Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1906-08-04

is tariff reviser will be to the Demo
Gratis like shaking red rag at bull
1t will be challenge to the democratic
congressional campaign leaders to talk
tariff if they dare. If they accept the
republican def" there will be a can
vass which will be far more lively than
will be good for the democratic party.
Moreover, President Roosevelt's at
torney general, who is also stand-pat-
ter, is to write the platform of the
Massachusetts, republicans at their
approaching state convention A few
days ago Speaker Cannon. Campaign
Chairman Sherman and other repub.
lican leaders had conference with the
President at Oyster Bay, at which it
was determined to champion the tariff
on the stump in the congressional can
vass. The selection of Attorney Gen
eral Moody to write the Massachusetts
platform. and Speaker Cannon's stump
ing program in that state, mean that
the democrats will be invited to carry
out their boast about making an as
sault on the tariff in the campaign. Mr..
Cannon's appearance in the Massachu-
sets canvass will attract even more
attention than will Lis visit to Maine.
In Maine he is to combat Gompers and
his agents, who are attacking Con-
gresham Littlefield. This alone would
be a powerful incentive to Mr.. Cannon
to lend hand In the fight. He wants
to get as large a majority for Little
field in 1906 as in 1904, and the
chances are that he will succeed in
this aspiration, for the American peo-
pie are opposed to all class interfer-
ence in politics.
What are the democratic campaign
managers going to do about this repub-
lican challenge for them to make a
fight on the tariff? In the recent ses-
sion of congress Leader Williams,
Campaign Chairman Griggs and other
democratic magnates were fluent in
their boasts that they wanted to put
the tariff issue at the front in the con-
gressional campaign. The republicans
are giving them an opportunity to car
ry out that threat. In fact. the repub-
licans are going much more than half
way toward meeting the democrats on
that issue. When the Oyster Bay
stand-pat program was announced the
other day the republicans thought that
the democrats would whoop with de-
light at the chance which was offered
to have an old-fashioned campaign on
the tariff issue. But the democrats
showed no especial willingness to enter
into any contest on that question. Now
/ Speaker Cannon is to bait them further
by making a stumping tour through
the tariff revision stronghold. A stand
patter is to be the big parsonage In the
republican convention in state
where, we are told, the tariff smashers
are as numerous as they used to be
in South Carolina during the latter
part Of Calhoun's days. Yet the
chances are that the democrats will
not pick I'D this tariff gauntlet Meth
er South Carolina nor any other demo-
cratic state Is so hostile to protection
as it was once The south Is getting
factories and Is having general diver
) sification Of Industries. Sentiment in
favor Of adequate duties which have
formidable foreign competition Is
strong in the south. And 1t is getting
still stronger Grigs' and Williams
states are interested in the mainten-
ance of the vast industrial scheme
which republican tariff legislation has
built up. The appeal of those mag
mates for an assau-. on the tariff is
hollow. 1t is piece of bravado which
is not backed by their home states or
! by any other states. The democrats
will not dare to meet Cannon and the
rest of the republican protection cham
pions on the stump. Their talk against
the tariff in the recent session of con-
gress was flourish intended to at
tract attention to its authors for the
moment. 1t meant nothing tangible.
Nothing would please the republican
campaign managers more than to see
the democrats accept the Roosevelt
j, Cannon-Sherman defiance, but the re.
publicans will have to win the canvass
{ without any help from the democrats
on the tariff.