The Idaho scimitar. [volume] (Boise, Idaho) 1907-1908, 1908-06-27

This plank lost by vote of S17 to g. nearly Is
to l. and yet President Roosevelt has advocated this
very proposition Here is retreat on the railroad
question
In another column reference is made to the njunc-
ton plank
convention is retreat from the position taken by the
president and from the position taken by Secretary
Taft in his speeches. although neither of them
so far they ought to have gone in their efforts
to prevent what is known government by inunc-
ton" Here is the third retreat.
The president has advocated the income tax as a
means OF preventing swollen fortunes and of equal
ling the burdens of government The republican
platform is silent on the subject Was the president
right IN the position he took? If So then the
vention was wrong in not indorsing him VIII the
republican voters follow the presidents just demand
or will they sustain the republican organization in
treating from it?
The president advocated an Inheritance tax but
the republican convention is silent on the subject
was the president the head of the republican party
advocating this reform, or has the republican party
receded from the presidents position? Did the pres
ldent give an alarm this subject or the republican
party sound retreat? In the presidents message
to congress last spring he presented an Indictment
against the conspiracy formed among the great law
breakers to prevent the enforcement of the law The
platform adopted by the republican convention con-
tanS no ntlmaton of danger. If there are any con-
sp1rac1es the convention did see them If there
are any dangers ahead it was unconscious Of them
Was the president mistaken when he issued his def
ance or are the republican managers deceived when
tney mink that an aroused public will calmly
template the encroaChment of predatory wealth
This is retreat.
The convention by vote of S66 to 114 more than
seven to one, voted down the plank in favor of the
popular election Of United States senator's 1t is
true that the president and Secretary Taft have
never advocated the popular election of senator's
They seem to take the Hamiltonan rather than the
getersonlan view, but the most popular reform in the
United States today is the reform that has for its OBJ
ect the election of United States senator's by direct
vote 1t has five times been Endorsed by the national
house OF representatives times when the house
OF representatives republican 1t has been in
dorsed by nearly two-thrds of the states of the
Union and there is probably not a state in the
Union in which it would not be ndorsed at popu-
lar election and yet in spite of the record made in
the house OF representatives and by the various states
this reform is rejected by a seven to one vote in
republican national convention
Here are seven propositions upon which the repub-
can party IN national convention assembled has re-
treated from the position taken by the party in con-
gress or from the position taken by the president
What have Roosevelt republicans to say? The pres
dent has awakened a spirit of reform within his
0ary he has at least revealed to the world that there
ire retormerS in the republican party Can that
spirit now be queled by stand pat convention? Mil
IONS OF republicans have enlisted at the presidents
all to arms and are ready 10 march forward; will
hey url their banners and turn back merely because
he president acquiesced in the sounding of re-
reat?