The Montgomery advertiser., 1907-08-02
DIsCOURAGING CONDITIONS.


 It is singular-we may even say it is humiliating-that there does not karise some strong man who will tackle this tariff question in dead earnest. as it should be tackled. It js not only an important question; it is a vital one, yet no man of either of the two great political parties; no man of cour- age and directness of purpose; no man with the qualities of leadership. will bend his powers and energies to the highly desirable task of making this an issue.
 This is a on-political question to the extent that the Republicans them selves are not united in support of the present system. All over the North. from Maine to Oregon, there are Re- publcans of high character, courage and statesmanship who make no secret of their opposition to the present tariff thoroughly revised, but not one of them will take off his coat and make an open and manly fight for the revision they know to be just and right.
 Why all this lodging, side-stepping and cowardly evasion of what they know is really a duty? Why. except that they fear Roosevelt. If he has not been badly misrepresented he has set his face against any attempt at tariff reform until after the next Presiden- tial campaign is over. If that is his attitude, as we are assured it is. 1t is easy to see why Republican leaders do not press the issue. To go counter to Roosevelt's wishes is to invite po- litcal ostracism and opposition. That is the secret of Republican disinclina- tion to attempt what many of them know ought to be done. In plain Eng | fish, it is moral and political coward ice that holds them back
 But what has all this to do with De- mocracy? it may be asked. Well, it | really ought not to have anything to do with it, as a matter of fact The Republican Party is tariff party. They believe in it and advocate it because of it's protective features. Because it protects and builds up certain inter ests they support it without regard to the injustice and burdens that may be imposed on the great mass of the Amer ican people. The infant industries" is a persuasive phrase with them and they work it for all 1t is worth This cannot and should not be said of the Democratic Party It is not protective tariff party and has not been. Tariff for revenue has been dominant feature of Democracy for many years, and there has rarely been a time when there was more need of demanding it than there is at present. Why do Dem ocrats avoid it? Opposition to the present system ought to be made the leading issue on the part of the De mocracy of the country. yet that issue seems to be in a moribund condition. No Democrat of prominence, wisdom, statesmanship and leadership seems willing to make that the issue upon which to fight the coming great battle of the parties. None of them seems willing to take hold of 1t in dead earn est and force the Republicans to make the fight on it. They are afraid of it. apparently.
 school, who has the courage of his convictions. such an issue would not only be right of itself. but would be good politics The people of this coun- try are not blind. They see the evils of our present tariff and would gladly see those evils abolished or materially modified They would rally to the sup port of any strong man who will go before them on the definite issue of tariff revision and force the Republi- cans to come out unequivocally for or against revision. The people admire a fight for the right if they see that he is in earnest. Thrice is he armed that hath his quarrel just" said the great