The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1910-05-15

From the National Monthly.
The people of the district embracing the
Old Colony of historic times are high
ly educated, Intelligent and sensible peo-
pie. They are hard-headed, right-think-
ing men, not easily swayed. Thousands
of them voted for the first time in long
life the democratic ticket, for they had
arrived at a. verdict. They have for
number of years watched with much anx-
iety the trend towards extreme and un-
necessary protection. They had demand
ed revision downward IN order that the
burdens might be lessened. They were
disappointed In the Aldrich act, which
they characterized as an infamous betray-
al of the republican leaders at Washing
ton of the solemn pledges made the year
before. They saw that the standpat eleA
ment had full control of legislation. They
realized that the protective game had
been over-played, SO much that they
feared that the people would rise In their
| wrath and sweep every vestige of protec-
ton off the statute books. They had de-
manded reciprocity. and received retalia-
ton They saw no hope of relief unless
an emphatic protest was made.
And they made that protest
The Aldrich act bears; as heavily upon
them as it does on the people anywhere
lin the country They are confronted With
! ,the same high Prices They saw the door
Of relief closed axaihst them by the sub
stitution of retaliation for reciprocity, and
they rebelled. y4 &-n -I0
| They. saw the rights 7of the great passei
of the people surrendsred to the selfish
demands of the few. They saw that the
interests" were all powerful in shaping,
1 legislation favorable to themselves, ana
regardless of the unnecessary taxation
4 that legislation imposed on the people.
A The rising prices filled them with dismay.
land with stationary incomes they looked
to the future With anxiety and gloomy
4 misgivings. - So
| Senator Lodge, as chairman of the COM
mittee to investigate the cause Of these
| high prices, came into. the district to
stump in defense of. the Aldrich act and
| ne declared without the slightest eQuivo-
cation that the tariff had absolutely Moth
| ing to do with high prices. He said that
possibly his committee might ind that
4 sarily increasing prices lawfully, and
!, IL such proved to be the case some steps
4 would be taken to punish It.
4 And right there hope of relief from the
H Republican party died In the hearts Of
Il thousands of republicans in the Four
teenth district. and the following Tues
day they for the first time in all their
lives voted the democratic ticket as .
4 protest against policy which has al.
ready made the conditions of life more
difcult, and which threatens serious In
ijuryto the; f4fustrial and commercial de-
tvelopment. ofNthe commonwealth of the
4 nation. IA
Senator Lodge, as chairman Of the coni-
mittee investigating high prices, had au-
\ thoritatively declared that they need ex-
pect. no relief nv ,tc'if ir"'s'c''T ~
| reciprocity treaties, by any legislation
that In any way might DISTURB IN ,.le
isslightest degree this Aldrich act.
And these men knew that Senator Lodge
spoke with the authority Of the adminls-
| tration behind him; that what he said
| would rule legislation In Washington I'M
less protest was made that should 50
lstartle these leaders that they would wake
up to. actual conditions, to conditions that
are not merely local In the Fourteenth
! district, but are equally as potent all over
| the United States