Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1908-10-31
KOPP'S ELECTION
QUITE IMPORTANT
No Republican Should Vote for
Congressman Murphy
This Contributor Gives Reasons Why
He Thinks MIR. Kopp Should
be Solidly Supported.
To the Editor of the Herald:

nave AeaId few puDIlcanS or
Lancaster say they were going to vote
for J. w. Murphy for Congress, but
have never yet heard a satisfactory
reason advanced for such a course
There is little doubt of Taft's cleo
ito; but Taft, with Dem. House of
Representatives would be practically
poweIless, and even with Republi
can majority in the House would be
seriously handicapped, if that majority
were small, It is generally believed
that the Congressional election will
be close, and any man who votes for
Taft and j. W. Murphy votes for d
progressive PRESIDENT and an obstruc-
Zionist House. for the first principle
of every Democratic Congressman
under Republican administration is
to make trouble. It is human nature
Republican minority in the House
would probably act tia same way
What ever the real beliefs of the
Democratic members may be, they
feel it to be their party duty to-
thwart Republican policies for fear
the enemy will gain credit and in
crease its popularity. We want tariff
revision, among other things. and
Taft stands for tariff revision. not
thinly disguised free trade. Would
Democratic House revise the tariff
along conservative lines Never in
the world. It would put up to n
Republican Senate and President
tariff bill which they could not ap
prove. It would see to it that ap
prevail would be impossible, and they
would then hypocriticallY say to the
country :-"See. we tried to reform
the tariff, and your Republican Senate
and President blocked us. - And
supposing we had Democratic House
and Dem. President The Senate
will remain Republican. The Demo
cratic House will put up to the Rep
Senate tariff reform in the shape of y
bill for revenue only. the kind of bilE
which produced the panic when
Cleveland was elected in 1892. The
Senate will never agree to it. That.
means wrangle. That means, no
revision, nothing. We want tariff
revision, aud we want prompt and
thorough revision, but we want the
policy of protection maintained and
the interests of our wage earners safe
guarded. regard Mr.. Murphy as y
personal friend but he is Democrat.
and / Can't vote for him. | do not
oppose him simply as a Democrat, for
I am not 50 hide bound that could
not and would not vote on principle,
disregarding party allegiance. Ii
necessary. But how can [ vote for
Taft and what he stands for, and
at the same time for Murphy and
Democratic House? 1t is no answer
to say that Mr. Murphy is not free
trader. CIR that his views on tariff
revision do not differ materially from
those of the progressive Republican,
party. If that be so. still Mr.
Murphy would be utterly powerless to
carry out his views; they ale not
those of the majority of his party
Elect Murphy, and you help elect b
Democratic majority which will
organize and control the House.
Remember, there never was a Demo
cratic majority in Congress whose
chief business was not to obstruct
and that the only time since the war
when we have had a Democratic
President, Senate and House, in 1892.
the penalty was an industrial and
financial panic, due to a revenue
tariff, a panic which lasted five years
and which was broken only by the
return to power of the Republican
party The Democratic party has not
changed 1t includes a very few low
protectionists; the majority are free
! traders or in favor of a tariff for
revenue only | regard the main is
sue between the parties, as clearly
defined IN their tariff planks, to be,
moderate protective tariff, against D
tariff for revenue only. The Re
publican party still believes that in
FAINT industries should be protected.
1t recognizes that when an infant
gets into long pants it no longer needs
protection. and it will from time to
time revise the tariff and compel the
wearer of the long pants TO shift for
himself. But it believes, with every
other prominent industrial country ON
earth except Great Britain, land even
Great Britain shows signs of coming
to protective basis that our weak
industries need fostering, and our
labor needs protection. And, as ever,