Tazewell Republican. [volume] (Tazewell, Va.) 1892-1919, 1905-03-23
THURSDAY. MARCH 2S, 1905.
PARTY LINES UNBROKEN.

PARTY LINES uNBR0keh.
A short time after the Presidential
election, and about the time Congress
met for the recent session, the Demo
Gratis were talking and writing very
freely about the possible breaking down
of party lines in the support of meas
ures President Roosevelt would stand
for. Predictions were made that diff
ferences would arise between the Presi-
dent and the Republican members in
Congress. There were to be quarrels
over the tariff, the trusts, the railroads
and possibly other questions. Many
Democratic newspapers at the South
gave abundant advice to the Democratic
members as to what should be their
policy when such ruptures came between
the President and his party. The news
papers and Democratic politicians were
fulsome in their expressions of respect
for Mr.. Roosevelt. They not only
ceased to abuse him personally but po-
itically. They said he was getting to
be a Democrat, and that Democratic
members in Congress should support
him in his positions on the railroads,
trusts, etc. Some of them were frank
enough to admit that Democratic sup
port should be given the President pri-
marily for the purpose of creating a
split in the Republican party.
When all this racket was being made
by our Democratic friends about Roose-
welt and his party falling out with each
other we are only amused, not alarmed.
We said then that the President was too
intelligent to try to force his views
upon a majority of the representatives
in Congress, and that he would always
yield his opinions to majority. Moth
ing transpired at the recent session OF
Congress to make us alter our convic-
lions. The railroad rate bill was passed
by nearly the solid vote of the House,
the Republicans voting from principle
and the Democrats from policy.
The consideration of the Santo Do
mingo treaty by the Senate has demon
strated what will be the future attitude
of the Democrats toward the Admins
tration. The Democrats of the Senate
have aligned themselves solidly against
the treaty, while the Republicans Rp-
pear to be solid for it's ratification. The
Democrats have found that the Repub-
licans cannot muster the two-thirds vote
necessary to ratify the treaty, and as it
is an Administration measure the Oppo-
sition Senators have determined to de-
feat it, just as they tried to defeat the
Panama Canal treaty. To accomplish
this end the Democrats seem ready to
endanger the Monroe doctrine, and are
disposed to cast consistency aside. The
Richmond News Leader does not seem
to be pleased with the course that the
Democratic Senators are pursuing. 1t
says:
eff reports from Venezuela are cor
rect, President Castro is urgently in
viting a castigation from the French.
This is a commentary on the curious ac-
ton of the Democratic Senators in OPP
posing the San Domingo treaty. All
these little one-horse republics are in
the same position. They insist on in
sulting and wronging other people, and
are powerless to make their bluffs good
or to protect themselves; and under tbs
Monroe doctrine we must save them
from the punishment they deserve. The
Democrats should be consistent one way
or the other. They should have the
courage to vote for the final and COM
prehensive abandonment of the Monroe
doctrine and our withdrawal from all
responsibility under it, or they should
sanction the assertion of it under terms
which will enable us to maintain our
character for responsibility and be on
good terms with the really important
and dignifed powers of the earth.
The Democratic party will continue
to be the party of opposition and OBJ
struction. There will be no breaking
of party lines and Mr.. Roosevelt and his