Devils Lake weekly world. (Devils Lake, N.D.) 1911-1914, 1912-11-15
THE REPUBLICAN PARTY.

Tt is not true. as Colonel Roosevelt has with some reck-
1essness and indelieacy stated, that he has smashed the Re.
broken, and no vital organ has been hurt. The Republican
Party is still living. 1t has been put in a hard position, but
bard positions are often the making of parties as well as men.
The Republican Party is sick, and should be treated as
though it were sick. 1t needs no immediate violent exercise.
It's members should not strain themselves in the effort to save
the country. That Job has been let to others for the present.
The Party needs rest and should take it. The session of con-
gress following a Presidential election is never a strenuous
one. The outgoing administration is not called upon to do
much, except clean it's slate of unfinished work. The incoming
party will want to speed the parting guest before beginning
it's own labors. There is then naturally a period of quiet, when.
deep thinking may be done to advantage. One of these periods
is now here.
The Republican Party's greatest asset remaining is pos
session of the principles on which the party was founded. It,
has first and foremost, the principle of protection. 1t is the
most popular doctrine. on the whole, in American politics.
Properly conserved, it would have saved the last election. The
main fault with President Taft was that, after getting into!
office as a man who apparently understood the tariff question
and was prepared to deal with it sanely and safely, he let the
situation get away from him. He did not keep nor force 9th
ers to keep the pledges of the Republican platform of 1908.
Had he brought about a moderate but clear revision of the
tariff downward, nothing could have prevented his reelection.
By this course he started a Marathon which began at
Winona and ended at ArmageddOn.
But whatever happens to individual leaders, the policy
of protection remains, and as we have said, it is on the whole
the most popular issue in American politics. The Republican
Party has violated it's trust in allowing protected industries
too much to say about what the rates should be. Out Of power
it will have a chance to ponder these things. When it comes
back, it must come with a clear and definite program of tariff
reform based on protection. In the making of this program
it will be necessary to consult only the people and the econ,
omsts. 1t will not be necessary to take a referendum of the
manufacturers. They must be satisfied with what is necessary
for each industry, not what would please each. The country
is not called upon to bonus ineficiency or put a premium on
antiquated methods. 1t is necessary only to protect the COM
petitive capital and labor engaged so as to put them on no,
more than an even footing with foreign competitors.
When the Republican Party has digested and prepared
such a program, it will be ready to do battle with the false
doctrine of a revenue tariff. This will probably come in 1916,
when the radicals in the Democratic Party will have broken
away from Wilson and followed the free traders into another
camp. - "s =
The Republican Party is not dead, nor has it become un-
necessary to the Journal,