The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1912-10-01
THE TARIFF AND REPUBLICANISA1
Speech Of Hon Hayes Of California the House Of Repre-
senaives, February 49, 1912.

have not time now to discuss it but
fought it in the campaign. and am
still opposed TO it.
The first necessity is that the great
Indebtedness that is generally char
acterizing the present movement
should be removed. Effective results
can only come when we have a clear
conception of the evils that We are
trying to correct and the remedies
that are proposed TO correct them,
Those who. without any concrete
program of reforms. are stirring a
vague sense of the rottenness of the
present order are doing o1t an il
service To wrench the superla-
tives of the English language merely
to produce a general atmosphere OF
suspicion, granted that the suspicion
may perhaps be justified, is very
questionable pubic service. AS one
of the greatest of living Americans
has wei said, ITO assail the great
and admitted evils of our political
and Industrial life with such crude
and sweeping congratulations as to
include decent men in the general
, condemnation means in the end the
soaring of the public conscience"
Wild propagandists of unrest ano
discomfort. furious deciaimers against
the entire existing order. preachers
OF repression and destruction who
propose no substitute for that which
they propose to destroy or substitute
which would be much worse than the
present evils; general aspersers OF
the characters of our public men
and dealers in sweeping generaliza-
tions and denunciations of everybody
and everything except their own fads
and faddists-such men as these
whsther in public life or out OF it, are
no safe leaders al this time
1t seems to me there is a present
urgent need of quitting this general
howl against even those men and
those things that deserve condemna
ton and actually proposing something
concrete and practical.
Let US get down out OF the clouds
and the nebulous milky way, get oul
feet once more onto the earth, and
strive for some definite and attain
able object. Let there be less talk
ing. denunciation and demagogic poll
tics. and more doing: let us. formu
late some definite, concrete reforms
| that viii add to the prosperity and
happiness OF the people, instead oil
] destroying both, and then get in anc
! actually fight for them, as We did fol
/ the amendment of the house rule:
and as the Republicans OF California
did in the last campaign, and We shall
have a chance OF accomplishing some
thing beneficial to the people of ths
country and something worthy o
ourselves and OF our high professions
One would think, to hear some O
our protessed reformers talk, tina
1 corruption and malfessance in office
are almost universal among our pub
/ lie men: that most of the men havinl
seats in the congress OF the United
States are under the pay of the so
called interests; that the great trust
and other financial and industrial
/ hobgoblins have the national govern
ment so completely in control that i
has ceased TO be representative 0
( the people and has come to represen
only those great interests: in short
.,,o. +yao e--o. -, 1,e ,.-x-orr rocnr ecta r
lished by the fathers OF the republic
has broken down completely an
proven itself failure, SO far as tn
protection of the liberties and right
Of the people is involved.
This dark picture ia very grea
exaggeration There never was
time in the history of the countr
when there was go little corruption
and Official wrongdoing as now. Sin
ply because men do not worship a
our particular political altar ne ar
not Justified In starting politica
inquisition and trying and condemn
ing them for political heresy. A ma
does not need TO be Sissy or
eaKtiHg 10 De TAR 10 LIB OppOHeIl
in political as in other warfare. An
ncgt fair and honest men have com
to know from experience that Will
there viii always be differences
opinion about governmental policies
honesty OF purpose and patriotism
are never all on one side of any grea
public question. Applause on th
Republican side-l
Al the height of the French rev
luton the pointing of finger Of SD
picion by Robespierre or any othe
: Of those men who we're posing as tn
only defenders Of liberty and th
J rights Of the people was enough
send to the gtiiilotine the man againi
. whom the suspicion was directe
] whether he we're guilty or innocent.
i And In this great country We gee
/ 10 hare come TO time when certai
I political self-righteous individual
' who proclaim themselves az the on
e simon-pure patriots can raise susT
cion in the public mind against ma