The Telegraph-courier. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1888-1946, 1909-03-18
An Opportunity and a Duty

All cAAO a. GUGJ
The Republican party at the present
time is facing an opportunity and a
duty. A splendid opportunity to rem
der a real service to great nation
and a sacred duty to perform the
pledges made to the people of the ma
ton during the last national cam
paign. The Republican party, with its
characteristic fairness, grasps this OPP
portunity and accepts the duty. Presi-
dent Taft has called special session
of Congress to meet ON March 18th and
at that time the Republican party,
dominant in both houses Of Congress,
will begin the work Of carrying out
the pledges that it has made to the
people. Every pledge should be held in
sacred honor and without sign Of sub
terfuge or unnecessary delay. Every
pledge made to the people when the
party sought and gained success at the
polls should be redeemed. Since the
inception of the Republican party in
the nation it has been the party Of
permanent reforms. Mushroom reforms
have been started by other parties only
to prove along false lines. In some
cases they have been followed by ma
tional depression and financial panic,
but the reforms established by the
mature thought of the statesmen under
Republican rule have stood the test of
time. The Republican party has
wrestled with the greatest problems Of
the national life in such a manner that
the people feel assured that the re-
forms made by this party will be one
along permanent lines and one which
will be consistent with good sense and
national honor.
In his call for the extra session of
Congress President Taft has not stated
the questions that are to be presented
to Congress at that time, but it is
certain that the great question to be
dealt with will be the revision Of the
tariff. The tariff is particularly a Re
publican measure and it is most neces-
sary that if it is to be revised it
should be revised by the men who are
favorable to the policy Of protection
of American industries. The Dingley
act, which is to be revised, was an
act framed by Republican lawmakers,
but there are men in Congress today
who admit that "new occasions have
taught new duties" and, notwithstand-
ing the fact that they are ardent sup
porters Of the Dingley bill, they are
now favorable to a fair and equitable
revision. President Taft in his in
auguaral has sounded the right doctrine
when he declares "Congress should
provide for a revision of the tariff
which will secure an adequate revenue
and adjust the duties in such man
ner as to afford to labor and all indus
tries in this country, whether of the
1arm, mine or factory, protection by
tariff, equal to the difference between
the cost of production abroad and the
cost Of production here" This is the
simplest form for revision of the tariff
and the form of revision for which
the people are looking. 1t is the form
that provides the protection Of Ameri-
can labor rather than the protection of
American industries American indus
tries are able to look out for them
selves. The day of the "infant" in
dustry is past and gone, but it is the
millions paid to the workingmen in
wages that must be protected.
The business world will naturally
halt for time pending the action of
Congress and for this reason the tariff
revision should be accomplished at the
earliest possible moment in keeping
with a proper consideration Of the
great problem at issue.
President Taft promises to send to
Congress a, message that will show his
ideas in regard to the revision of the
tariff and Congress will do well to
follow the general outline made by him.
There are other party pledges to be
redeemed, but~the first great fight must
come on the greatest problem-that of
revising the tariff. With this out of
the way the party, with satisfaction
of one thing performed, can take hold
of the other problems with renewed
energy.