Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1908-01-29
The Paramount Issue.

Some of the democrats who have
been Indifferent to the trust ques-
ton and the railroad question are
now insisting that tariff reform shall
be made the paramount issue and
that thier questions shall be rele-
gated to the rear. Lest this demand
shall deceive some of the rank and
file of the party, it may be we'll to
recall bit of history. The men
who are so Jealous now in their de.
sire that consideration OF the tariff
shall exclude the consideration of all
other questions had a chance in
1896 to show their interest in this
subject. Then the republican can.
didate was the. high priest. of pro-
lection; he had linked his name with
the Mckinley bill standing for the
most ultra protection, and yet some
of these who are now posing as the
special guardians of tariff reform
did not hesitate to support the re-
publican ticket. 1t is entirely pos
sible that their enthusiasm for a re-
,duction of the tariff has increased
since that time and yet it is rot un-
likely that these same men will be
found supporting the republican
ticket at the next election even if
the ticket has at it's head standpat
high tariff man. The fact is, and it
might as we'll be recognized, that
some who call themselves democrats
are so closely connected with rail-
road interests either as stockholders,
legal representatives or financial
agents that they resent any attempt
at effective regulation Of the rail-
roads. Some Of these democrats
are also connected with trusts, some
of them hold stock, others are even
directors and others are attor-
neys for trusts These men-wheth
er consciously or unconsciously is a.
matter OF opinion-underestimate
the Importance of the trust question
as to those connected with the rail
road question. They insist that tar
if, and that tariff alone, shall be
considered, and yet it is quite Ger
tain that no tariff plank could be
made strong enough to suit them if
the party at the same time took an
emphatic position in favor of rail-
road regulation, and against trusts,
and nominated candidate known
to bein sympathy with the plat
form. They would find some ex-
cuse for fearing the disturbance of
business or injury to the public, for
to them there is no business except
that portion which they derive pro-
fit and no public except that porti-
on whichis engaged in the exploita-
tionof the masses.
The rank and file of the demo-
cratic party fully believe-in tariff re-
form and they believe in tariff re-
form more earnestly and more con-
sistantly than these self constituted
guardians OF tariff reform who have
suddenly become SO interested in
the successes OF the democratic party
"a party to whose defeat they large
ly contrlbuted-but the rank and
file know that there are other ques-
tions besides the tariff question, and
that these questions must be con-
sidered. No party can ignore an is
sue which majority Of the people
desire to have considered and any
attempt to ignore such an issue is
sure to result disastrously to the
party. A majority Of the American
people favor tariff rnform and it is
probable that majority would be
willing to intrust tariff reform to the
democratic party, although there is
an element which deludes itself with
the idea thlt reform of the tariff can
be secured in and through the re-
publican party. it is to be hoped
that during the campaign this ele.
ment may be brought to under
stand that the republican leaders
are impotent to bring tariff reform.
There is also majority-an
even larger majority in favor
of annhilating the trusts and
annihilation Of the trusts
does not mean an humiliation of in
dustry, it does not mean the closing