The Montgomery advertiser., 1909-01-14
a TRUE pEMocRsr.

the Ninth Alabama District. has lost nothing. in the estimation of the Dem ocrats of Alabama and of his district. by his courageous stand for a tarin
 for revenue only. In the face of noisy arguments from small portion of Birmingham to induce him to take a Republican position for high pro- tective tarir on pig iron. Mir. Underwood has in other words refused to abandon the historic policy of the Democratic Party and lend his influence towards the fur ther establishment of a purely Rcpub- Mean doctrine.
 Birmingham's Commercial Club with number of men interested in the making of pig iron in the mineral district of Alabama urged him to stand with the Republicans and vote for retention of tarifr of $4 ton on pig iron. Mir. Underwood. a Democrat, properly re- fused to become Republican ally now on the greatest single issue that di- vides the two parties. For the past ten years the Republican Party has stood before the country taking credit to itself and proudly boasting that 1t was the party which preserved the na- tional honor and established the gold standard. The historic position of the Democratic Party was demand for a sound currency and the gold stand ard. but the leaders of the party gave the Republicans the opportunity of robbing them of this great party prin- ciple and the Republicans. abandoning mistakes made by the party in the past, was wise enough to seize the chance. Now having taken the gold standard from the Democratic Party some of the Republicans propose to rob the Democratic party of it's other great historic principle. a tariff for revenue only, but the "interests" will
  will come up to Democratic require ments. Certainly Democrats should not help the standpat protectionists continue burdens on the people.
 If the Southern representatives in Congress should follow the wishes of the selfish business men who wish a protective tariff for their peculiar in- terests, they will deliver themselves over to the Republicans and help that party to more strongly entrencb itself in power.
 True Democracy now stands for and always stood for a tariff for rcvsuue only. an import duty which would pay the ordinary expenses of govern ment. A prohibitive tsrift is distinct-4 ly a Republican doctrine. But the Birmingham business men want the prohibitiye tariff on pig iron main- tained for their own selfish benefit and with a dollar and cents argument they are trying to turn Democrats from l their duty. Suppose South Carolins because of Her cotton mills. Georgia because of her Sea Island cotton, Ala -bama for her pig iron. and Louisiana for her sugar. should unite fin the demand for protective terif. What would become of the Democratic doe. Urine of a tariff for revenue only" | Such action as that of some Birming- ham people is equipping the Republi- | cans with all the arguments and all | the campaign thunder that they want |
 And the Birmingham business men | demanding that their Congressman | should desert the teachings and de- | clarations of his party for their self | ish ends should remember that Bir- minghain lacks whole lot of being the State of Alabama. They should remember that Birmingham Is only a part of the Ninth Congressional Dis- trict. They ignore studiously the fact that the remainder of Alabama is a great deal richer, pays a great deal more taxes and better supports the State and national government than Birmingham. Birmingham is a fraction of Alabama-not the whole thing and the sooner the city's lead CTS and public men recognize It the | better it will be for Birmingham.