Virginia citizen. (Irvington, Va.) 1891-1921, 1907-09-20


advocacy by President Roosevelt OF
both an income and also an inheritance
tax. Might it not be urged that the
brilliant leader from Nebraska and his
able associate in New York are causing
the Democratic party to walk into a
trap when they ask it to make issues on
which the Republicans have a record of
performance while the Democrats by
reason of their having been out of
power for so many years have only one
| of promise. Certainly these gentlemen
cannot deny that were the mass of
voters to displace on such issues the
present party of accomplishment for
the one which merely pledges, they
would be experimenting without reason,
very rare thing under the conditions
already set forth.
But we are also told by the present
ruling powers In the Democratic party
it is useless to deny that Mr.. Bryan
and his friends are not thus at the
present time-that while the spirit of
radicalism will dominate the platform of
1908 it will not be the big issue of the
campaign. There will be no such thing
as the cry of Organism to frighten the
East. Instead the main appeal upon
which the Democratic party will 90
before the country and on which all
Democrats will stand together is to be
on the Tariff; that it will be shown that
so long as the Protective Tariff shuts
out competition and gives to the great
combinations of capital, the control of
the American market, it protects and
intrenches the Trusts in power and
hence the present attitude of the ad-
mlnistration towards them is hypocriti-
cal. As a result, those who suffer
through competition and also by reason
of an increased cost of living quite out
of proportion to their income will eager
ly welcome an opportunity of turning
the high tariff party out of power.
No one dare dispute the wisdom of
all this, but two additional facts are
inseparable to proper consideration of
the expediency of having the Tariff as
the gauntlet. They should be considered
while the issue is in making. The
fisrt, that the Republicanparty in New
England, the Middle West and else
where has Tariff reform wing of it's
own. While it is true that Cummins.
of Iowa, and other leaders in it remain
steadfast to the principles of Protec-
tive Tariff. they nevertheless favor the
re-adjustment of those schedules which
serve to create a monopoly and this
policy is generally known by the mass of
voters. Further, if the situation be such
that the Tariff will be the dominating
question of 1908, the Republican party
under the leadership of Theodore Roose-
Welt will incorporate such a declaration
in its platform and the popularity of the
President with the rank and file of his
own party will keep many of its men,
bers loyal, who, under other conditions.
might vote the Democratic ticket on
this issue. But the second is even more
important than the first. 1t goes to
the very root of the matter. Will the
Commercial interests and wage earners
trust the revision of the Tariff to an
organization looked upon as radical in
tone, pledged to departures grave
enough to require much time before the
country adapts itself to them? think
not. If there is any reason why the
party must return to conservatism if it
would succeed, it lies in the fact that
the Tariff is to be the issue. 1t is un-
necessary to dwell at length upon the
amount of care required in the framing
OF a new Tariff law, and how such agita-
tions without even Legislation in sight
effect the farmer, the merchant, and no
less the wage Garner. The very strength
OF the Republican party upon this issue
in the past and of the Democratic party
in 1892, lay in the fact that both organi-
cations during those periods were not
alone conservative in tone, but in the
hands of conservative men. That the
mass of voters would entrust legislation
on so important a subject to party
with radical tendencies is not to be
thought.
But there is presented the possible
situation of the Tariff as an issue with
the Republican and Democratic parties.
both radical in tone How little would
this avail the latteri For after all, the
conservative wing is power in the
Republican party despite the ascen-
dency of Theodore Roosevelt. This
was shown not alone in the contest
over the enactment of the bill giving
the Interstate Commerce Commission
the power to regulate the freight rates,
but on other occasions. 1t is powerful
enough in the Senate, if not in the
House to hold the President in check.
The situation in the Democratic party
is quite different. We find there the
conservative wing demoralized with
many of its leaders, men known the
length and breadth of the country as
statesmen, driven into retirement by
those who would have the party remain
one of advanced ideas. If, therefore.
the voters with conservative tendencies
must choose between two radical organi-
zations, the Democratic on the face of
things are apt to have a very poor
chance of success.
The great obstacle those who would
have the party return to conservatism
must face, is that the term is too fire.
quently misunderstood. AS a conse-
quence conservative men and measures