The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1909-09-30
Taft Republicans.

Tart Republicans.
Burlington Hawk-Eye: William
Howard Taft accepted the Re-
publican nomination for the
presidency and the platform Of
principles which he endorsed
in his letter of acceptance, and
which he is endeavoring to promote
by legislation, and by administrative
policies. Until the President departs
from the fundamental principles of the
party, as outlined in the platform.
there is no logical or patriotic reason
why any Republican who supported
his candidacy and the party declara-
ton of principles should now drift !
into insurgency and refuse that honor
able support that is due a Republican
administration. Least of all is there
justification for a revolt upon a mere
question of tariff schedules.
A schedule of itself, is not matter
of party principle; it is a minor de-
tail and should be treated MS such. A
miscellaneous group OF one hundred or
thousand persons would not be able
to agree upon all of the rates of a
tariff schedule, but they can agree up
on the underlying principles upon
| which the schedule is founded--wheth-
er that principle is free trade, a tariff
for revenue only, or a tariff for reve-
nue. and protection combined. Senator
/ Cummins declared at Washington,
after the passage of the Payne-Ald-
rich bill that it was an improvement
upon the Dingley tariff. AS the SEN
ator in previous years had lauded the
Dingley bill he has forfeited any claim
that the Payne-Aldrich tariff is rob
berry, and unworthy of Republican
support. And no one has extolled the
| Dingley tariff more eloquently than
Senator Dolliver. When, therefore,
the new tariff received the final ap-
proval of the President and of the
Republican majority in congress, and
the President signed the bill and de-
Fclared it to be a fulfllment of the Re-
publican platform pledges, it became
a Republican measure for which the
4 party is responsible and upon which
it must stand Anything short of that,
through party action in state and con-
gressional conventions, is virtually an
alignment with the chief political OPP
position to the administration and the
Republican party-the Democratic
party.
This fidelity to party and party
measures and policies does not pre-
clude liberty of thought and personal
| i1f Il, -;oht of
the individual member of a party. He
has a right to his own thoughts and
to the expression of his own views;
but if he claims to be Republican or
a Democrat, he ought to act with his
party when the conduct of the party
is governed by the legitimate express
sion of the will of the majority. When
he cannot conscientiously do that, he
ought to relinquish his claim to party
membership. That leaves him at lib
erty to pose as an independent or to
unite with some other party.
1t is a trite saying that this is a
government by parties" 1t Is great
: fact that cannot be ignored; and will
, never cease in it's potency. But or
| ganization and fidelity are essential
} to the maintenance of political par
t ties. insurgency is utterly incompat
ible with party existence; it is fatal
t if extended to partisanship. 1t may be
. ideal to cultivate individuality and dis
courage craftsmanship, but that idea
never achieves anything in legisla
, ton in administration, in diplomacy
. or in shaping the destinies of ma
: ton. The civil war could never have
saved the union upon the individual
plan. The greatest reforms and the
greatest achievements in our repubii,
are the fruitage of party action.
The principles of the Republican
party are defined in it's national plat
forms and illuminated by its admins
tration of the general government
President Taft is the recognized lead
X er of the party. The party stands b
@ his administration thus far, and ther
L is every reason to anticipate it Wi
y continue to uphold the President
g hands. He may err: he doubtless wi
$ make mistakes, as also will congress;
but 1t is the majority of the party,