Daily Kennebec journal., 1911-04-15
Undermining Protective Policy.

Champ Clark referred to it the other
day in terms that cannot be denied,
and the Missourian might almost be
accused of a subtle boast of having
appropriated and made good use of the
Republican insurgent thunder. 1t is a
shrewd play which offers only one way
TO defeat.
As is well known the men who have
been carrying the burden of the coun-
try's affairs upon their shoulders in
recent years advised against the ex-
and freely predicted that an attempt
would be made to undermine the whole
protective policy; and that with
great proportion of 30,000,000 of farm
ing population alienated by the unfair
reciprocity program the country was
ripe for any desperate means. New
men in Congress who are held by
party demand to support the socalled
reciprocity agreement. are threatened
by their constituents and are deeply
disturbed. They are anxious to fol-
low the Democratic schedule but they
are just as anxious to placate those
at home who are letting their protest
be heard.
Republican "progressives," who have
doomed the reciprocity sop to the high
cost of living holler. now face the
possibility of a great portion of the
Eastern and Northern Republican vote
cleaving off into the Democratic free
trade ditch. They are anxious to ap-
pease these aggrieved ones and look
with approval on the farmers free
list" But-theres the rub, The1
ity wedge and are driving it home with
a hammer the trade mark on which is
a donkey-as we prophesied many
weeks ago that they would do. They
also father the farmers free list" and
will appeal to the farmer vote with
that measure. Whoever passes it
they intend to have the credit for it.
And when these two have been ac
compished and the wool and cotton
schedules have been overhauled how
much better off are we? Will ii
bring about cheaper food or raw ma
terial? Not If the demand remains as
good as the business interests are de-
termined to keep it. What about
other industries? Every one dis
satisfied. If the Democrats succeed
they have undermined the whole pro-
tective principle that has advanced
this nation into the trade and indus
trial lead of any on the globe. If the
Democrats win they have destroyed
the most valuable of all, the home
market, to grant the political desires
of few.
When the New York World was
running it's series of reasons why an
extra session of Congress should be
called. it was good political play; it
was recognized by Democratic leaders
as an opportunity. Some other
papers echoed the cry-notably in
Maine, the Lewiston Journal-"to
Purgatory with the farmers, Let us
disrupt something. Let us denounce
everyone in sight who does not fall in
with u.s." That was their watch
phrase.
The man who insinuates that he is
ready to receive the confession OF the
member of his office crew who is sup
posed to have stolen his Bible, is dis
honest enough to believe every man in
Congress is a rascal 1t is this in
sidious under current of insinuation
which, nursed by dsordered brain
and hypocritical disposition. swells
into d torrent OF invective for all those
who do not follow and pretend to alb
sorb his asinine assumption Of being
the real thing" in GOOD things here
below.
1t is such moral and mental incom-
pclcHtS dS tlltS tfldI ste no ndIlIl Ill tflc
advocacy of plot against the meager
earnings of the farmer. Such mar
row-minded egotiSt could not go be-
yond the present moment and his own
selfish desires-the farmer and the saw
mill worker and the fisherman and
tlast but greatest of alb he paper
maker. go hang This is the man
not the honest Democrats who saw
political opportunity-who shouted
for reciprocity and an extra session.
1t is the same who is growing for the
man the Democrats are grooming for
Presidential candidate; the same man
cheers for his little god and Bryan in
the same breath; the same who finds
more to praise in Champ Clark than in
all the steadfast Republicans who
have sat in Congress- Nelson