The citizen. (Frederick City, Md.) 1895-1923, 1908-06-19
THE CHICAGO CONVENTION

The Chicago Convention and what it
will do is naturally of great and alb
sorbing interest
1t will almost certainly nominate Mr..
Taft for President on the Republican
ticket. His nomination is entirely due
to the power and influence Of Mr..
ROosevelt's administration.
Without that his nomination was not
even probability. The President is
strong with the people ard very popu-
lar, but not with the Republican party.
His popularity is very largely due, if
not entirely, to certain reforms carried
into effect, and certain others which
he has advocated And his success is
largely due to the Democratic support
in both branches of Congress. Without
which all of his policies would have
failed. 1t is wei known, if not con-
coded, that all the policies he has sue
ceeded in putting into effect as we'll as
those advocated, and in which he was
not successful, were the policies of
which Mr.. Bryan has been the advo-
cate and champion for twelve years
since 1896.
The nomination of Mr.. Taft for the
Presidency with nondescript for Vice
President, as will most probably be the
case, is by no means = guarantee of the
continuation of the policies of Mr.
Roosevslts administration. Mr.. Taft
is not Roosevelt. He can not do what
Mr.. Roosevelt has done for the people.
Mr.. Taft if elected cannot control the
Republican Congress. The real power
will be in the hands of the reactiona-
ries, and Mr.. Taft will not be able 10
control enough Republican strength in
the houses to unite with the Democrats
, to effect what Mr.. Roosevelt has af-
fected.
: And the Republican party, if contin-
ued in power will 60 back 70 the vicious
practices and principles in the admin
istration of the government which have
/ prevailed constantly since the war and
up to 1904. We shall have again the
: same high protective tariff trusts, mo-
} nopolies, corruption. greed, gain and
! graft. The reactionaries under the lead
of Aldrich. Allison, Lodge and Others
like them, will see that the old policie,
, and the special interests are main
tained
The tariff is only system of taking
money from the products of one Gle IS
to put it into the pocket, of another
class. High tariff hss orrupted and
drugged every standard that the people
of country ought to maintain except
money. Honesty, morality, patriot.
ism aud religion are all being destroyed
! by high protective tariff.
The people of country which has
grown accustomed to the operation of
this vicious system, are rapidly becom
ing if they have not already become,
insensible to shock when individu.. Is
steal from one another. AS evidence of
this We have only to lCok at the gigau-
tic steal in the matter of the State
house frauds in Pennsylvania and the
bank lootins by the Republican ring?
Pennsylvania is the citadel and the
chief beneficiary of protective tariff.
The land thieves, who have filched
from the public domain millions of
acres of the public lands worth hun
dreds of millions of dollars, will fiorish
again. What is the difference in NOR
ais between stealing uu6er the form of
tariff and stealing the public lands
from a government which establishes
and maintains system as dishonest as
the tariff would be conceded to be by
all intelligent and patr. otto people.
The principles and policies of the Re
publican party as carried out in the adj
ministration of the government are cor
rupting the morals Of the whole body
of the peopls-men, women and chill
dren. IL is teaching them the plain
doctrine of getting something for moth
ing. 1t is graft pure aud simple.
With Taft as the nominee and the
conditions that prevail in the Republl-
can party, lhe country can expect only
return to the policy of corruption,
greed, gain and graf. There will be
for the people not even the hope of re-
lief for four years more.