The comet. (Johnson City, Tenn.) 1884-1916, 1908-11-19
VITA THINGS
AS THEY ARE.
HIGH PROTECTIVE TARIFF.
Republican Party Cannot Compose
the Irrepressible Conflict Be-
tween Capital and Labor

L uO not knOWt Sdlu EulHunu
Burke, "the method of drawing up an
indictment against a whole people" "
Neither does the Courier-Journal. The
result of Tuesdays election shows con-
clusively that great majority of the
people of the controlling section of the
union are well content with things as
they are; that it is better to endure the
conceding shortcoming of the party in
power than embark upon an unknown
sea of continuous agitation; that Bryan
meant this whilst Taft meant rest; in
short, that dollar, though tainted, in
hand, is worth a bush full of patriotic
distractions,
The idiosyncrasy of the time is COM
merce. AS in the last century it was
liberty reaching out after industrial
freedom-and measurably attaining it;
is it now materialism reaching out after
markets. The average voter of better
education and intelligence takes no
thought of the hereafter, and is even
more Indifferent to the heretofore. He
is completely engrossed by the present.
That which Bacon calls "the wisdom
of our ancestors" makes as little APP
peal to his reverence or reason, as that
which Burns calls slight from heaven"
makes to his imagination. He would
not exchange the current crop reports,
with rising price-list, for all the books
that were ever written upon political
economy. He either carries the fool Of
the vicinage with him, or else raises
enough dust to blind his eyes and dis
arm his suffrage.
We need take no account here of the
agencies of organization and corruption
though both may be seen clearly
enough, They show so plainly in the
nomination and election Of the success
ful candidate as to make it apparent
that whole segments of the people are
no longer appalled, by anything, how
ever immoral and wrong, that does not
touch their pockets Even those that
preach the simple life in the magazines
of the east are deaf to the drum-taps Of
conscience. Nay, he that shrieks
Righteousness :" from the highest
places is found often practicing FRAUD
in the lowest; so that the language o.
the religion Of literature and journalism
and commerce, is cant.
1t is the part neither of common
sense, nor of upright manhood, in thu
vanquished to kick against the pricks
Let us hope and believe that, DESPITE
its pharasaism and detilement, politics
is not war, nor party lines yet lines 0
battle. The electorate has declared for
high protective tariff; it has declared
for an invincible armament, embracin,
anavy unsurpassed upon the seas, alonI
with corresponding military establish
ment upon fixed war-footing on tn
land; it has recorded vote of conf
dence in the chieftains of the tw
branches of the national legislature, a
they are known to be constituted an
controlled, and has given them cart
blanche to make billion-dolar congress
es the rule and not the exception.
The country is rich, 1t is in the al
gregate growing richer. 1t is quite ric
enough to stand it. However mequt
the distribution of its wealth, the sy'
tenn, which is able to keep lobby
each of the houses at Washington, wi
have no reason to fear that its ordel
will not be executed as well in tn
matter of impost duties laid to protet
their vast accretions of capital as in Il
matter of government contracts mac
to fatten the party-workers. Are v
not o world power, and are these ou
lays not essential to our dignity?
Yet each mishap has its cOnpens
ton. In the personality of the electt
president the people may be said to
in possession of an anchor to windwar
Judge Taft owes his election to his ow
character. Of this there can be /
manner of doubt. From first to last
was grievously handicapped by Il
president. Ii was the belief that he
not as Roosevelt-that though his pie
form faced two ways, he could be relit
on to face but one way, and that W;
the reverse of the spectacular perforr
ances and agitations barren of result,