The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1912-08-08
Wilson's Acceptance Speech

Inc acceptance SpeecH VI IHe ueln-
ocratic standard bearer leaves nothing
to be desired. 1t is throughout frank
and explicit, and it is as clear as
short, terse sentences can make it..
1t is admirable from every point of
view, and the, people who read it will
not regret that the scholar in politics
has at length fully arrived. There is
no parade Of culture in it, however.
1t is a plain statement of the speak
ers position without a misplaced
word.
The chief issues of the campaign
are the tariff and the. trusts, and the
latter grew out of the former. Mr..
Taft took pains in his acceptance
speech to boast protectionism of the
Winona sort, including that measure
of delay, the tariff board. Mr..
Roosevelt, in his recent keynote
speech, took especial care to state
that he is himself a protectionist, but
with his accustomed demagogye he
wants more Of the profits of protec-
tion put in the pockets of the work
men and less in the pockets of the
manufacturers.
Governor Wilson, on the other hand,
accepts tariff solely because the
government needs money from in
direct taxation. He doubts the con-
stitutionality of a protective tariff,
and he knows it promotes the forma-
ton of trusts. And yet he says the
tariff must not be too radically or
too suddenly disturbed" But" he
adds, I'VE shall not on that account
act with timidity, as if we did not
know our own minds, for we are GER
tain of our ground and of our. object.
There should be an immediate revis-
ion, and it should be downward, un-
hesitatingly and steadily downward"
In other recent speeches he has ex-
pressed preferences for reductions by
prudent stages, say, about 5 per cent
a year until the basis of strictly rev.
enue tariff is reached.
From the tariff he passes to the
subject Of trusts. The two are in
terlocked, and Governor Wilson more
than intimates that the trusts would
be comparatively powerless were they
not protected and safeguarded by the
tariff wall. He admits that the Sher-
man law is Intellectual while the pres
ent tariff rates are maintained. In
order to crush monopoly it will be nee
essary to reduce the tariff to a rev.
enue basis and ito add such other
laws as may be necessary to provide
suitable and adequate judicial pro-
cesses, whether civil or criminal, to
disclose them and follow them to final
verdict and Judgment. They must be
specifically and directly met by law
as they develop" And he includes
in the list of monopolies the railways,
express companies, insurance COM
panies, manufacturing corporations,
mining corporations, power and de-
velopment companies "and all the rest
of the circle"
All through his speech runs the
basic notion of more perfect repre-
sentation Of the great body of the
people. He wants no more tariff max
ing by small groups of manufacturers
ready to subscribe to campaign funds.
He wants less special privilege and
private control and more justice for
all. He wants the doors of oppor-
tunity thrown open to the whole peo-
pie. This idea permeates his entire
speech, and it is presented in a just
and feasible manner in every instance.
1t is this that makes his position the
antithesis alike of that of the reac-
tionary Taft and of the erratic Roose-
wolf