The herald-advance. (Milbank, S.D.) 1890-1922, 1908-10-02
SECRETARY ROOT
REVIEWS ISSUES
Republican Administration Vigorous
for Enforcement of Law.
Taft tho Logical Successor to Con-
tinue Roosevelt Policies
and Reforms.

chairman of the Republican convention
which nominated Charles E. Hughes
for Governor Of New York, addressed
the convention in part as follows:
MIR. Roots Speech.
I'VE a turn to the administrations
now drawing to a close, both in the
State anG in the nation, and with con
t0ence ask every American voter to
say whether they have not met all the
great fundamental questions of good
government, whether they do not JUS
tlfy he belief that it 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 tn,
State and within tne nation been hon
est! Have they not been capable? Havt
they not been efficient? Have they no.
set before the people of America exam
pies of pure, high-minded and patriotic
service in public office? Have they no.
raised the standard Of public duty
which the young men of America nave
set Tor themselves? Have they no'
done us honor before the world?"
Mr.. Bryan Answered.
Mr. Root took up and answered at
length Bryan's question, Shall the PEG
pie Rule" including the various ar
fragments of the Republican party and
Its leaders made by the Democratic can
lIIatn n, Vna,,{ a,N. aLA l~
things he said:
MY. 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, OF
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 SeltshneSS 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
slant activity to meet and put an end
to abuses as they arise is the task of
government and Of good citizenship
but the work Is never finished. The
litions which have made Jul great pros.
perity possible, and it is dealing with
the evils which have been incident to
that prosperity with vigor and effective
nnSC Tnnp tho nn1rCn fn no y.,,rS,,ol
regarding these evils, upon the attitude
and action of the government towards
trusts, railroads, and all the great cor
p%orations, 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-
ell 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
ness, reyisions ought not to be made too
often or upon slight grounds. The
Republican party has not considered
that sufficient grounds tor thus disturb
ing business have existed heretofore.
1t now considers that sufficient grounds
do now exist, and 1t has pledged itself
Immediately after the 4th of March
next to devote an extraordinary session
Of Congress to making such q 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 1893. 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
yersal 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 il
a.
that their managers ought to be made,
and an be made, to obey the law. Il
believes that by an enforcement OF thu
law, not spasmodic and sensational. bu
steady, firm, and persistent, excessive
and discriminating rates can b
stopped; and it is now, and has been