Wausau pilot. [volume] (Wausau, Wis.) 1896-1940, 1908-09-29

KNOW exactly Wnat is TO De reclprOC1ll
in Republican reciprocity. 1t is high
taxes first, then hate, and then more
high taxes. Friendship is first to be
expressed IN taxation by a Republican
Congress whose policy, the Speaker
says, will be that "a tax shall be levied
on every article made abroad coming
to our market that completes with our
products" After this has been done
in Congress, the President alone, with
out waiting for Congress. is to levy
more taxes on the products we buy
from any country which raises its taxes
to the monopolizing level of ours. This
sort of reciprocity is as easy to under
stand as a blow delivered to the solar
pleXus of person who begins to double
up his fists after we have called him
bad names and warned him off the
sidewalk in front of our gate. Recipro-
eating friendship was a Blaine ideality.
ReciprOcating high taxes abroad, with
higher taxes to build up more monopo-
lies at home, is a Cannon reality.
The Democratic Campaign Fund.
The most farreaching reform ever
wrought in American politics will have
ayers succeed in raising an adequate
fund for this years presidential cam
paign from popular subscriptions and
from contributions limited to sums not
in excess of $4,000.
Add the announced purpose of Mr.
Bryan and tae Democratic National
Committee to make public, before the
election, the name of every contributor
of 500 or more, and we have an abso-
lutte guarantee that the Democratic
campaign fund of 1908, be it large or
small, will be all clean money.
The Democratic estimate of 100000
to S1,CO0,000 for the necessary and le-
Ultimate expenses of the campaign con-
trasts sharply with the Republican es-
innate of 100000, and with Treas
urer Sheldon's call for half a million
just as a starter.
II the Democrats deem one million
sufficient ~ pay for the maintenance
of headquarters, the distribution of lit
erature, the expenses of speakers and
organizers, what does the Republican
National Committee propose to do with
the additional two millions, if Treas
urer Sheldon can get it-as he readily
can by giving to special interests a first
mortgage on his party?s
In 1896 the Republican party's hoped
for power of legislation in Congress
was sold to the interests that wrote
the Dingley tariff. Not the least i'm
portant question in this years politics
is the extent to which the Republican
National Committee and its treasurer
are putting the party up at auction
and the market in which they are of
fering 1t.
But If the Democratic plan of rails
ing campaign money can be made
success. no party in this country will
hereafter dare to sell itself for money
with which to buy its way to power
Application for campaign money to
sources which have no legitimate inter-
est in politics will be taken as prima
facie evidence of wrong intent. The
crime against the people of selling leg
islatlon in advance will be forever sup
pressed.
Democratic voters who earnestly de-
sire the success of their party, because
they believe its policies best for the
country, should remember that much
money is needed for the conduct of
great campaign, and should make it
part of their party duty to contribute
10 its expenses according to their
means. There viii be a great purifi-
cation of politics when this course is
adopted by the voters of all parties
ST. Louis Republic.