The Montgomery advertiser., 1906-06-24
SUNDAY. JUNE "A, 1908.
REPuBLIcANIsM THEN AND NOW.

Some Republicans have just conclud- ed the celebration of the fftieth an- niversary of the foundation of the Re- publican party. The bigger men of the party seem not to have been attract ed by the plan of self glorihcation of Philadelphia and these remained away Secretary Shaw was there, but with his present aspirations he will go anywhere, everywhere he Is promised an audience containing some voters.
 The orators that did put in an ap- pearance had difficulty naturally in connecting the party of today with that of Lincoln and Sumner. There have been wide departures in ideals Com ing into power on the Issue of restrict ing the growth of slavery, they con- solidated that power by waging a sue- cessful war to preserve the Union. That into 8 struggle to eEnaneipate the slaves did not deter them at its con- clusion from infiicting the most revolt ing indignities upon the white people of the South. The party had in eight years degenerated from an admitted ly high level of principles and ideals to an organization animated by spirit of prescription and hate. Tenn pered as this spirit has been by time the Party still trades in It at every election, using it as late as In the general election in 1904.
 The widest departure. however. is exhibited in foundig the protective system. The last tariff act prior to the War. that of 1857, originated in and was passed by a House over whelmingly Republican, That law lowered the Walker tariff and aided to make the decade between 1850 and 1880 unapproached in our history for the character and extent of develop ment shown. Enormous growth will be shown in 1910 for the decade that twill then come to an end, but 1t Is an easy prediction to say 1t will not approach in percentages the increases under the Walker act and the acts amendatory thereof.
 In conducting the war however. the
  travaeant expenditures that served in the nature of bounties. had built up large numbers of industries at the North that the war once over pleaded to be protected against the world by the maintenance of war taxes. There was some hesitation at first but the monopolists finally won. obtained and
 Of "a p{ { Inp and every tariff passed by the Repub- licans since the war has meant all ways an increase in duties; so that now the highest war tarlf would seem moderate in comparison with the rateR of the Dingley act, The party that got its initial inspiration in devotion to free as opposed to slave labor in free as opposed to slave soil. after ten years of existence deliberately set up a system of taxation by which the many were by law compelled to work for the few. Disguised in any fash ion it may be, a protective tariff con- stitutes a form of slavery, none the less odious because protection" has been substituted for "plueking" In the choice or a name At ID sin"'A "OHNSi that the Philadelphia speakers found difficulty in connecting in thought with 1856 while the whole country is ring ing with the noise of exploding sean dals, all more or less directly attributa- bie to present day Republicanism.
 By way of an aside 1t should be said their whole treatment of our new de- pendsncies would have deeply shocked the founders of their party. They have not SO far allowed the Filipinos dogs chance.