Webster City freeman. [volume] (Webster City, Hamilton County, Iowa) 1884-1946, 1911-07-25

pointments of railway bosses.
Abolished corporation contribu-
lions to political campaigns.
Abolished watered corporation
stock.
Enacted the 2-cent fare.
Enacted the statewide primary
Secured the amendment to the
last interstate commerce act which
empowered the commission to sus-
pend rate increases pending hear
ing.
Exposed the iniquities of the
Payne-Aldrich Tariff bill.
Forced the president to recognize
progressives as party men of good
standing.
| If these reforms and accomplish
ments of the insurgent movement
constitute vast gold brick
scheme" the ownership of the brick
must have been lodged with the
coterie of special interest newspa-
pers for the people have been pretty
we'll satisfied with their investment.
MAKING NOT BREAKING THE
PARTY.
Council Bluffs Nonpareil: To the
mind of some otherwise level headed
newspaper writer's, the insurgents
| in congress are the limit of political
incorrigibility. Insincere. unrea-
sonable, selfish, demagogic destruc-
tionists, are among the terms used
daily in discussing their work in
some Iowa as we'll as outside sane
tums.
Behind all this smoke may be dis
cerned one general premise from
which proceeds criticism of insurg-
ent activity-they refuse to be
bound by party caucus or party man
date. The latest occasion for a re-
newed outburst of criticism OF this
general character is the insurgent
union with democrats in request
to the committee on finance to re-
port back to the senate the house
bill reducing the duties on wool.
This action is regarded as certain TO
open up the whole tariff question.
1t is accepted rs an effort to aid
democracy in the next presidential
election and with this version as
basis the insurgents are re-charged
with being traitors to the republican
party.
The chief difficulty with this sort
of criticism is that it places too
much stress on party harmony and
not enough on principles which
should guide statesmen in the dis
charge of their duty. 1t will be
conceded that there is much effort
at Washington to play politics. The
democrats are maneuvering for adj
vantage in the coming presidential
election. Republicans are insisting
that their game shall be checkmated
and the specific charge against in.
surgency is that in the hour of need
the party has been deserted.
The accusation is unjust and un-
warranted The merits of the case
do not warrant such conclusion. Po-
"a I1,, did
not want the republicans to vote
with them They would have been
happier with strict party lineup
on this question They want the
people of the country to understand
that the republican party is at heart
against tariff revision and in favor
of practically prohibitive duties.
That sort of action widens the scope
of their political territory. The in
surgents blocked this game. Their
action proved that the republican
party is not opposed to such revision
Of schedules as will insure square
deal.
When the next presidential cleo
TOD is matter of debate before the
voters, President Taft, who it is
assumed will be the candidate of the
republican party, will be asking
support on the promise that he Is
fairly progressive. He has admitted
that Schedule X in the Aldrich tar
if is indefensible. But what will
this admission amount to If the dem
ocrats are able to point to a refusal
on the part of republican senators
to change it? Manifestly the adj
vantage would be with the demo-
Gratis. Republicans agreed to revise
the tariff downward and failed to
do it in the Aldrich bill. They are
not in position to further test the
credulity of voters. The need is for