The diamond drill. (Crystal Falls, Iron County, Mich.) 1887-1996, 1910-11-12


This is democratic year. A vori'
table landslide, such as has ,.ot beer
witnessed since the days Of 1892 came
about and large republican majoritiet
melted as snow under the summer sun.
What is the reason They are many
reasons. no one being any more potent
than the other. In word, inter party
strife is the cause of our defeat. The
chastisement undoubtedly will mean
the Regeneration of the party. OF
course the revision of the tariff was the
fountain source of most of the strife.
There has never been in the history OF
the nation revision OF the tariff With
the exception of the two war tariff re-
visions. the one at the time OF the civil
war and the ether during the Spanish
American war that did not bring DIS
aster to the party that made it. His
tory repeated itself this time.
The wing sof the party, represented
by the big mercantile Interests, that
wanted free goods for distribution
through their department stores. goods
made in most cases at their own estao-
lishments in foreign countries with
poorly paid labor, were sore over their
being thwarted and swung their in
fluence, through their large patronage
TO the metropolitan.press, to discredit
the manufacturing interests. mainly
in the east, that succeeded in keeping
fair tariff on manufactured goods.
The tariff law was misrepresented In
every way and the men who were res
ponsible for it were maligned and mis-
represented in every way, shape and
manner. This agitation. coming as 10
did at time when prices OF the neces-
saries OF life are abnormally high.
made it comparatively easy to fasten
upon the tariff and tic republican
party all the ills of the times. 1t was
the psychological moment for the dern-
ocratic party just as the years follow
ing the enactment of the Wilson law
was the psychological moment for the
republicans.
The second influence was the quarrel
in congress over the method OF proceed
ure which brought on what was kno ~n
as the "insurgent' movement. Radi-
calism has had great advancement I'M
der the unrest of the past few years.
The methods of proceeding in congress
were all axed and fashioned for conser-
vative times. method to which demo
crat and republican alike consented.
But, with the advancement OF radical
ism these methods became irksome to
the fellows who live on the froth and
foam and ride the crest OF the wave.
At the same time the old timers were
so set in their ways that they knew
not the atmospheric compromise. The
result WAS an explosion and, because
OF attendant circumstances, the blow +
was felt wholly by the republicans.
Another. and perhaps as great an in
tinence as any. was the siezing OF the
opportunity for agitation by public
leaders, such as Roosevelt. TO make their
individual power felt. The opportun-
ity came with the direct primary |
which did a good work in shifting the
control OF the party from the hands OF
the strong financially to the hands OF
the many. The fellow with the glibe
tongue siezed the oppc rtunity TO make
his influence felt and in too many cases
be turned his talents for personal ad-
vancement to the detrimeut of party.
So while the primary brought good In
one way il brought havoc in another
Tor the pendulum swung too far to the
opposite extreme. out of the wreck
OF the old order of things came the
semi hero worship OF the last two
yeras. similar TO the days following the
French revolution when unbridled |
ambition. backed by GLIDE tongue
and an attractive personality worked
havoc to society.
The personality of Colonel Roosevelt
which had helped along many good |
measures in the past was worked over
time. People became suspicious of
the one-m man power and. in New York.
especially. the republican party was
disciplined because one man presumed
20 be greater than all the rest.
But, the country is not going TO the
dogs. In time the republican party
will right itself and, lightened OF some
OF its load. twill continue on it's way
20 be an influence for progress and
prosperity in this nation.