The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1908-06-25
THURSDAY, JUNE %, 1903.
THE RFpUBLlCAN PLATFORM.

In the platform adopted at Chicago
the Republican party as usual arrogates
to itself all the wisdom Of the people OF
the United States 1t reiterates the
threadbare old boast that the Republl-
can party is the only party which has
done anything or can do anything for
the country. Ii claims credit for what
ever good the people, with the help OF
the soil and the sun, have worked Tor
themselves and saddles the responsible
ty for all else on the Democrats.
They declare that panics are caused
either by Democratic rule or the
menace of it" But we had panic last
year, from which we are still suffering,
when all the branches Of the Govern
ment were Republican, and has been
for eleven years, and we are told in the
Republican platform that nothing SO
clearly demonstrates the sound basis
upon which orr commercial, industrial
and agricultural interests are founded
and the necessity of promoting the pres
ent continued welfare through the oper-
alton of Republican policies, as the re
cent safe passage of the American peo'
pie through financial disturbance
which if appearing in the midst OF Dem
ocratc rule, or the menace of 1t, might
have equaled the familiar Democratic
panics Of the past.
The present administration is given
unlimited praise. But this would mean
more if the principal policies which
President Roosevelt attempted to have
enacted into laws had not been balk
ed by the Republicans themselves,
who are now praising the Administra-
ton for what it sought to do, and what
it was prevented from doing, by Re
publican Congressman. In the face OF
this we are told in the platform that lin
principle the difference between Demo.
cracy and Republicaniem is that one
stands for vacillatlOn and timidity in
government, the other for strength and
purpose; one stands for obstruction, the
other for construction; one promises, the
other performs"
In treating of the currency question
they congratulate themselves over the
passage of the temporary currency ex
paI,sion measure at the recent session
of Congress, and this is the extent of
their performance in redeeming the
pledges Of currency reform on which
they came into power over eleven years
ago. They have done nothing else to
able to do this only at the eleventh hour
Of the session and then themakeshift wa
passed as a matter Of political expedieu
cy. And that is all they have to stand
on when they proclaim that they pre-
vented the 1907 financial disturbance
from equalng Democratic panics.
The platform contains a declaration
for tariff revision and goes on TO com
mend the steps already taken to this
tHi III lHt WI D. dHflBllttI ilt
committees of Congress, which are now
investigating the operation and effect of
existing schedules The platform max
ers knew well that these committees are
making no such Investigations and were
not expected TO make them when the
matter of tariff revision was referred TO
them by the Republican majority in
Congress Nothing is clearer than the
fact that while the makers Of this plat.
form are trying to conciliate the ele-
ment in the Republican party which
desires tariff reduction by promising
tariff revision on certain lines, their
promise If an empty one.
The platform il free in other promises
regarding labor trusts, capital, rail
roads, and many other things, but most
Of these promises the Republican Con.
gress has just refused to redeem