The Washington herald., 1912-07-21

written it would result in some re-
marlcabie disclosures. Perhaps, some
of these days, the facts will be re-
vealed.
But President Taft, on the other hand,
is not allied with interests inimical to
the public welfare His administra-
ton has been active in prosecuting the
trusts; he has not dispensed executive
favors in violation Of law; he is not
under obligation to men who would use
the Chief Executive as their agent in
the accomplishment Of selfish ends.
There ought to be some effort upon the
part of the Republican campaign man
ayers to bring the country to a realiza-
ton of these facts.
No intimation has yet been given by
the party leaders as to the issues upon
which the campaign will be fought. If
the Republican managers are wise, how
ever, they viii bring the tariff promi-
nently to the front.
1t is not question now as to whether
the tariff shall be reduced. Upon that
point there is practically no difference
of opinion. There is vast difference.
however, between reduction in the
tariff so as to eliminate certain special
advantages and q tariff for revenue
only. 1t is only necessary to recall the
dark days of 1898 to emphasize this
difference. The tariff law which was
then enacted was far from being as low
in its schedules as the Democrats de-
sired In fact, President Cleveland, =
free trader like Woodrow Wilson, char
acterized it as thing of perfidy and
dishonor, and yet that tariff law plunged
the country into four years of great
distress. Factories were closed, work.
men were idle, soup-houses abounded,
and capital was locked up. 1t was an
object lesson which the country ought
not to forget.
The trouble is, perhaps, that the con-
ditions of 1893 are to millions of voters
to-day a tradition and not an expert
ence. The young man who casts his
first vote this year was babe in arms
when the country passed through the sor-
row and travail of ISo3 The man who
had reached the prime of life in that
period has now, in the natural order
of things, passed away. 1t will be
difficult to make the younger genera
ton believe that a revolution in the
tariff means business stagnation and the
paralysis of American manufacture
through the opening of the food gates
to foreign importations. Such, how
ever, will be the fact
Three important political documents
are scheduled shortly to appear. These
are the acceptance speeches of Mr.. Taft
and Gov. Wilson and the address which
Mr.. Roosevelt will deliver at Chicago.
These will be the keynotes of the three
respective campaigns.
1t will be interesting to see how far
Mr.. Roosevelt follows or departs from.
his Columbus speech-his charter OF
democracy, in which he advocated every
radical idea. including popular votes
upon judicial decisions. Always an op-
portunist, he may be expected now to
declare for only such principles as will
assist him in getting votes. No mat
ter what he may say, or how adroitly he
may appeal to popular passion, it is hard
to agree with his manager, Senator
Dixon, that Mr.. Taft will not get an
electoral vote and that the whole fight
will be between Roosevelt and Wilson
Senator Dixon has been an extravagant
and consequently inaccurate prophet in
the past, and is again essaying the same
role. As a matter of fact, it will be
found, as time progresses, that the
Roosevelt movement will wane rather
than increase. The call for his con-
vention was remarkable for the num-
Der of ex-oficeholders who signed it
many of those who supported him al
Chicago have deserted him; already sew
efal of the Pennsylvania delegates who
voted for him at Chicago have declared
their allegiance to Taft; and when i
becomes generally known that he ha:
resigned from the New York Repub
Ilican Club, thus divorcing himself from
the party which has honored him witt
its highest gift, there will be Thousands
upon thousands of Republicans who vii
decline to follow him into an organi.
zation created for Roosevelts persona
aggrandizement.
i From the present outlook it is no
probable that the Roosevelt movemen
will be anything like universal. 1t vii
4 have strength in some States, of course
!. but Roosevelts greatest hope to-da.
rests upon the theft of Presidential
: electors. This, as has been said before
lis dangerous and revolutionary pro
lceeding, defying not only all preceden
: and tradition, but totally at varianc
} with all principles of honesty. 1t is
J blow beneath the belt; and the fac
4 q