Weekly Watertown leader. [volume] (Watertown, Jefferson County, Wis.) 1908-1909, 1908-09-25
SECRETARY ROOT
REVIEWS ISSUES
Republican Administrator Vigorous
for Enforcement of Law.
Taft the Logical Successor to Con-
tinue Roosevelt Policies
and Reforms.

Elihu Root, Secretary OF State,
chairman Of the Republican convention
which nominated Charles f. Hughes
for Governor OF New York, addressed
the convention in part as follows:
Mr.. Roots Speech.
owe can turn to the administrations
now drawing to a close, both in the
State and in the nation, and with CON
fGence ask every American voter to
say whether they have not met all the
great fundamental questions Of good
government, whether they do not jus
tify the belief that 1t is best for the
country to keep in power the party
which Is responsible for them and is
entitled to the credit Of them. Have
not these administrations within the
State and within tne nation been hon
est? Have they not been capable? Have
they not been efficient? Have they not
set before the people Of America exam
pies of pure, high minded and patriotic
service in public office? Have they not
raised the standard of public duty
which the young men of America nave
set for themselves? Have they not
done US honor before the wOrld?"
Mr.. Bryan Answered.
Mr. Root took up and answered at
length Bryan's question, "ShaH the PEG
pie Rule" including the various ar
fragments of the Republican party and
ifc 10 t.
didate in recent speeches. Among other
things he said:
Mr.. Bryan charges that the Repub-
lican party is responsible for the abuses
Of corporate wealth. AS well might he
charge that the man who plants cotton
is responsible for the boil weevil, or
that the man who plants fruit trees is
responsible for the San Jose scale. I'm
til the millennium has brought the
eradication of human selfshness and
greed, social abuses will come accord
ing to the shifting conditions Of the
times. Adversely and prosperity, wealth
and poverty have each their own kinds
of abuse. Constant vigilance and con
to abuses as they arise is the task of
government and of good citizenship
but the work is never finished. The
Republican party has produced the con-
ditions which have made our great pros
perity possible, and it is dealing with
the evils which have been incident to
that prosperity with vigor and effective
ness. Upon the course to be pursued
regarding these evils, upon the attitude
and action of the government towards
trusts. railroads, and all the great cor
porations, there is no substantial issue
between the two parties.
Tariff Revision.
The Democratic party proposes that
they will wipe out the protective tariff
and substitute a tariff for revenue only
| shall not discuss that proposition, but
it ought not to be forgotten. The elev-
en- years which have passed since the
Dingley tariff was enacted have brought
about many changes in the conditions
to which the tariff law is applied. Many
of these changes have resulted from the
very prosperity which the protection
afforded by the tariff has produced. In
the nature of things, such changes must
occur and from time to time every tar
if must be revised and adapted to the
new conditions. As the period of revis-
ion, however is always one of uncer-
tainty and a consequent injury to bust
ray-ic n ~ to hp +no
often or upon slight grounds. The
Republican party has not considered
that sufficient grounds for thus disturb
ing business have existed heretofore.
1t now considers that sufficient grounds
do now exist, and it has pledged itself
Immediately after the 4th of March
next to devote an extraordinary session
of Congress to making such a revision
in accordance with the true principles
of protection.
The last time the Democratic party
was in power the result was the Will
son-Gorman tariff of 1898. The very
threat of such a proceeding at that
time stopped business, closed the mills,
threw millions of men out of employ
ment, and was accompanied by uni
versal business depression and disaster.
Are we ready to repeat that experience
now, as we surely shall if we put the
Democratic party in power?
The Railroads.
The Republican party believes in
the regulation of railroads. 1t believes
that their managers ought to be made
and can be made, to obey the law. 1t
believes that by an enforcement of the
law, not spasmodic and sensational, but
steady. firm. and persistent, excessive
and discriminating rates can be
stopped: and it is now, and has been
D-II