The Washington times., 1912-08-11
DANGER OF FOLLOWING TRADITIONS.

mo Detter ILLUSTRATION or the underlying lncapac1ty
OF the Democratic party to deal with great national
problems could be found than is afforded by the
squabbe over the battleship-bulding program
The incident deserves attention When the Dem
ocrats were in opposition in the House, when they
had responsibility for the dongs the failures,
when they could view everything with alarm and be
critical at all points, they got themselves committed
to the tradition of opposing real naval expansion.
They put it on the ground most commonly OF ,econ-
omy They hated to see the dear taxpayers good
money being flched from his pockets and paid over
for floating forts that would be useless and obsolete
in. few years. They didn't believe in war, any
now didn't believe there any need of having it,
therefore none of preparing for it.
Very good buncombe. 1t was good enough for
the innocens who can always be caught with protes-
taton of economical purposes; it didn't seriously
offend the people who wanted the battleships, be-
cause those ships got built just the same-on Re-
publican initiative.
Year by year, Congress after Congress, that
the Democratic attitude; taken on without serious
thought followed because was the attitude of oppo
sition Then suddenly the House goes Democratic
and the party is faced with responsibility.
That's different
Well enough to talk economy and weep over the
woes of the poor taxpayer, when it does no harm
makes no difference, and may catch some few votes
But, facing the necessity of deciding the question of
naval policy, the House has been shocked to realize
that it must at last take itself seriously. This time
Democratic votes, not Democratic talk, important
To be consistent" means to abandon the naval
policy which, despite buncombe talk Of economy the
country overwhelmingly believes in. To flop and
60 over to the Republican policy would be ludcrous
confession of the nsincerity of former protestaons
If this uncomfortable joint debate between pro-
O.. 81
ton alone it would not be so bad. But turn to the
tariff The Democratic profession of tariff-for
revenue-only faith has been easy and harmless
when the party was out of power. 1t might get some
votes; it couldn't affect any tariff schedule so long
as the Republicans must make the schedules.
But now Democrats making schedules; hope
to make more Are they really for tariff f-for-revenue
only? They busly assuring the country that they
don't mean it at all; they are going to reduce the
tariff little at time, hurt nobody do injury to
business and wink the other eye when anybody says
ff-for-revenue.
On every question involving the State-soveregnty
tradition the same is true. They are thunderously,
ponderously opposed to dangerous Capitalization"
of power at Washington: they want no Federal inter-
ference with matters that properly belong to the
States
Then there is report of yellow fever germ be-
ing seen in New Orleans, and straightway the whole
State-rghts South scrambles out to demand Fed
eral appropriation and rigorous use of Federal
authority and cash to prevent epidemic!
That's the great trouble with the Democratic
party. 1t is hitched to lot of traditions which never
did any harm so long the party was merely in
opposition, but which are embarrassing now, and
would be runous to real interests Of the country il
serious effort were made to live and govern by them
The Democratic party needs to catch up with the
fact that this is the twentieth century, not the eight
eenth. Then it will have an excuse for asking the
responsibility of administration