The Montgomery advertiser., 1907-09-14
WISHING AND BELIEvrNG.

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 | ---------~e-s-<s------- | WISHING AND BELIEVING.
 There Is an old saying to the effect that what we wish we readily be- lieve," and 1t is true now of some Re-
 publicans. A few days ago General Grosvenor said:
 | Protection has so proved its value to
 the country that the Democratic party
 alone. I don't mean that the rank and | file of the party are stand patters. but | at heart they are proteotionists, and the
 tariff plank in the next Democratic
 platform will be protectionist plank, l Commenting on this deliverance The New York Mail remarks:
 There is measure of truth in this | diagnosis. The Democratic leaders
 have no love for protective tarin, but
 a wholesome fear of making the old sweeping attack upon it has possessed i them. And in the hearts of the Demo- | cratic masses the idea is taking root I that a protective tariff Is a pretty good thing.
 Both general Grosvenor and The Mail islander the Democrats of the country by charging that the latter favor protectice tariff. The theory of free trade Is not favored by real Democrats, for they look on it as an | impossible dream which can never be- come a reality under our form of gov | ernment But because they do not be- lieve in free trade is no ground for saying that they favor the Republican idea of high tariff. The evil workings and the pernicious results of the pres ent system have been too plain for any Democrat of the old faith to look with anything but aversion on it. To say, as General Grosvenor does. that the rank and file of the Demo- cratic party are protectionists at heart Is a islander, to put it mildly, for they are not. Nor is The Mail any less slanderous when it charges that the Democratic masses believe that "a pro- tective tariff is pretty good thing for they do not believe anything of the kind. If the Democrats next year will nominate q sound Democrat on a platform plainly condemning and op- posing a protective tariff these two wild talking Republicans will change their opinions. The Mail argues that Democrats are fin mood for conver- sion," but they will first have to be blinded to what is now plain to their view before they can be converted to this pet of Rspublicanism.
 It is easy to understand why lead ing Republicans hope for Democratic conversion. The question of tarifr re- form is becoming an acute one In their own party. There Is so much dissat- isfaction among them over the present system that the leaders of the party are continually in dread and apprehen- sion lest there should be a revolt in their own ranks which, might drive them from power. In New England. irs the Middle and Western States there Is something more than a still small voice" demanding material re- vision and correction. It is becoming such aa insistent demand that it is causing no little worry and perturba- tion among the elect in administration circles.
 Under such conditions 1t would, be great relief to Republican leaders if the Democrats will let up, in their demand for tariff revision and leave it alone for the present It would enable them to possibly placate the dissatis- fled in their own ranks and allow the entire tariff question to be ignored at least until after the next presidential election. With a threatened eruption in their own party. and with the Dem ocrats aiding and encouraging the dis sensions already existing, the brethren on the other side are confronted by an unpleasant possibility. Therefore they try to believe that the Democrats are in process of conversion. They believe 1t because they wish it.