The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1908-11-29

| die their own canoe barring a victim
here and there TO tickle the cOnceit OF
| the popular conscience. or to pay the
penalty exacted by bad luck or bad
play
We are quite sure OF DO serious -agi-
tation under Taft. What we might
have had under Bryan We may only
conjecture; but certainly continued
agitation on the line OF reform. I'm
| less the movement suggested by the
Evening Post had this in view, to what
purpose, any movement at all: but in
case it has, how would it differ from
other movements involving agitation
and disturbance for which the people
are not ready?
Suppose Bryan had been out of it.
Suppose he had agreed betimeS to play
Warwick to Johnson. of Minnesota?
Can the Evening Post think that the
result would have been different? All
that was said against Bryan would
have been said against Johnson with
the addition that in Johnson. Bryan'S
candidate. all Offset would have been
found to Taft, Roosevelt's candidate
Johnson might have got larger for
eign vote in the west. He might have
got a larger Independent vote in the
east. But the finale would have been
the same. The bread-and-butter argu-
ment was decisive.
Under the new cartel. we are to
hold the Philippines-eight, or ten mil
lions of Semi-SaVageS 10 be educated
and Christianized and converted into
customers, to be fed and clothed I'M
der the blessing of a protective tariff.
We are TO hold the Philippines. a van
foreground in the Orient, whence to
meet the World in the quest for the
trade of China-StiII under the bless
ing of a protective tariff Cuba, and
the rest of the West Indies that we
may require, we shall hold in reserve.
We owe these things to Christianity.
TO benevolent assimilation. TO the mar
ket-getting spirit of the age. to the
principles of free and enlightened Re-
publican government: but. of course.
we must have great army and a
great navy. and. happily. these fall
in with the maintenance of a high BRO
tective tariff. What shall the people
care about billion dollar congresses
whilst their trade expands in every
direction? Why should they turn out
a level-headed party with Wondrous
turn for the Almighty Dollar and put
in a party Of rhetorical Missionaries TO
experiment with rhapsodical theories
OF reform?
Tariff revision? Why, the Demo
Gratis had their chance and what came
of it? After twenty years of agitation
the most practical and Calculating: led
by men deeply learned in the SEIZED
uleS and their relation to business:
able to expose the sOphiStry OF prptec-
tioniSm on the hustingS and to meet
the falsehoodS of the protecJionist at
torneys on the floors of the two
houses of congress: what happened?
Why, the party leadership fell upon
man Who, as 10 this great issue. proved
singularly unequal to its demands
The fruits of twenty years of patient.
painstaking. courageous work, cuImi-
mating in a glorious victory were com
pletelv lost.
Wells IS dead Beck is dead. Frank
HWd is dead. The Old Parsee Mer.
chant is dead. Who is to take the
place OF any one of them as teacher
in the new lesson of the schedules
which Is to be learned and mastered
and disseminated before we can have
anything in congress but a sham bat
tie OF no particular interest. or benefit.