Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1906-08-15
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81 ==OF THE DAY 81
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Taft,. Song to the south.

Taft's Song to the south.
Inspired by the Boss of Oyster Bay,
Secretary Taft delivered his speech,
carefully inspected and revised, to the
warning Republican factions of North
Carolina. Taft may be called the buff
fer, If not the buffer of the administra-
ton, and he seems to have been used
on this occasion to chide the federal
oftice-holders, who with the negroes
compose the Republican party in the
Southern States, and to advise the
Democrats that: Nothing would work
greater advantage to the country at
large and to the South in particular
than the breaking up of what is known
as the Solid South" How the South
would gain by breaking up" and elect
Ing Republican Congressman, Taft did
not explain, SO evidently President
Roosevelt had nothing to offer. The
chief burden of his song was the doings
of the Boss of Oyster Bay and an APP
peal to stand by Roosevelt and not al
low him to be 'rebuked and thwarted
In his high purposes by the return to
Congress of majority of the opposl-
ton"
AS all the good things President
Roosevelt has recommended have been
of Democratic origin and In the next
Congress, ms in the past session, lie will
find quite as warm support from the
Democrats for all righteous legislation
rs he will from his own party, the
above partisan appeal Is surprising.
In fact, heretofore the President has
had far more to fear, on railroad and
trust legislation, from the majority of
his own party than from the Demo-
Gratis, and when he has been ''rebuked
and thwarted by them, it was because
he was urging Congress to do things
that were not Democratic. such as fore
Ing Arizona into Statehood with New
Mexico and in his treaty with Santo
Domingo, which would make the United
States the debt collector for all Latin
America, and by his extravaganza,
which far exceeds that of any other
President.
Democrats everywhere, South and
North, have no reason to break away
from their party and join the Republic
cans, whose rotten political machine
has been exposed in a hundred scan
dals and whose compact with trusts
and corporations, by receiving their
tainted money. Is national disgrace.
Oh, no, Mr.. Taft, this is ne time for
Democrats breaking away from their
ancient moorlngs, and even If it was,
the Republican party would offer no
inducement to honest voters until 1t
repents of its sins and honestly tries to
lead better life. Instead, rather than
Democratic breaking away from their
party, honest Republicans are leaving
and all signs point to the election of
Democratic Congress this year and the
election of q Democratic President In
1908.
Broadening the Federal Power.
The Springfield Republican says:
'The President seems bent upon leav-
Ing no vestige OF State government In
this nation. He Is apparently deter
mined to centralize all power at Wash
sington." Ei.
But the ominous feature of the stu
alton is that the Republican Congress,
MS well as the President, is drifting in
the same direction. During the hear
ings on public building bill, Attor-
ney-General Moody said: "The whole
tendency of legislation is to broaden
the Federal power" The President is
only tanning the flame of Imperialism
which was already burning furlousIy
at the time of his accession to office. 1t
Is singular that the only check the
tendency has received, came from the
Republican majority of the House Ju.
dietary Committee, in its report against
the assumption of Federal control of
life Insurance companies; and that
Judge De Almond, the leading Demo
crat on that committee, dissented from
that report, and filed minority report
In which he advocated assuming con-
troll of such institutions under the tax
Ing power. 1t seems that Congress can
control anything except Interstate and
foreign commerce by an exertion of the
taxing power; and that it can control
Interstate and foreign commerce by an
eNertfon of the power expressly given
for that purpose by the constitution.
The Republicans invoke the reserved
rights of the states In order to shield
the Insurance grafters who contribute
to their campaign funds, while the
Democrats invoke those state rights
for the purpose of curbing graft and
corruption. But Mr.. De Almond in
vokes the taxing power as weapon
against graft and corruption, while the
Republicans invoke and exercise II in
the form Of ubiquitous tariffs, in order
to promote and shelter marauding
trusts and monopolies. We naturally
prefer the Democratic theory; but pro-
tectionism has generated SO many so.
cialists, imperialists. and anarchists.
that majority Of the people seem TO
like Roosevelt because by his words he
boldly panders to the prejudice Of
those classes; and by his acts shrewd.
~ promotes the interests of the pluto
Gratis, who are just as active as the
socialists in promoting the tendency Of
legislation to broaden the federal
power.
The Panama Canal saunbbIe.
The tone of Secretary Taft's answer
to criticisms made upon his manage
ment of the Panama Canal work Is
characteristic of all the utterances Of
this administration in response to crlti-
clsm. From beginning to end 1t is a
piece of Incorporate scolding, recalling
the way in which the resignation Of
Engineer Wallace was received by Mr..
Taft and his superior, the President.
II the Official documents which have