The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1905-06-16
THE PLATFORM IN OHIO.
More Interesting for What 1t Does
Not Say Than What II
Does Say.

When one does not know just what
% say, one may either keep silence al
| together or use a great many words
lnat mean nothing. The republicans Of
| Ohio seem to have taken refuge 10 beta
these devices In their platform,
! adopted recently, they say nothing OF
! The Panama purchases or of the rail-
road rate question, and for the res.
/ they fall back on the old and familiar
! rla'itudes. We are Informed, says the
indianapolis News Und), that the
country has been prosperous; that this
prosperity is due to a republican ad-
ninistration and much more Of the
same sort, all OF which Is interesting,
/ though hardly vital. II seems 10 us
| that there Is a certain reserve in the
! Endorsement of the president fhe con-
vention declares that by the great plu-
rality given 10 the president "Ohio OBJ
4 ligated her citizens to sustain him and
the republican congress chosen TO CO
operate with him In carrying into effect
the pledges and promises Of the repub-
! ican platform upon which they were
elected" Thus the president - re-
mitted to the platform of last year, and
Endorsed along with that very congress
with which he may find himself in
conflict at no distant day. The real
question is whether the Ohio republic
ans will stand with the president or
with the senate. They prudently say
that they will stand with both of them.
So the corner is turned. On the rail
road question we have this eminently
safe statement:
president Roosevelts comprehen-
sive enforcement Of the republican
laws against monopolies. combines and
trusts in restraint OF trade-laws
whose validity the supreme court of
the United States has sustained--has
our hearty encouragement and support.
We also indorse every effort for the
active enforcement Of existing laws
TO stop all unjust Determinations and
special favors in the form of rebates or
any other device. and we favor spch
further legislation on that subject,
with adequate penalties, as may. after
lican congress and administration wise
and conservative. yet adequate TO pre-
vent unfair advantage TO any, and to
promote and insure the rights Of all
individuals. interests and localities"
This is so obviously a dodge that Il
IS not even shrewd. What the country
wanted TO know was what the Ohio re-
publicans thought OF the proposition 10
Increase the powers OF the interstate
commerce commission. and TO Ak and
regulate railroad rates.
The tariff question is treated in the
same way. The most important event
OF recent years is the announcement
OF the president that the Panama canal
commission will buy what il needs at
the lowest price IL can get without
reference 10 the tariff On the very
day that the Ohio platform was adopt
ed Senator Scott. Of West Virginia,
managed to say very clearly what he
thought of the presidential policy-and
he does not think well of II. But the
Ohio republicans simply reaffirm the
platforms Of last year and declare that
they stand by the principles of pro-
lection TO American labor and Ameri-
can industries" So does the president
stand by those principles-and yet,
there is the Panama order.
Such are some Of the evasions of this
platform. They are the most impor-
tant things in IT, We have another
evasion in the declaration that the
American navy should be made and
kept equal 20 every need"-which Is
the same thing as saying that a mans
hat should be neither too small nor
too large for his head A word IS
spoken for the building up of our mer-
chant marine. but even this is not
clear The most outspoken declaration
IS that on the constitutional amend
ments. which Is followed by another
concerning the sacredness Of the bal
lot There must. il is said. be no "un-
Just discrimination. based directly or
Indirectly on race. color or previous
condition" or course II did not re-
quIre much courage for an Ohio repub- |
lican convention TO say that.
The rest OF the platform is devoted |
mostly TO state issues. The suggestion |
Of Secretary Taft that Ohio should |
have a civil service reform law IL ig-
nored. as might have been expected a
salary law and a revision and strength |
ening Of the banking laws are favored. |
As a whole. the platform is more in |
teresting for what Is does not than for |
what IL does say.