Vernon County censor. [volume] (Viroqua, Wis.) 1865-1955, 1906-07-04
ON BRINK OF A CHASM
FEARS FOR REPUBLICAN CONTROL
IN CONGRESS.
Disscnsion and Disnffection Inside
the Republican Organization May
Prove Potent Aid In Bringing
About the Loss of the Sixtieth House.

the Republican Organization May
Prove Potent Aid In Bringing
About the Loss of the sixtieth House.
Writing on THE Outlook For Cur
reney Reform in Moody's Magazine
for April, Maurice K. Mufleman, ex-
deputy assistant treasurer of the Unit
ed States, remarks incidentally as
bearing upon the necessity for imme-
diate action If desired resG!ts are to be
obtained:
at is already believed by many that
the congressional elections this year
will result in the choice of q Demo
cratic majority in The house of repre-
sentatives."
There Is no doubt that such belief
Is prevalent and on the increase. Why
should 1t be so? What has occurred
since the great tidal wave which In
1904 swept into office a Republican ad-
mInistratiou by the largest plurality
ever cast at presidential election?
Has the country In the past two years
grown sick of Republicanism and Re-
publican policies2 Does 1t yearn for a
return of Democratic incapacity and
mismanagement In governmental af-
fairs? Is not the country more pros
porous than ever before2 Is not labor
better paid and more fully employed?
Is not all trade and all business at the
very top notch Of prosperity?
All these questions must be answer
ed IN the affirmative. There is no doubt
Of that And yet 1t is the current i'm
preston that the next house is going
to be Democratic.
In searching for an explanation Of
THE extraordinary condition and out
look we may find one reason that is
certainly relevant and probable, and
that Is to be found in the fact that dis
trust of the Republican party has been
industriously engendered inside of the
Republican party.
The process ~of promoting this dis
trust began Immediately following the
great Republican victory of 1904. 1t
took the form of Republican attacks
upon the Republican tariff system. 1t
assailed as full of injustice, of extor-
ton, of graft, Of robbery of the many
for the benefit of a few favored inter-
ests, the Dingley tariff law, the most
successful, the most beneficent, the
most productive of individual and gen.
eral prosperity of any tariG ,aw ever
yet enacted
Republican newspapers have In ex-
traordinary numbers joined their
brethren of the Democratic press In
long continued TRADES against the Re
publican protective tariff.
All this has inevitably resulted in
breeding dissension and bad feeling in
side the Republican party. 1t has di-
rected popular aniuosity and distrust
against the leaders OF the party 1t has
undermined public confidence in the
sanity, wisdom. the honesty of purpose
and the patriotism OF the men who, in
trusted with the responsibilities of ma
tional legislation, have sought to keep
the country straight and level headed
as to the expedicnCy Of letting the tar
if alone SO long as the business of the
country continued on a high plane OF
prosperity. 1t has rcviled those men as
stand patters, as obstructionlsts, as
enemies Of progress.
Progress toward what? Toward
business disaster and party defeat.
1t is an extraord nary thing that has
happened 1t is an unhcard of thing
that after almost half century of the
most successful political management
and control that the world has evei
witnessed tho Republican party should
now find itself on the brink of a chasm
Yet it is true. The chasm is there, q
monstrous abyss dug by Republicans
themselves out Of sheer folly and mad
ness for the destruction of their OWE
party.
The next house Democratic? And
after that In 1908. the next admins
tration Democratic? The country do
ing too wcllG Needs another dose OF
the bitter mediciue OF 1892? Sucl
seems 10 be the common impression.
| curious state of things.