The Marion daily mirror. (Marion, Ohio) 1892-1912, 1907-09-07


Forsker's Stand Against the Admin
istrstion--says Let the People Speak
For Themselves and Then Learn
What They Want--London Papers
View or Reid's Rioine Dignity.
BY WILLIS }. ABBOT.
Secretary Taft is making his way To
tho Pacific coast with much deliberd-
tior ana a multitude Of speeches. Thus
far his speeches made in Columbus,
o.: Lexington, Ky, and oklahoma
have defined his position on few points
Of comparative political novelty In
the main he has cOntented himself
with eaIcgy of Roosevelt and with I'M
flinchiEg applause of the presidents
policies. Yet at one point he broke
away, as IN his Columbus speech, when
he mildly opposed tie presidents plan
for federal licenses of corporations.
But perhaps the greatest political In
terest has ccntcrcd upon Mr. Tafts
position on the tariff issue The politi-
cal world knows that he is antagonlzed
by the American Protective league on
the theory that he Is a rcvisiOnist He
referred TO himself I'm his Columbus
speech as one of that body. Yet con
ttnuing. he threw II sop to that element
IN the Republican party from which 1t
gets its campaign funds by saying that
there should be no revision until after
election This has always been the
position OF the Republican party. 1t
was specifically so In 1902, just before
the congressional elections, but while
there have been three such elections
and one presidential election the
tariG has been in no way touched,
though that party has had absolute
control of the government since. IL
there be No way TO judge the future
except by tho past the people may well
believe that promises for reform after
the election merely indicate forgetful-
ness when that moment arrives. II It
Is worth while 10 revise the tariff and
II II must. rs Secretary Taft thinks,
entail temporary disturbance in bust
uess. why not do IL In the coming Six
seth congress and let that possible
effect coincide with the usual business
depresslon that attends presidential
campaign?
Foraker's Response to the Challenge.
1t is not necessary TO agree with
Senator Forakcr's views in order to
have an admiration for the man. lie
rs lied ucck and crop TO corporation
interests. He seems TO believe With
sincerity that what il done for the
wealth of the country, however much
concentrated that wealth may he,
makes for the good of the whole peo-
pie. He serves the railroads. the trusts
aud The projected m0nopolies earnest
ly and wcll. Iet he is not qulbbler
nor straddcr WHAT he believes he
says, aud as he believes he votes. 1t
took courage for him to he the onc Re
publican 10 vote against the Roosevelt
rate bill. Some brG cry, too. was de
mandcd when he took up the Browns
sneeringiy that he had in mind some
10000 negro voters in Ohio and the
enormous power of the southern negro
in carrying delegations TO the next ma
tional convention Nevertheless In this
particular year Of political potroonery,
when practically every Republican
senator or representative you meet
here in Washington VIII denounce
Roosevelt personally and officially,
then "crook the pregnant hinges of the
knee where thrift may follow fawn-
ing" his manly stand Is like a cool
breeze on n sultry day.
This Is the way the Ohio senator
meets the Taft equlvocation on the re-
vision question. First declaring that
he does not believe revision necessary
ut all and that so far as he Is con-
cerned he would not promise II either
before or after the presidential elec-
tlon, he goes on TO plead that the Re-
publican party shall express its pur-
pose In plain terms. "Iet the people
speak," he says, "and then we can
learn what they want They will have a
chance in 1908. If they want a revision
of the tariff they can give their com
mands, and their wish will be obeyed." !"
This is the utterance of a frank and
open man If not wise one. It's weak
ness Is that the people will probably
be given no chance TO speak with def
niteness The Democrats will undOubt-
edly put demand for an immediate
reduction of the tariff into their plat
form. The Republicans will just as
certainly declare for revision and at
tempt TO make it appear that the revi-
sion VIII he downward and will he
promptly undertaken after the election
Only by studying history aud recogniZ-
ing the fact that never yet has the Re
publican party reduced a tariff system
and that during more than six years
Of absolute power 1t has steadfastly
refused TO carry out It's promises to re-
wise the tariff can the people wisely
make up their minds. That the tariff
issue will he the greatest issue for the
people next year is probable. Mr.. Bry-
an places 1t first among >hls trinity OF
issues-the tariff, the trusts and the
railroads-though he declares the three
TO be so ineXtricably interviewer as TO
make them of equal importance. II is
worth remembering, however, that
since the civil war the Democracy has
won national elections and congress
sional elections only on the tariff point