The French Broad hustler. [volume] (Hendersonville, N.C.) 1896-1912, 1911-08-31
las TAFT oOMMITTED suICIDE

special session of Congress Is the
rehabilitation of the Democratic par,
.ty in national affairs-not from the
standpoint of partisan advantage but
from the standpoint of the public wei
fare" says the New York World:
1t is infinitely more important in the
light of Mr.. Taft's evidently deter
mination to commit political suicide
as manifested in his use Of the veto
power to destroy tariff legislation to
reduce the cost of living.
MI. Taft's blunder is ~indefensible
almost incredible. We cay this more
in sorrow than in anger, for it is best
for the country that both candidates
for President in 1912 should be ex-
celIent men who represent sound and
truly progressive principles. For
political reasons of his own Mr.. Taft
has deliberately chosen to cast. his
fortunes with the non-progressive
elements of his party, arrayfng him
self in equal hostility to Progressive
Democracy and its natural ally in
tsurgent Repub1icanism. Mr.. Taft's
own conduct. gives added Importance
to this Democratic rehabilitation in
it's relation to the public welfare.
Mr.. Taft's veto. policy makes tariff
reform and tariff reduction the burn
ing issue of the 1912 campaign. 1t
makes a coalitiof between the, Dem
ocrats and the Insurgent Republi-
cans not only logical but inevitable
If the Insurgents are to retain the
fmsiest threads of political consis-
tency and conscience. It opens the
way to the election of a Democratic
President unless the Democratic par
ty should destroy it's own chances by
going to extremes.
Our form of government cannot sue
cessfully be carried on without a sane.
vigorous Opposition. and for sixteen
years there was NO Opposition in
Washington worthy of the name. The
Republicans controlled the Presi-
dency and beth houses of Congress.
Their majorities were overwhelming
The Democratic minority carried lit
tie political force and less moral force
1t becomes hardly more than an at
tachment to one Republican faction
or the other, and nowhere was it
taken seriously.
Democrats themselves had begun.to
doubt the fitness of the Democratic
party to govern, and when a Demo-
cratic House of Representatives was
elected last fall it was common belief
that the Democrats would proceed to
make fools Of themselves at the first
opportunity. None of these pessimis-
tic prophecies has been fulfilled.
Under the leadership of Speaker
Clatk. and Mr.. Underwood the Demo-
c-ats in the House have followed an
J Intelligent and consistent course in
| reg ect to all questions that came be-
fore them. They have carried out
their promises with moderation and,
common sense. The Democrats in the
Senate in the main followed the lead
eTship o fthe ~house,and there is little
in the record that requires explana-
ton or apology.
Fad there been. a Republican House,
no Canadian Reciprocity bill could
have been passed, no Corrupt-Prac-
tees act would have been enacted, no
steps would have been taken to COM
pei further reductions In the duties
that affect the cost of living, no light
would have been let in in the opera
tiohs Of the Sugar Trust and the Steel
Trust, nothing would have been done
to eradicate the corruption that is in
evfable when party is too long
in power. Even in so far as Mr.. Taft
has been progressive he would have
been thwarted-b by the very elements
of his own party with which he has
now allied himself. All these reforms
have been forced by the mere fact Of
a virfle public support and confidence.
Thus far the Democratic party has
proved by it's record in congress that
it can keep its head. We have an OPP
position again that can intelligently
voice public protest against public,
wrong. We have a two-story Repub-,
lie in a place of a one-party Republic.
Thanks to a rehabilitated Democ-
raey under sane leadership Mr.. Taft''s
surrender to Privilege finds the coun-
try with means of redress.