The Ellensburg dawn. [volume] (Ellensburg, Wash.) 1898-1914, 1909-06-10

WY spread OF knowledge. We de.
"''"o 'he immediate repeal of the
farm on wood pulp, print poper
lumber timber and logs. and that
.'ese articles be placed upon the
free list. "
" Will be noticed that the last
."'eh'e OF the last paragraph of
the plank contains definite and
specific demand for the immrd;,,.
repeal of the tariff on wood puvn
print paper, lumber, timber and
logs and that these articles be
placed upon the free list"
No language could be more clear
no platform promise could be NOR.
explicit, If the democratic partv
Is committed to anything, it is
committed to the repeal of the
tariff on wood pulp, print paper
lumber timber and logs.
In the tariff contest in CONGRESS
number of democrats in the sen
ate and house have voted for tariff
on lumber, and have attempted to
defend their action in so doing
Two questions are involved. and
the democratic party must be pre-
pared to meet these questions and
answer them to the satisfaction of
the country.
First, is a platfor III promise bind
ing! we are now charging tina,
the republican party is guilty of
breach OF promise in not revising
the tariff downward. But how can
the democrats criticise the republi-
cans tor constituting the word re-
wise, to mean an increase in the
tariff if democratic senators and
congressman deliberately repudiate
plain and unmistakable promise
of free lumber The democrats
who voted against free lumber will
of course, be called upon to defend
themselves, and to do so they must
deny that national platforms are
binding, or they must insist that
the national platform was not bind
ing upon them If they say that
platforms are not binding, they
attack we'll settled democratic
doctrine, namely, that the voters
can instruct their representatives
A platform that is not binding is
worse than no platform at all, be
cause it misleads the voters. 1t is
better for a party to make no prom
Use than to make promise and
then break it.
IF those democrats who have OPP
posed free lumber opposed 1t on
the ground that while platforms
are generally binding upon them
it is incumbent upon them to show
either that they were elected before
this platform was adopted, or that
in their campaign they openly re-
pudiated the platform and gave
notice of their adherance to dit
f.rent doctrine. Even the sena-
tors elected before the platform
was adopted might feel Justlhed III
giving some consideration to
platform endorsed by 50 large
vote at the polls The democrat
who sets his judgment up against
,he d eclaration of his party assumes
,h,. burden of proof to establish
,he righteousness Ol III = Wv" l
tiou taken by his party.
Aside from having to meet l"e
question of platform, the anti ree
lumber democrats will have 10 DC
,renared to defend their votes upon
thc merits of the question: " II
thev insist that a national propose
zion = tariff on lumber IS dcSlfao'e'
Or will they defend their ACTON Oh
+be Ground that they speak io' ''e
Interests of their states or distric'S'
even if they attempt to Jus'l'y
tariff on lumber as '''''o''''
nro,osition, and without regai" ~
local interests, it will probably DC
fo,,,d that the national a's''''N' "
adv has weight with those WIN