Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1910-07-08
Drifting in the Breakers.

tiliilN- al iilt bItuhttS.
The obiect-lcSson taught by the
alarming increase OF the cost of al
most every necessity of life is becom-
in5 c<cmpliticd in manner that he
who rams may read, q verdict OF the
people IN the very words Of the hand
writing at Belshazzar feast. mean
ing Weighed and found wanting "
The foremost political question Of to-
day centerS in the condition in which
the administration finds itself, the
Sow bat inevitable result of the two
leading principles of the party, tariff
protection hich became the mother
81 trusts and built up the gigantic
monopolies. and the gold-standard,
whereby the method Of cornering all
redemption money in small compass,
and cn1bling il 10 become powerful
master in measuring ali commodity
values.
Even at this late day, when these
facts are becoming so plain as to
meet with very general acknowledge
ment, it is satisfaction to know
that some few of us pioneered the
discovery, whether we get credit for
it or not, whittier the trend was to
lead. 1t is no surprise to these fore
casters, nor that now the efforts of
the Chief Executive and his assist
ants should seem absolutely hopeless
and futile. Everywhere they turn,
party men are inculpated in some
outrage on the public and it runs
through every stratum Of admlnistra-
ton, from village punches OF conceit
to the national officers. Our Schiv-
elys and Hamiltons are found every
where. and every where the same OBJ
sequent spirit is manifested to ex-
cuse and condone wrong-dolng by
the strength of party organization,
the very condition that has caused
the corruption. to save the party
from utter ruin. 1t does not seem to
matter that these delinquencies are
more than proven by open confession,
the one still continues in Office and
the other being such a model pris-
oner" that he was, while on trial. be-
decked with roses from feminine adj
mirers. and sentenced on only one OF
his confessed entertainments to the
shortest term possible under the law;
while the State Executive attributes
another defalcation to inability of the
incumbent to keep figures. or add
them up correctly, and he is excused
under the plea OF incompetency.
These are some palpable facts that
come under our immediate observa-
ton.
But we read that every energy is
being exerted to save Ohio and New
York to the Republican party, in the
Congressional and gubernatorial
campaigns, for the leaders have con-
cluded in conference that if just such
glaring acts can be minimized SO as
to weather the storm this fall, they
NAV stand forlorn hope of resusci-
tation for the Presidential election
two years thereafter.
In the meantime the consumer
must starve along as best. he can,
while the wealthy exporter by Pro-
lection is enabled to use his golden
yard-stick in measuring the value OF
the laborer's necessities Of life and
by substituting dago labOr-just as
the City Council allowed the Tacoma
Gas Co. to do in laying mains in this
city, and the county allows them to
do by Italian labor in extending
mains across our county, without
even the formality Of asking permits
sion, to pump a Tacoma-made pro-
duct for use of our people in compe-
tition with home made article.
How long. o Lord, how long,
must such conditions prevail? Can
it be that men are so welded to the
prevailing party. that they will qui-
city endure such palpable evidences
of an unwise and pernicious policy :?
The exposure now made was inevi-
table. It set people to thinking.
Even Congress appointed commit
tee to ascertain the cause, and they
found evidence that could not be ig-
nored; nor would it down at the bid
ding. Even Taft was compelled, in
an elaborate way in his Lincoln
day memorial speech, to enter into ar
elaborate defense of the Payne-Ald-
rich tariff. He. declared that no
romise was expressly made in the
Platform to revise tariff duty down.
ward. Possibly not; but it was
borne upon every party standard and
projected from every stump-orator's
lips. He then deprecates the action
of Congress in failure to reduce
tariff on woolens. But this is no
more inconsistent than his applaud
ing the work of Aldrich in framing
the tariff measure in his speeches at
Winona and Boston, and making the
measure the test Of orthodox Repub-
lican fidelity, and on his return to
Washington those who repudiated it
Immediately came under the ban Of
OStracism.
"Oh what tangling webs we weave.
When ere we practice to deceive"