Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1908-07-01
EXPERIMENTATION.
CONTINUED from Page One.)

scCeSOA OA IItS 1<dtiOudl COulIHcTC6 anu
for doing other things which the
states cannot do, is long step
towards GENERALIZATION and the de-
stracfion of local self-government in
the states. and that the Republican
party Is about to consummate those
policies which the party of Jefferson
has condemned as baleful heresies Of
Hamilton. This charge is not new.
The opponents of Republican policies
rent the air with it in the days Of the
Civil War, but when the conflict was
over It was found that the Republi-
can party had common sense enough
to- save the Nation and still preserve
that local initiative and responsibility
which is the pride and glory of Amer
lea. Two things are necessary for a
great Nation, strong government
and u capable people. A strong gov
ernmcnt is made by giving it the
means to assert its power in the
sphere Of its proper duties. A capable
people are made by placing on their
shoulders all the duties and RESPONSE
bilities that they can properly bear.
Our New England ancestors, with the
painted savages before the doorways
Of their homes and Cotton Mather
and Jonathan Edwards before the
dOorways OF their consciences, were
never permitted to forget their duties
and their responsibilities. They left
us, that splendid capacity for local
self-government that distinguishes
the American Of today.
The Republican party, which has
stood always for the independence
and freedom Of the individual, for the
dignity Of labor and the security of
property, cannot from its very nature
sacrifice local liberties to centralized
authority. For when you take away
from the American his duties and
rights Of self-government in his own
little communities, you take away the
very object for which the Republican
party has endeavored to prepare him.
For 1t Is by the skill acquired in gov
erntng the town and the State that
the affairs of the Nation are carried
forward in success.
Our imaginations always create IL
lusions as to the man at the head Of
the line. AS we think Of General
Grant leading the armies Of the Union
we are apt to assume that he did
1t all, forgetting the magnificent rank
and file Of subaltern officers and pri
Yates who were as necessary to him as
he was to them.
The minor officers of our local gov
erflments are as much a part Of our
system as the congressman and Exec
utfve at Washington, and the Republic
can party. of all parties, is least like
~ to overlook one for the other The
mayor of a city, the sheriff Of a coun-
ty, the selectman of a town, who does
we'll his duty, in the fear of God and
without the fear Of any man, is a
statesman in civilizations advanced
lines, and may stand unabashed before
presidents or princes.
@On day of party reunion like this.
it. IL. natural to remember the past
while providing for the future. Ten
years ago the Republican party of the
Nation faced the necessity of a re-
opening of the Oldest and most fire.
d,iently recurring issue Of American
politics, the readjustment Of the tariff.
A great speaker presided over the
House of Representatives, where he
had restored to the responsible major
ity rarty the power to legislate I'M
lTarnpered by obstruction. Thus, for
tho first time in many years. the Re-
publican party, with an effective ma
jority in the House and control of the
Senate, on thorough Republican lines,
was in a position to write on the stat
ute books a tariff law embOdying fully
the party doctrines.
The duty of originating that law
fell on the House of Representatives
by the terms Of the Constitution,
and the Speaker. although himself
from the State of Maine. did not
hesitate to select for the duty of
framing that law colleague also
from the State of Maine. The re-
suit most amply justified the choice.
The craftsmanship of Maine wrote
upon the statute books the best con-
ceived, most carefully worked out and
most successful of tariff laws. 1t ush-
cred In period of National prosperity
30 great and so long continued as to
make obsolete all the standards of the
past. There Is probably no doubt
that the State of Maine would continue
for years her Industrial prosperity
under the tariff adjustments made
q decade ago by the genius of her
KTeat StAt0SHlcu IOuS Tic scHci Ii
council of the party, out of Difference
to q reasonable demand that the tar
In law should meet certain new condi
tions which have arisen, has decreed
revision of. that work. The Republic
cans Of Maine will cooperate Loyalty
ana cheerfully, but they will insist that
the new tariff shall be framed on the
basic principles of the old, that it
shall be a protective tariff for the adj
vantage Of the American farmer, the
American laborer and the American
manufacturer, rather than for the adj
vantage of the laborers. farmers and
manufacturers of other lands.
Itswas my fortune to be in the great
convention, OF the party, so lately adj
journed in Chicago. There was diver
sity of opinion before that convention,
both as to platform and candidates
as there are diversities Of opinion in
this convention. as there should be in
the convention of a live. aggressive.
political party, in which lives q pride
OF the past and a lively expectancy of
the future. But when the decision of
the great council had been made. when
It had nominated a large Drained, Ju-
dicially minded and conscientious pa