The Detroit times., 1911-01-05
Townsend Defends Tariff
And Scores "Demagogues"

S'""h NhoIies T.. lOWuSenus
VIC Will be elected to the United
states senate by this legislature, ad-
dressed the joint session, saying ia
part:
Ihere are certain general fundl-
mental propositions upon which most
49, men can agree; but in legislating
upVh existing conditions to comply
Win those propositions, there is Wide
divergence OF opinion The situation
Is complicated by the fact that due TO
environments prejudice. seldshness and
varying degrees OF knowledge and in
teiligence, different men take different
,n,nr OF me same problem. Special
interests come To view long enjoyed
Seihsh ambition not infrequentiy re-
bdIus any means Az worthy of the end
souh NJ ami b, falsehoods and half
truths eNcites the public to passion
ana prejudice. In order that improper-
~ based agitation may overturn exist
t nns '1hniti0ns me public servant
mus himself frequently possessed by
the contending forces or principle and
poiicy, and II is sometimes easy for
MN TO believe that he must be wrong
ana public clamor right. and thus yield
his convictions in "A measure al least
RMS always brings up anew the old
question, VIZ Shall the representative
IN republic listen To the voice of the
people. or shall he rely upon his own
iudgment'and not according 10 his own
light
Many things arise in official life I'M
on which public sentiment has not
been crystallized. II is the duty of the
representative I'm such cases 10 act ac-
cordlns To his judgement OF what is
right and thus help to create the
proper sentiment. But the closest adj
herence TO properly formed public SEN
tlment viii leave ample range for the
exercise or independence. and the clos
~ the representative keeps Ia the peo-
pie the more truly will he become a
leader Tor confidence in him Will cause
them 10 Wehim more willingly.
thrust upon him great and mighty re-
sponsibilitics. The country is at It's
biggest. Its position in the Orient and
IN the Pacinc subjects 1t TO possible in
ternational complications new and mo-
mentous. our territorial dominion. our
national honor. our very life and des-
tlhy depend upon our ability as a ma
ton To maintain our rights am
i1rnlH convinced that a community Of
! interests VIII compel a binding con-
tEaCt between the world powers 10 sub
INIT all great international questions 10
arbitration before recourse will be per-
united 10 the arbitrament ~ war The
! United States which the greatest ana
| most progressive OF nations. must take
| the lead IN this great movement self
! respect and. therefore. self prcserva-
! tlon, require that shall resent in
suit and wrong but they also demand
that we shall not wantonly or reck-
1 lessly offend. We must at all things
/ H." prepared reasonably To protect our
selves but We lhust always teach by
example the divine doctrine OF Peace
| on Earth. GoodYNill TO Men" We must
/ be neither hraggart nvr mollNcoddf".
I but alwaASrsuthclcnt both in strength
and justice -f>a 9
Measured by general prosperity and
material development. no people were
! ever SO far advanced as ours are to-
/ day Business Is almost ruinous in its
stagnation. From stagnatioh and de-
/ preston in 1895 to the prosperity Of
today. the ascent has been stupendous.
| and yet during the past year We have
! Witnessed an unrest and dissatisfaction
| which expressed itself generally
throughout the country in opposition
! 70 the party which has had complete
control OF national AFFAIRS during the
whole period OF that material adj
vance ment What has been the cause
| OF this mighty change? No one thing
| brought II about Combinations Of con-
ditlons and circumstances accomplish
/ ed it.
The Republican party had been in
control FOR "a dozen years. The avarice
/ born of success created desire In the
| minds OF many for even greater things.
II mas been period of consolidation
Of wealth and the very existence Of
] wealth or such magnitude in the con-
troll or few gave birth to JEALOUSY
ana hatred in the breasts of many not
! IN the combination. and with clenched
\ nsts they struck at existing conditions.
\ But greater and more powerful than
THESE was the spirit called progress.
Material prosperity gave time to think
! of other things Many did think and
| expressed the thought that in the mad
| rush for wealth the politician had
/ played fast and loose with the funda-
mentals Of American grandeus and Re-
that in many Instances great and
powerful men and institutions were a
: law unto themselves, and inasmuch "a
an attack upon them would necessarily
erect many innocent people injurious
+ ". they thought they were immune
! from attack, and so they OVERRIDE sta
/ tutes and brazeniy scoffed at legal du-
! thorlty Fate placed in the presidents
| chair man who declared with the
power the doctrine that material pros
perity and business decenCy We're not
cepted and adopted by every honest.
! unSclfsh man in the country, and a
crusade against favoritism and law
| lessness was begun In this cause
! There enlisted not alone the real re-
! former. who recognized that existing
/ conditions must be met. and that COM
mon sanity would dictate that rational
! reforms only must be Instituted. nut
there also Hooked to the standard OF
reform the men who recognized an OPP
/ pOf tunity to eXalt littlenesS and not
! the general. but their special political
| good controlled their every action.
Then there was the arrant demagogue
who voiced any doctrine to create pas
! slon. Some OF the unworthy recruits
became captains and led their COM
panies away from the real field of bat
tie into swamps and thickets. where
| they fought guerilla warfare
The Democratic party carried the
| banners OF the opposition. but success
| was not que To IL The victory was
due to Republicans who either went
| over TO the enemy or else sulked in
! their tents. False issues were every
whre raised. For Instance. the hig,
| cost Of living was shouted from every
skirmtsh line and on every battle field
But no thougbttuI man was deceived
No intelligent voter believed that the
Payne tariff law had increased the cost
Of living No Republican believed that
low prices and prosperity ever did or
ever could go together No sensible
man believed that he could sell his
product for big price and the pur-
price. No one believed that the Demo.
cratic party was more honest or more
competent than it's Republican oppo-
nent. No one believed that the Demo-
cratic party would as party. improve
conditions. but some did believe that
patriotism has no party label and thai
n change would emphasize the fact
that this IL peoples government OF
law and order. and that no wrong.
mower. or in poverty and passion, shall
be immune from attack by statutes.
courts and executives
For myself I have no hesitation In
stating that passion and prejudice werc
quite as potent In bring about a ma
tioral Democratic house as reason and
Justice. but IL out OF confusion and de-
preston. sane and progressive reform
shall come. az | believe IL ultimately
Of party label. will rejoice in that hu-
man rights Will be more universal and
secure
The Republican party has been chas-
tered i'm the home Of its friends. but IL
contains the men with the genius. the