New-York tribune., 1910-08-12
FACING BOTH WAYS.


Our Democratic friends who are talk
ing about electinS a Democratic House
of Representative on the tariff issue
should get together and let the country
know just where they stand on that is
sue. What would they try to do with
the tariff if they had a chance to draw
un a new law? Would they observe
the directions laid down in the Demo
cratic national platform of 1908 or
would they ignore those directions and
attempt 10 apply what Senator Bailey
of Texas calls the "POlk-Walker plan"
Of taxation? President Taft has done q
great deal to restore the credit OF ma
tionaI platform declarations. Are the
Democratic leaders going to follow his
example and treat the latest pledges
made by the party in national conven-
ten as obligations redeemable at full
face value:
The indications are that the Democ-
racv will bind itself TO no consistent
policy Of tariff revision. The Texas
Democrats met in convention the other
day. and instead Of indorsing the tariff
declaration of the Denver platform
passed the following strongly dissenting
resolution:
We reaffirm the tariff declarations of
the Democratic state and national plat
forms of 1896, and we expressly con-
denim the proposition to remove ali du-
ties from the manufacturers raw ma
teria1 so long as such duties remain on
the manufacturers finished product.
The Democrats of Texas accepted Mr..
Railey'S views Of tariff reform He
wrote or inspired the tariff declarations
Of the Texas platform of 1896 and of
the national platform OF 1896. and from
lis place in the Senate he publicly de-
nounced the tariff plank of the Demo-
cratic national platform of 1908 as
stupid and altogether lacking in author
ity The last Democratic National Con-
venti0n pledged the party TO the repeal
Of the duties on lumber. But Mr. Bailey
voted to retain the duties on lumber
and on all other raw materials. Resolll-
tons were presented in the Texas con-
vention commencing Senator Culberson
for his votes for free coal. iron ore and
other raw materials, but they were
voted down by the Baileyites, who were
in the majority.
4 similar situation exists in Eir-
ginia. In the Sd Congress District Of
that state the denomination of Repre-
sentative John Lamb was contested on
the ground that he voted at Washing
ten 10 retain protective duties on lum-
ber His opponent stood squarely on
the pledges of the last Democratic na
tfonal platform. But Captain Lamb
was renominated in the Democratic pri-
mary One Of the curious features of
the campaign was the neutrality eXbib-
tied by The Richmond TimeS-DiS
patch. which claims to belong to the
Mills-Cleveland-W Wilson school of tariff
reformerS. After the election was over
il gave as an excuse for not taking sides
that the party authorities permitted
"Nfr Lamb to enter the race for re-elec-
''tion in the Democratic primary, not
''withstanding the fact that they were
well Informed Of his position on the
lumber question, a position which, In
''our opinion, was wholly untenable.'
Inasmuch as the local managers were
willing to wink at Captain Lambs ''con-
Times Dispatch" held itself ahsolved
from censuring him or opposing his re
nomination
The fact that .le two Virginia Sena-
tors and most of the Democratic Repre-
sentatiyeS from that state voted against
free lumber may have made The
additionally reluctant
to plunge into the fray. Its lukeWarm-
ness is symptonatic Of the demoral1Za-
ton Of the Democratic party. How can 1t
20 into a campaign with demand that
ii be intrusted with power TO revise the
tariff when the two factions into which
il is divided hold opposite views as to
the programme TO be followed and each
considers the others attitude heretlcal
and untenable? If the latest official
promise of the party is to he repudiated
in The Democratic states of the South,
what faith will .the country at large
have in any Democratic promises: