Watauga Democrat. [volume] (Boone, Watauga County, N.C.) 1888-current, 1908-10-22
WASHINGTON LETTER.
Regular Correspondence.

Mr.. Roosevelt is 80 badly scar
ed at the sweeping campaign
that the Democrats are making
that it is all the Republican lea
ders can do to keep him off the
stump. A majority OF the Repub-
lican leaders claim that if Roose-
velt should 60 on the stump it
would indicate the dreadful pan
ic that actually exists among
republicans. Their Highland dis
may they are trying to keep to
themselves. but the public under
stands quite we'll how badly
frightened they are.
In Mr.. Tafts recent stumping
tour through the Middle and Cen
trail West, he discussed every
thing from the panic OF 1898 to
the present time. Mr.. TAFT has
by implication made a confess
sion OF the weakness of his cause
by going back to 1896 to dig mp
the issues of that campaign. He
contended that Mr.. Bryan hav-
ing favored free silver in 1896, is
an unsafe man at the present
time. But Mr.. Taft should rem
ember that in 1896 the Demo-
cratic party demanded indepen-
dent bimetalism and the Repub-
lican party pledged itself to ip-
ternationaI bimetalism. The one
means free silver by this coun-
try alone, the other means free
silver with the consent of Eu-
rope. After all, this is only q
difference in method and not in
principal. The Republican party
has dropped the silver question
just as much as the Democratic
party has dropped it. While Mr..
Taft delighted to 60 way back
in ancient history he did not say
one word about the full dinner
pail that the Republican party
made an issue in 1900and again
in 1904. No, indeed, the dinner
pail of the working man is very
empty at the present time. The
farmers of this country are pros
porous as a whole because they
ship abroad $970,000,000 OF
their crops every year and they
not only maintain their own
prosperity but are the main foun
dation of the prosperity of the
whole country by reason of the
fact that they bring this $780,.
900, 900 from foreign lands to us
by selling their wheat, corn, cot.
tor, pork and beef. If the robbel
tariff were abolished and FIRE e
trade promoted between us and
Europe, the farmer would be a.
BILE to sell more than this vast a.
mount to the foreign world
which wouldgreatlv promote our
prosperity and continue it in a
safe state.
Mr.. Taft seems to think, or
tries to think, that the PROPOSE.
tion of Mr.. Bryan to guarantee
the money of depositor is but lit,
tie short OF anarchy. Now, Mr..
Taft's plan is for the govern
ment to establish postal savings
banks. BY this means which he
proposes, the depositor will take
his money to the post Office and
have it entered in bis book like
the bank. and the money that
the postoffice receives from the
depositor will be deposited in the
national banks of the country;
here is where Mr.. Taft's argu-
ment is torn to tatters and rid.
died to shreds. After the postof.
flee has received this money from
the people they do not turn one
dollar OF that money over to the
banks until they have a guaran-
tee that every dollar will be
returned to the government
Now, if the governmentdemands
a guarantee before they will de-
posit their own money in a ma
tional bank, why should not the
deposition have aguarantee wher
he deposits his MI in the bank