The Washington herald., 1906-12-02

4 have been trying for four years TO
make the revision - an unequal. inequit-
able. and burdensome tariff the issue be-
fore the American people. Upon that
Issue plainly put. fully discussed, and
reasonably decided. there IS no hope for
'standpatters"
Representative John Sharp Williams,
Of Mississippi, the Democratic leader in
the lower branch Of Congress. made the
above statement last night Mr. Williams,
fresh from hard campaign in his State
where since the electiot he has oeen
making speeches IN advocacy Of his Sen
atofial candidacy. believes that the tariff
is the great issue before the people OF
The United States. and, Furthermore, if it
Is placed before them In a proper form,
the party will be victorious. Mr.. VIII
uams, while he did not care to discuss
the subject. is plainly elated over his
campaign for the SenatOrship. and in the
opinion Of most Mississippians, he Will
easily defeat Gov. Vardaman for the
Senate.
Thinks President VIII Act.
sis pre-eminently a case for the 'arraign-
ment of public abuses at the bar Of pub
lie reason. An appeal TO public reason
is always stronger If honestly and brave
" made. than an appeal to private pocket
books The function of government is
to restrain all persons. whether individual
OF corporate, from injuring others. and
to leave them otherwise free in the pur-
suits Of industry. improvement. and hap
piness. The function is at once afirma-
tive and negative in its character Some
people over-emphasize one side of It and
some the other The duty to restrain in
order 10 prevent injury. is as great as
the duty 10 abstain where injury is not
being committed. and the duty TO alb
stain Is as great as that 10 restrain.
| Common sense and the spirit Of justice
must always hold the scales between the
two The Republican party has frankly
surrendered TO special interests, and al
| though its President has, to some eX-
tent. advocated other ideas, the leaders
Of his party have all looked askance at
| him. while he was doing 1t. l expect 10
see the President recommend a revision
Of the tariff He is great at meeting a
public demand half way or a little over
( haf way. in order to get rid Of the de-
mand. Republicans frequently do a
right thing on the principle of throw
/ ing a sop to CerebUs
Day of Reckoning Sure to Come.
Democrats. If they are true to the prin-
ciples Of Democracy enunciated in Jeffer-
sons first inaugural address, do right as
a matter of principle and not as matter
Of policy. If, when by a message to Con-
gress the President shall recommend a
/ revision of the tariff, he will recommend
| it along lines of special privileges to
none and the formulation of n tariff
rather in response to the needs OF the
government than in response TO the eX-
pressed greed of individuals IT his
| message shall recommend a revision along
other lines. with a view of satisfying the
revolt of the people against standpatism.
while really robbing no special interest OF
any special privileges then. even with
that. he may postpone the day of reckon
ing. not with the spirit of expediency, but
with the spirit of justice. He cannot,
however, do more than postpone it. be
cause the day of reckoning must finally
come. Abhorrers OF State socialism, of
corruption, and of private monopoiies are
I all allkP interested III Il AtNA9iptA VI bAie
/ tariff. without II only the symptoms of
public disease may be treated The cause
will not be reached. There ought to be no
| let-up on the part of any Democrat, or
any other patriot in pushing the fight It
must be pushed TO one or two points.
either the access of the Democracy to
power or the surrender Of the Republican
| in order 10 remain in power.
Lesson to the Democracy.
''The result of the recent elections" "
continued, the minority leader, ought to
be a lesson to the Democratic party-a
lesson to the effect that the application
Of the fundamental principles of the
] Democracy to existing conditions is not
only the honest issue to raise always. but
the winning one. All Of these principles
might be reduced, with approximate ac-
curacy. to one sentence-'equal indus
| trial and educational opportunities for all,
and special privileges for none; equal
burdens, whether laid by the govern
ment, or by government chartered cor
porations for all. and special discrimina-
tons in favor of none. When the prin-