Amador ledger., 1908-10-02
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~ WneDBf Lno pOOpiB uBdlIB u DHIty
IN power which does things Co
enhance the credit of the nation and
develop its economic resources, or
whether it desires a party which only
harps and cavils at things done. An
opposition party has its uses, and in
many cases it is fortunate that there
should he seeshw in the possession
of power. The past twelve years,
however, have been years of remark.
able events in this country. They
have opened the door to an expansion
of influence and power abroad such
as has not come to the United States
for several generations. At home
also they have witnessed the creation
and carrying out Of a great body of
constructive policies by President
Roosevelt, which Mr. Taft is pledged
to continue.
TO dismiss the republican party at
the present time from the seat of
authority would be to turn the baud
backward upon the clock of national
progress. The election of Mr. Bryan,
with the continuance of great re
publican majority in the senate,
would mean a deadlock between the
white house and congress, persistent
playing of politics at Washington,
and a complete arrest of all the broad
reforms and progressive steps which
have been accomplished or inaugurated
during the past twelve years. Even
president Cleveland, sturdy democrat
as he was, recognized the fact that
the acquisition of the Philippines was
II fact accomplished and that even in
the Hawaiian Islands, which were
abandoned by his authority, the duty
was now imposed upon the United
States Of carrying out with firm
hand the task which they had under
taken. The resolute policies which
Mr. Hay and Mr. Root inaugurated in
the state department-the mainten-
ance of the open door in the Orient
and the extension of our relations
with Latin America would be put in
hazard by change of administration
Only by curious chance did the de-
m mocratic national convention endorse
a strong navy which is an essential
factor of republican policy, but is
not natural part Of the program OF
| Mr. Bryan. Even in the regulation OF
the railways and the assurance of
equal justice to all shippers and all
citizens, the orderly and energetic
policy adopted by the present ad-
IN Illustration and the Interstate com
merce commission would be Jared
and confused if put in new hands,
M ore Jealous perhaps than competent.
A change in the national admins
tration might be matter OF indiffer-
ence on some grounds but for two
important ''its.' The first of these
is that the republican party during
the past twelve years had merely
marked time without accomplishing
or inaugurating any important re-
forms; but the work which president
Roosevelt has done should be carried
on by men who are now in the
harness and who have been partners
in framing his policies. The second
ii is the important one. If Mr. Bryan
were ''safe and sane," but his efforts
to establish such a reputation by
promising to keep within the mits
of his platform and to respect exist
ing law are hardly sufficient guar
antee against his kicking over the
traces and doing something reckless
and injurious to the country before
it's effects could be fully realized.
The trouble about Mr. Bryan's
assurance that he will be bound by
republican legislation as he finds it is
that much of this legislation is dis
cretionary. No law can direct the
president or secretary of the treasury
at Just what moment they should
intervene to avoid panic or to save
the nation from some great financial
disaster. No law can compel Mr.
Bryan to issue circulation under the
recent emergency currency law il he
thinks it unwise. Indeed, in thou
sand emergencies liable to confront
the nation, not only financial but
political and International, it is
highly important that a man trained
by public service and with a mind
tempered by knowledge and respect
for law should sit in the executive
chair of Mckinley and Roosevelt.
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For Chronic Diarrhoea.