The Columbus journal., 1909-10-20
CROSSING BRIDGES.

CROSSING BRIDGES.
The last republican state convention
endorsed the administration of Presi-
dent Taft and expressed.,its faith in his
integrity in the effort he was making
at the time to secure the passage Of
tariff measure in harmony with the
republican platform.
The tariff question has been a con-
slant disturber in the history of Amer.
lean politics. While Hamilton is
credited with being the first advocate
of high protection after the adoption
of the constitution, yet Hamilton, in
his effort to secure revenue for con.
Quoting the federal government, never
advocated tariff duties beyond the
bounds of reason. 1t was the students
of the Jeffersonian idea of politics that
voted to increase the tariff on the plea
that the ''infant industries" demanded
protection. Later, in the history of
the country, the followers of Jefferson
voted for another increase in duties,
which so incensed the people of Massa-
chusetts that there was strong senti.
ment in favor of that state withdraw
ing from the Union. Still later in the
history of the country, when the South
had developed its cotton industry and
declared that "Cotton is King" the
followers of Jefferson became free
traders, and the people of New Eng
land adopted the protection idea.
Since that time the New England
states have remained the champions of
a high protective tariff, and the South.
ern states went TO the other extreme
by standing for free trade. When
northern capital commenced develop
ing the mining resources of the South,
the democratic party commenced talk
ing about q tariff for revenue only;
and rs the development continued the
idea of tariff for revenue only was
kicked aside for the cry of tariff
reform. And now, with her smoking
chimneys, whirling spindles, and the
machinery in her factories roaring,
and hands working overtime to I'll
orders on file, the prediction made by
Henry Grady, the greatest man the
South has produced in a hundred
years, has been fulfilled. The south
ern states have landed in the protection
saddle. They have cut loose from
their tariff reform brethren of the
North, and the leading advocate of
the southern wing of democracy chal-
lenges the leading advocate of the
northern wing of democracy to joint
debate on the tariff question.
The republican party, too, has
changed. The east and the west are
divided on the question. Among the
extreme high protectionists of the east
are Aldrich, Hale, Lodge and EIkins,
and facing them in the west are the
moderate observation-disclosures, Bris-
tow, Brown, Burkett, Deliver, Cum
minis and LaFollette.
With the representatives of nearly
every state demanding a tariff on
everything that is produced in their
respective localities, and lower duties
on articles their states do not pro-
duce, the tariff question became a sort
of grab bag" affair. And now,
after the conflict is over and congress
adjourned, there is tendency in some
quarters to shift the responsibility for
the alleged failure on the part of con-
gress to enact q tariff law in strict
harmony with the ideas entertained by
some of the selfstyled tariff reformers
Of Nebraska.
Last week Editor Ramey served
notice on the republicans of Platte
county that he will no longer travel in
the same road with Taft republicans
giving, Is his reason, that the party
has repudiated its national platform.
He also serves notice on Senator Bur
kett that he Will bolt his nomination
if the senator secures an endorsement
from the convention next summer Is
the choice of the, republicans for re.
election to the United States Senate
for the part the senior senator took in
the formation of the tariff measure.
The name of Senator Brown is not
mentioned in the Tribune article, but
o. Senator Brown voted for the bill on
it, final passage, he has, no doubt, been
placed on the Tribune's black liet of
undesirables.
The Journal does not believe that