The Montgomery advertiser., 1909-09-24
fully and .olidly by what your party

ihhy ana SoAfeAs " "N~s s~ S-s has done"
 whether this sort of argument. backed as 1t is by carefully prepared figures. gotten up by tariff advocates. will have the desired effect, remains to be seen. He may be able to whip the Insurgents" into line in view of what may happen to a divided party when election day rolls around. or he may not Discussions in his party may lead to defeat. with all that defeat means to them. and this may be an arr gument that will control them. but we are not sure about it. Those Western CTS are a hard-headed lot. and do not take kindly to big stick methods. even from their President and 1t may be that his threats and arguments alike will fail to convince them that the present tariff law is a good thing.
 And in this connection 1t may be of interest to note what Republican newspaper. The New Bedford Standard, has to say about 1t. President Taft,s first Western speech on the tariff." It says, affords no encouragement to the idea which was industriously dissem- mated before he started that he would counsel the people to secure tariff re- vision to their liking by the choice of Congressmen who could be depended upon to look after their interests. He was repeatedly said to have in mind the expression of a vigorous dislike for the new tarifr bill. with the pur- pose of stirring up public sentiment for further and more radical revision. All such predictions are discredited and all such anticipations blasted by the speech at winona. Mir. Taft said very little that was calculated to az grieve the most obstinate stand-pat- ter, while his praises of the Payne Aldrich bill went to lengths which un- der the circumstances were scarcely short of astonishing. Clearly. the President is not intending to sound any clarion note for tariff reform on this trip"
 So much for the Republican side of the question, but what of the other side? Does not this effort of MT. Taft l to solidify his party on the affirmative side of this vital issue point out the plain duty of Democrats in the mat ter7 As The Standard points out, MT. Taft has virtually abandoned the ad- vocacy or even the expectation of any revision downward" which he was supposed to favor and practically en- rolls himself among the stand-patters. and. in effect. leaves it to be under stood that he wishes and expects the next Congress to stand by what has been done.
 This. we repeat, points out 6 plain duty of Democrats the country over. and they have a golden opportunity to not only achieve party success. but to do a righteous thing for the people and the country by lining up in favor of genuine tariff revision. Tariff for revenue has ever been one of the es- sential principles of Democracy. and now the opportunity is offered them I to take a firm stand for Democratic principles. They ought not to need any big stick methods. There should be no resort to attempted coercive measures or any semblance of intimi dation. It should rather be a spontane- ous and voluntary alignment of Dem ocrats in favor of just and righteous cause. and one which should appeal to their patriotism as well as to their fealty to true Democratic principles.
 Democracy of late has been in a rather4bad shape, we are sorry to say. There have been too many local-shall we not also say. personal?-interests brought forward. that the inevitable result has been an organization sadly lacking in unity of purpose and of action. but here Is a grand opportunity to get together and accomplish good results. The Republicans, by their tariff legislation. have virtually placed themselves on the side of the large protected interests of the country, and should be held to the position they have assumed. If the Democrats of the whole country will unite against the iniquitous tariff legislation and go before the country with a solid front in favor of just and equitable tariff laws, they will not only do righteous duty. but stand a splendid chance to win a great victory. Is 1t not worth much more than it will cost?