Herald and news. [volume] (West Randolph, Vt.) 1878-1943, 1910-05-05
HARRls TO TIE RESCUE.

the cudgels in behalf OF the Republican
majority in Congress, through the Spring
field Reporter, hands us few warm ones
as follows:-
~ note that the excellent Randolph
Herald, which is yet apparently Republi-
I can in state politics, indicts the Republi-
I can party-or the President-on thirteen
counts. The sixth count reads as fol-
lows: The work Of tariff revision was
put into the hands OF the reactionaries.
and the progressiyes we're turned down !
For the enlightenment of Brer Johnson
as to Congressional procedure it may be
well to inform him that nobody put any
thing into the hands of anybody except
Congress. The tariff bill, az matter Of
history, was put through both branches
of Congress by large majorities OF the
mem berships OF each body. Who could
put the bill into the hands of anybody
in particular In the Senats the regular
and loyal Republicans had an average ma
jority of about eight over the Democratic
minority and the seven or eight Republic
can deserters. These seven or eight de-
serters from the Republican ranks are
probably the parties to whom reference is
made as 'progressives. Although pestii-
erous by reason Of their leadership OF the
Democratic minority and from the
further fact that they delayed the ses-
sion for at least three months without &C
complishing anything in particular,
these seven destructionists carried about
as much weight when it came to wagging
anything as seven or eight yellow hairs
on dogs tail How could the bill have
been in their hands any more than it
was Should these seven yellow hairs
been counted as majority of the SEN
ate and been given the right OF wagginR
the dog Could the president, even had
he been so disposed, created a yellow
haired majority in both houses? And,
was the solid Republican majority, in
Guiding every New England senator, re-
dictionary ? Is the Herald or any other Re-
publican paper prepared to say that every
senator from New England is a 'reac-
tionaryY What does it mean by the
word? 1t is term of slurring disre-
spect, as | understand it, coined by the
insurgents, like 'Cannonism,' to in
flame the minds OF the people against
loyal Republicans. It would be interest
ing to know if the Herald considers every
senator from New England reactionary
in the opprobrious sense in which insur-
gocrats are used to throwing the word
around. Meanwhile, as many of us I'M
derstand it, those whom the deserters
call 'reactionaries' are simply those
whose loyalty to the party outweighs
their desire to advertise themselves, who
refuse to throw political fits, who exer-
else fair minded judgment in all things
and who refuse to go of, at half cock"
Mr.. Harris refers to our chronological
record OF events attending the revision OF
the tariff as an indictment of the Repub-
Iican party. II it has that bearing it
must only be because the facts there
stated are, in the main, unassailable.
That warm partisan, such as John Har-
ris has become since he took up residence
and government employment at Washing
ton, should take issue with only one
of the thirteen "counts" of the indict-
ment speaks for itself.
1t has often been said-and truly
that Washington, the nations capital, is
the very poorest location from which to
gain a correct idea OF public sentiment
the country over. There are reasons for
this, unnecessary to recount here, but
Harris reflects it in almost every line of
his recent writings. There is great big
land outside and around Washington
that reads and thinks and forms opin-
ions--and acts. Then, sometimes, Wash
ington wakes up to find trouble on its
hands; party changes in prospect; fat
official jobs in danger, aud so forth.
Harris eonvicts US of Grass ignorance in
saying that the work OF framing up a tar
in according to the party pledge was put
into the hands of the reactionaries, and
the progressives were turned down, and
for holding anybody responsible for it.
There you have the Washington view.
Rule, red tape and routine head OF re-
suits. The tariff turned over to the high
protection element because they we're
already in control, and to give the low
tariff Republicans a leading, or even an
advisory part, would be irregular. f"
Pshaw and fish-books Il was the height
of unwisdom to accord the insurgents the
treatment they received. They could
easily have been handled, by concessions
that the true interests OF the party and the
country demanded, aud a dangerous
schism prevented. But no concessions
we're extended. Aldrich must write the
tariff his way--a man OF VIGOROUSLY high
protective ideas. And because it was
party measure, in technical sense, every
Republican was dashed into line, il be
could be. Those who couldn't be were
rutblessly run over and scattered to the
winds as "obstructionists' and "de- /
structionists, yet not altogether, for the
country had taken note and is now being
heard from.
We assert that the insurgents OF the /
Senate more nearly represented the Re-
publican party OF the nation in their I
stand on tariff revision than the regulars
did. We care not that the regulars in
riuded the qanaf~ru Frona Nam