St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1910-02-23
Sound Party Suggestions.


In speech made before the republican
leaders of Massachusetts recently, Speak
er Walker of the Massachusetts house
made some suggestions to the republican
party of that state that should receive
more than state application. He declar-
ed that the time had come when the par
ty should get together and face the stu
alton which confronts it. We cannot
afford to have the party candidates chos-
en- and the party policies outlined by
few men in private consultation. There
must be full and free discussion of both.
Speaking further about candidates he
said, "a candidate who seeks to bring
about his own nomination by the use o.
money, promise of patronage or other Sc
cret influence of any kind cannot right
fully claim and does not deserve the
support of the party"
In outlining tariff and corporation
policy which he believes would hold the
confidence of the people he divides the
great corporations into two classes.
First there are the natural monopoles
which include the great public service
monopolies such as telegraph, telephone,
railroad and lighting companies. These
he would place under government con-
troll, both state and national, even to
the extent of fixing rates. Of the artifi-
cial monopolies like the meat, coal and
other trusts controlling merchandise, he
says, "The only effective remedy is to
subject them to competition and to pro-
tect such competition in every possible
way. The republican party if it is to re-
tain the confidence of the people must
firmly protect their interests as against
such monopolies."
On the tariff he endorses the plank in
the republican platform that 1.-THE true
principle of protection is best maintained
by the imposition of such duties as will
equal the difference between the cost of
production at home and abroad, togeth-
er with reasonable profit to American
industries He agrees with President
Taft that 1.-The excess over that difference
serves no useful purpose, but offers a
temptation to those who would monop-
articles in this country, to profit by the
excessive rate" He says the people
have a right to know from an authentic
and unprejudiced source what the differ
ence in cost of production is and whether
in any of the schedules of the present tar
iff an ''excess over that difference exists. -
He closes by saying -
eve as republicans should be entirely
frank with the people on this subject.
believe that if we are to retain the conf
dence of the people we must forthwith
establish an authoritative and unpreju-
diced commission whose special business
it is to discover the real facts. l do not be-
heve that a commission should be set up
to make tariffs or even to criticise SEIZED
ules, for that is the business of the rep
resentatives of the people. What we
want is a commission to give us the facts
and reliable statistics in the light of which
Congress may legislate and the people
may intelligentlv criticise."
We might try to emphasize some of the
statements he made in his speech but we
believe they are so clearly stated that the
mere reading of them will convince the
reader of their soundness and that he viii
be able to understand the course he as
true republican and citizen should follow
even here in the little commonwealth o
Vermont.