are welded to no schedules. Ours is
party of progress. We produced the
Dingley act. the best tariff law ever en-
acted. The next time we tackle the tariff
we propose to improve upon that. But SO
long as the present law works well and
produces sufIicinet revenue. the prosperity
of the country lasts and the welfare Of
the wage Garner is secure we shall con
tinue to let well enough alone.
That surely is a great deliverance
eve are welded to no schedules, says
Mr.. Payne. No, indeed, but if some
inquisitive person had arisen and ask
ed what schedule the Republicans We're
willing to charge by lowering the rates
he would have been completely stump
ed, for there is not one rate that they
are willing to cut down. After saying
that the Dingley bill is the best act
ever passed he then proceeds to de-
clare for what must to him be an inn
possibility by saying, 'sThe next time
we tackle the tariff we propose to i'm
prove upon that But when do the
Republicans propose to tackle it? Judg-
ing by their actions, they win perform
that feat few days after the mil
lennium shall dawn and not before.
He finally wound up with his old cry
to continue to let well enough alone,
which is only one way of voicing the
stand pat' doctrine. On the whole,
Mr.. Payne is to be most heartily COR
graduated on his very slillful efforts
to please both the friends and associ-
ates Of the trusts, to please the tariff
reformers and the stand patters. In
the pending campaign when a Repub-
lican brother is speaking to a Repub-
lican audience of tariff reformers he
can quote with eeIat one part Of Mr..