The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1911-04-10
PARTY LINES CONFUSED.

great National parties present no sharp
points of conflict, but are practically
at one on the main issues Of the day.
There is no division on the tariff that
will express an actual party division.
There are protectionist Democrats, and
plenty Of them. There arc Republicans,
and. plenty of them, who are practically
on the old Randall Democratic plat
form of tariff for revenue with inciden.
tai protection; not making protection
the issue, but only an economic idea.
The fact of the general break down of
party lines in the effort on each side
10 get the closer to the people on mat
tiers Of public concern is we'll presented
by Mr.. J. n. Larned in the March num-
Der Of the Atlantic. He says:
In the last Presidential election the
proonouncementS of purpose and promised
policy by the two chief parties. on all
questions brought forward in the can
vass, were substantially and practically
the same on the regulation OF inter
stale railway traffic and of so called
trusts: on tariff revision. on currency
reform: on questions between labor and
capital: on the conservation Of natural
resources and the Improvement of the
waterways Of the country,-there was no
difference OF material import in what was
proposed Both parties contemplated
some proongation OF American rule in
the Philippines with ultimate indepcnd-
ence Of the islands In View. and disagreed
only as TO making or not making their
ultimate independence the subjec, of
an immediate pledge Actually nothing
OF conflict in the principles or projects
of policy set forth by these two parties
matter Of grave importance TO any cti-
zen when he cast his vote 1t was mani
fest that they existed no longer as or
saniza tons OF opposing opinion. but had
degeneratcd into competing syndicates for
the capture OF political power. Thus the
citizen who exercised a thoughtful judg-
ment on the public questions OF the day
was actually driven to determine his vote.
as between these parties Zone or the
other OF which would inevitably be ''thc
party in power'O by somethr else than
that Judgment. by some thing OF a feel
ing that grows easily into the mischiev-
Gus spirit which finally cares for noth-
ing in politics but the party and the
partys success.
There is not the least doubt that
this presents broadly and accurately the
condition Of the two parties as they ap.
peared before the country claiming pre-.
cedence one over the other on certain
lines of public policy not on any vital
issue, but only on emphasis, both be-
ing essentially at one. 1t appears to be
with them chiefly an effort to persuade
the people that, on the one hand, the
Republicans are the best able to give
the needed relief and, on the other hand
the same contention on the part of the
Democrats, 1t is a question of degree
and not of principle Each would fain
persuade the people that it is the gen.
uine, the only reformer, and that the
other is fraud, an imitator. Needless
to say, that sort of political tactics
means very little when one would un
dertake to discuss vital question or
one of distinct principle.
The situation was very we'll illus
trated when the present bunko tariff
law was being framed in the Senate. On
quite a number of the propositions sub
mitted to senatorial vote, Mr.. Aldrich,
with his standpat crowd, had TO draw
on the Democrats for support. He did
so and the favorable response came
with unfailing regularity. Mr. Aldrich,
failing in Republican votes, could al
ways get Democratic votes to supply the
deficiency. both for standpatism in gen
eral and protection In particular.
The same thing applied Just the other
day when the Canadian reciprocity
agreement was voted on in the House.
4 good many Republicans voted for the
ratification of that agreement and
greater number of Republicans voted
against it, although it was really their
party measure. The vote against was
almost entirely cast by Republicans,
only five Democratic votes being adj
verse. But this small Democratic vote
against the treaty emphasizes the very
position that we are speaking Of. Dem
ocracy is not n unit any more in favor
of liberal commercial opportunities, but
is as hldebound for protection as any
Republican could possibly be. Like
wise Republicans that were supposed to
be protcctionists voted for this Can.
adian reciprocity agreement in spite OF
their protection ideas, and perhaps be.
cause of their opposition TO the stand
patters. In the Senate the singular
spectacle is presented of the chief
standpatters being for the ratification
Of this treaty. and the insurgents, So
called being against it. This adds to
the tumble of party uncertainty, and is
but another exhibit. Of the futility of
looking to party lines and party prin-
ciples as a gauge for political action.
The politics of the country are un-
questionably in a formative period,
from which viii probably emerge two
well-defined parties, composed on each
side of members of both the present
Republican and Democratic parties;
anu the division will be on economic