The Spokane press. [volume] (Spokane, Wash.) 1902-1939, 1908-06-20
Copyright, 1908, by Newspaper
Enterprise Association)
BY LINCOLN J. STEFFENS

| Enterprise AsSOciation)
BY LINCOLN J. sTEFFENS
Special Correspondence to The Press
CHICAGO, June 20.-The republi-
can party has declared itself as the
conservative party Of the United
States. That in brief is the essen
tial result of the proceedings of the
great convention. IT Is important,
this conclusion. 1t could not have
been predicted weeks ago or even
a few days ago. The president has
been in control. Theodore Roose-
welt although not conservative is
liberal He has stood for progress
and reform and any changes ap-
pealed to him which were neces-
sary for the common welfare and
as the leader of his party he forced
1t to adopt his liberal policy under
the big stick. The republican party
in power has carried the country
far ahead in the progress towards
or any other friendly critic can
take away from the Roosevelt party
that credit for his grea, achieve
ment And this was his intention.
He had planned wisely and well to
the end that his party might carry
on the work that he had begun. He
secured control of the party organi-
cation. He went out OF the narrow
way to do this. He broke rules and
set a dangerous precedent to force
the reluctant party to continue his
policy after his retirement.
1t is wrong for the president to
name his successor as 1t was for
him to have said 81 am a candidate
for the third forbidden term"
No matter about that now, how
ever. The point Is, he has lost in
spite of his sacrifices. In spite Of
his apparent victory be stand de-
feated. have no doubt some will.
say that he is satisfied now that
the party will carry on his policies.
But it won't Taft may try to COM
plete some of the reforms Roose-
welt left unfinished, buts the party
will oppose him as the President.
Taft Is conservative but not lib
eral. Taft Is honest and there isn't
the slightest doubt but that If he is
elected he will try to persuade con-
gress to stand for honesty and the
square deal" His party, however,
will not. The party platform shows
that.
Read that platform. Read 1t
slowly and with thought; then take
Iup the minority report. Read that
with care and equal thought. Read
Those planks which the party would
not accept.
| cannot get into them now, but
take one or two instances. Con-
gresham Cooper, of the Wisconsin
delegation, offered planks requiring
publicity of campaign contributions.
There could have been no honest
objection, but it was blow at the
methods of our political corruption.
The resolutions committee would
have none Of it. Cooper was the
only man to vote for 1t. But he
carried his platform upon the floor.
There fortunately some delegates
asked for separate vote upon the
publicity plank. But the conven-
ton beat the plank by an over
whelming vote.
Taft may be for honesty in cleo
! tons, but the party is rot honest.
Honesty is a fine virtue. 1t may
be rare, and certainly the way we
Americans applaud 1t suggests we
have need of 1t, and honesty would
indeed do much for US, but it will
not solve all problems.
Is it honest, for example, for a
monopoly to raise the price OF ne
cessities which it controls? Is 1t
Tor the good of the people to al
low this monopoly to charge freely
what it pleases?
Roosevelts railroad law recog-
nizes that. The law requires rail
road to charge no more than rea-
sonable rates. But Sen. LaFollette
and his republican friends put in
their attempts to regulate railroads
in their state that if they were to
fix reasonable rates they must be
able to determine the value of the
railroads property, So the Wis
consin delegation proposed for the
party a plank for the valuation of
railroad property. The railroads
hated the idea. 1t was a menace
not only to their rate making
powers of taxation but also to the
stock watering. They opposed this
plank. Their representatives in the
resolution committee were against
it. The committee threw 1t out.
There was separate vote on that.
need not, however, go on.
Labor got nothing; absolutely
nothing. But no other common in
terest got anything either. There
is nothing new, clear; nothing def
mite or generous in the whole plat
form. The anti-injunction plank is
an example.
This plank contains bow to the
courts, a bow to labor, a bow to
capital, and that is all,
Read 1t yourself and see.
The republican party stands pat.
Now please don't misunderstood
me. am not finding fault. The
, conservative party is natural, 1t is
therefore necessary 10 think.
The large proportion of most of
, the conservative parties should
have a separate party. When they
are in a majority they will be in
mower