The Idaho Springs siftings-news., 1910-12-17
HAVE CHANGED TUNE
REMARKABLE DIFFERENCE IN
DEMOCRATIC UTTERANcES.
Unexpected Lifting Into Power Seems
to Have Had Strange Effect on
Party's Ideas Concerning
Public Policies.

Auu tney all WIN one consent Ue-
gan to make excuse 1t looks as
though that memorable phrase from
the scriptures may be used with ex-
actitude to define the present state Of
mind of Democrats charged with the
duty of revising the tariff. What a
change has come over the spirit of
their dreams, or at least the tenor Of
their talk, since election day! Be-
fore, what rantings and rawlings over
the iniquities of the act passed by a
Republican congressI Now. what
halting and indecision as to the course
to be followed in order to get rid of
the iniquity! Before, demands that
the Republican tariff be incontinently
smashed as soon as there was a
chance. Now. admonitions from all
quarters to go slow and not to dis
turb business"
This is not Republican testimony
1t is evidence furnished first hand
from high Democratic authority, and
it is straight goods" Here, for In
stance, is Champ Clark, booked. ac-
cording to prediction Democratic
planning, for the speakership of the
next Democratic house. and who, as
leader of the Democratic minority,
has been loudest in his onslaughts
upon the present law. What does he
say? He avows his wish to see the
tariff reduced to a revenue basis, but
he adds: Il would reduce 1t scientific
ally and gradually and put into 1t a
sliding scale much like there was in
the tariff bill OF 1888" That is going
long way back for precedent, and
1t was not particularly happy choice.
Some persons versed in political and
economic history will recall the fact
that the Democratic tariff of 1888 was
| followed by period of wild specula-
tion which eliminated in the panic
of 1887, one of the worst commercial
catastrophes the country has ever
known. But aside from that consid-
Grafton, how can Mr. Clark square his
program with the earlier declarations
that the present tariff is the source
OF all economic ills and the means
of robbing the people right and left?
II it is bad as that. no good Demo
crat should spare any effort to de-
stroy it. root and branch, and that at
the earliest possible moment
! Most amazing Of all. however. Is
the position taken by Col. Henry Wat
terson of the Louisville Courier-Jour-
nal If there is a man in the United
States who has been supposed to hold
protection in utter loathing and con-
tempt, it is Colonel Watterson. Why,
| he is the self-constituted custodian of
of D4f~
whose supreme mission eternally is
to swat" the thieving tariff. and all
the coaching she has received at the
colonel's hands has been in the fond
/ hope of getting chance at the job.
And now that the opportunity has
loomed into sight, what are Henry
and the Goddess doing about 1t? Alas
for past professions! Colonel Wat
I terson also counsels against too great
I haste. He says we have had fifty
years of protection and at cannot be
+ precipitately withdrawn; that 'if we
are to change our policy from a pro-
tective system to revenue system
1t must be done SO gradually and with
such regard for the business of the
country. which stands greatly in need
Of rest, as that the final transition
shall be as the passing from one sea
son to another, every interest warned
beforehand and fully prepared"
This is beautiful language, but how
different from the white heat of old
time utterances when the colonel un-
leashed his pen and sailed in on the
subject of the tariff! But then the
Republicans were In full control and
there was little prospect of Demo-
Gratis attaining power. What diff
ference in the morning." and how
changed is the tune now that the
Democrats have to face the tariff
music!