Weekly independent. [volume] (Elko, Nev.) 1887-1914, 1908-06-26
SINS Of OMISSION

- ~ ANla'ANN'A
markable for its sins of omission than
for the material il contains. The dele
gates voted down the propositions:
Publicity for campaign contributions
Popular election Of United States
Senators.
y demand for u bureau of mines.
Such revision Of the tariff rs would
make duties on imports equal to the
difference between cost IF production
ut home and abroad. and no morr.
\ law prohibiting combinations for
the purpose of sitting competition and
providing an imprisonment penalty for
violations,
The extension of the cight-hour law
IN all departments of the government.
Ii is difficult to believe Mr.. Taft and
Mr.. Roosevelt were sinners when they
proclaimed themselves in favor of pub
licity for campaign contributions.
They absolutely dominated the Chicago
convention. They could have written
into the platform anything they desired
TO put there. And the publicity plank
was defeated by "a vote Of $50 to %. Il
majority of nearly 500 votes. That is.
eight'tenths of a.convention controlled
by Taft and Roosevelt went on record
against a proposition ostensibly favored
by the controllers.
II Is hard IN ccoun for this over
whelming vote except On the theory
that McSSrs. Taft and Roosevelt are not
really in favor Of making u frank state
mcnt of the contributions received and
to bc received hy the republican
national committee in this campaign.
1t must h. that they are expecting TO
receive money from sources of which
they would NOT care for the public to
have knowledge. There is no other
avenue of escape.
The voting down of the popular cleo
ton of senators WAS not surprising. Ii
may have been influenced. in part. AT
least. by the recent result in Oregon.
where Il republican legislature is in
honor bound 10 elect Il democrat to the
United States senate, because the
democrat received Il majority of the
votes cast at Il recent election. But the
republicans, as II party, have never been
Ill favor of clecting senator's by popular
vote. If il had not been for the votes
of republican senators II constitutional
amendment covering this point would
long since have lScn submitted la the
legislatures of the various states.
The usual republican lack of interest
i'll h - west was manifested in the defeat
of II bureau q: mines proposition.
MIR. Roosevelt i, often spoken of as a
western president because he lived for
II time on Il Dakota ranch. The west
had Il right to believe he took enough
intere in il II III least suggest. through
the platform. the establishment of this
bureau, for the west would Ia distinctly
benefited 10y il. But Mr.. Roosevelt
and his political heir did % take the
necessary interest. and 50 the plank
was left ont.
The refusal IL adopt anything re-
mOtely approaching an honest tariff
revision plank shows quite conclusivcIy
that the countrywide desire for a rcvi.
sion of the tariff can never reach
fruiti"n through the republican party.
The r~evisionists did not ask for much.
They only wanted to commit the party
to u reduction of duties to Il point equal
10 the difference between the cost of
production AT home and abroad. That
would la Tnir IL Nr,,,1l Nr,-., a..
manufacturers from using the tariff rs
Il tax on home consumers. But the re-
publicans, hoping 10 he able to FRY the
fat IL of the protected interests.
promptly killed this mild suggestion.
There was another sop to the trusts
i'll the defeat of the appeal for Il law to
prohibit combinations formed for the
purpose of sitting competition and i'm
posing the imprisonment penalty for
violations. 1t was doubtless the prison
alternative that brought about the
rejection of this plank.
The refusal to adopt the plank provid-
ing for the extension of the eight hour
law To all government departments is
an indication of the republican love for
the laboring man. The fact should no
bc lost sight of in the campaign.
And the responsibility, the full re.
sponsibility, for all these sins of omis.
sion rests upon the shoulders of vii.
liam III. Taft and Theodore Roosevelt.
They cannot cvadc it. for the record
shows that the convention was theirs
to handle as they pleased. Salt Lake
Herald.