The Lamar register., 1909-06-16
Everybody PROFESSIONALS.

Evorypooy PropoctfoniuU.
The platform of the Democratic |
party, as adopted at Denver on July
10 last. says:
.sWe demand the immediate re-
peal of the tariff on wood pulp. print |
paper, humber, timber and logs, and
that these articles be placed on the
free hist"
Yesterday In the Senate Senator
McCmber of North Dakota, Republi-
can, offered an amendment to the tar
III bill putting lumber on the free
list. OF the 81 Democratic senators
present and voting. II voted against
free lumber and but 10 in favor OF It.
This rs, perhaps. the most conspicu-
GUS instance in our political history
of a party IS representatives repudiat-
ing a pla torn ON which at the pre-
ceding gen eral election 1t had appeal
ed for support. Many have been the
cases OF boiling by individuals or by
q minority. but SO far as can be re-
called mover before has a majority
of a party's representatives bolted.
It Is worth while to note that the
attitude OF the Democratic senators
was decisive. The division was 56
to rs. II the II Democrats who vot-
ed In the negative had voted In the
affirmative there would have been AZ
votes for the amendment and but 80
against 1t. II the householder OF
America during the next decade must
pay q little more for his house and
his furniture, and there is to continue
the rapid destruction OF American for
ests. neither party can reproach the
other. Both are tarred alike with
the discredN. On the whole. Republi-
cans have the least reason for be-
Ing ashamed. Their platform did not
specifically commit them to free lum
Der, and they can point to the fact
that at least those Republican sena-
tors from lumber states showed they
were capable OF taking a national
view by voting for the amendment
namely, Senators Nelson and Clapp
OF Minnesota and LaFouette Of Wds-
consin. In contrast to them are such
Democrats as Senator Summons and
Overman OF North Carolina, Bank
head and johnson OF Alabama, and
McEnery and Foster OF Louisiana,
the lumber states OF the south.
When q majority OF the Democra-
tic membership Of the Senate voted
against free iron ore 1t was general
ly recognized that 1t indicated an
abandonment Of the traditional Dem
ocratic attitude toward the tariff
But iron ore was not specifically men
tioned In the Denver platform. But
humber was. and In view OF yester-
days vote Il seems impossible to say
that there Is q party whose tendency
b In favor Of free trade. The Re-
publican insurgents" although Is
q them voted for free lumber. one
and all assert that they are protec-
tionists. asserting merely that a tax
on lumber was not necessary. So
in tho present Senate not more than
10 members can be accused OF lean
ing toward free trade. or even TOWARD
. tariff for revenue only, even when
a proposition In that direction is
backed up BY their party's platform.
When discussing the tariff question
In the future there will be need of
using different arguments than have
been used In the past The question
= not Of politacs- become a non:
partisan one IN q degree that no one
expected six months ago. It Is a
proof of the shift Of things that,
while President Taft declared against
q 81 tax ON lumber. most Of the Dem
ocratic senators line up In favor of
T. Senator Aldrich has certainly
done an effective job In the way of
disintegrating the Democratic minor
tty In the Senate. In the House
Speaker Cannon saved bids prestige
by securing the aid Of Democrats. but
he only gathered In a small bunch,
while the Rhode Island senator has
captured on q crucial matter two
thirds OF the Democratic orgamza-
tion.-New York Globe.