Tazewell Republican. [volume] (Tazewell, Va.) 1892-1919, 1907-08-01
THURSDAY. AUGUST l, 1907.
WHO ARE THE cOwAROS ?


heaping upon President Roosevelt be-
cause of his avowed intention to recon-
mend that no effort be made to revise
the present tariff until after the next
Presidential election.
Some of our Democratic exchanges
are claiming that in taking this position
the President has been guilty of a cow
ardly backdown from his tariff views
1T he had taken an opposite position.
and announced an intention to recon-
mend to Congress at its next session
that it proceed to revise the present
tariff schedules on certain lines. he
would have been charged by the same
critics with political cowardice. They
would have insisted that he was afraid
to have tariff revision enter into the
next Presidential election as an issue
through fear that it might possibly
cause his entire administrative policy
to fail Of endorsement by the people.
Our Democratic friends do not seem
to realize that there is vast difference
between the Republican idea of tariff
revision and the dangerous Democratic
doctrine of tariff reform or tariff smash
ing The one is constructive princi-
pie, and the other a destructive policy
for leading up to free trade. If a man
who intends to build house acts wisely
he will be careful not to select a loca-
ton where he can only secure a foun-
dation of sand. Then he will be equally
careful in the selection of an architect
to furnish the plans, of the mechanics
who do the work, and the season for
having the building done. But if man
wants to tear down house that is al
ready standing, no matter how useful
and beautiful it may be, he will be in
Indifferent as to whether it is done bv
skilled or unskilled labor, and will be
equally as reckless as to when the work
shall be done.
The present tariff laws are the crea-
ton of Republican statesmen. They
were constructed upon scientific princi-
pies and at the instance of such notable
patriots and statesmen as Mckinley,
Dingley and Morrill,. The Democratic
party has always declared that the
principle of Protection, upon which the
tariff was based and built, was wrong
and that free trade or tariff for revenue
should be substituted.
The Republican policy has proved
both wholesome and acceptable to the
people. But some prominent Republi
cans have concluded that the tariff
structure built by their party needs re-
pairing and perhaps remodeling. No
Republican believes it ought to be torn
down. This being their position, they
certainly ought to be left the privilege
to say at what season and in what man.
ner and who shall do the repairing or
remodeling. They would hardly be
foolish enough to determine these things
upon the demands of the men who ira
ditlonally and are actually opposed to
the foundation principle upon which the
structure is based.
If the tariff laws are faulty and are
wronging any class of citizens, let the
Democratic free traders draw I'D a list
of specifications or bill of particulars
as suggested by Senator Foraker so
that the country may know certainly
what schedules need revising. But the
Democratic donkey continues to kick
and bray at phantoms, and calls the
President coward because he does not
kick and bray too. The donkey. how.
ever, does not see that he is playing his
antics under false flag. When did he
become tariff revisionist? When did
he cease to be a tariff reformer and q
free trader?
Instead of Roosevelt and other Re-
publicans, who may be tariff revisionists.
proving themselves towards, by advis-
ing that action be postponed until after
the next Presidential election, the Dem {
ocrats are the towards Thou 90 I
afraid to hoist their true colors. free !
trade. March under your own flag gen. |.
.lemen, if you want to establish YOUR :
'wn courage and assail the fortitude of +
,thers.