Daily Kennebec journal., 1912-01-29
The Old Democratic eIunder.

If YOU are following the sessions
of the present Congress- what do you
think of il? If you are not following
il, why, don't bother, But il strikes
the practical man as would something
fixed up by p. f. Barnum
What are they doing?" you ask.
We'll. in the first place the Demo-
cratic leaders are talking economy.
i,lst as they do in Maine: and they &C
.heuf it in the same way--take it out
in talk and indulge in the political
material they desire at the tax payers
expense.
Thus far they are still reducing the
tariff and voting to increase ex-
penditures They have raised the MAJ
tionai expenditures ss0,0oo,00o and are
planning an increase of s30.ooO,ooo
more. In the place of a current de-
ficit of 5000, 900 they seem to desire
one of about $i20, 600, 900 as an evidence
of their economical inclinations.
Many of us can remember the four
years panic at the climax Of which
Grover Cleveland sold bonds to pre-
vent the gold reserve frofa being
wiped out That was another Demo-
cratic era of economy. If You re-
member 1t, would you like to see it
repeated?
II Democratic leaders had sense
enough to recognize the strength OF
President Tafts practical and effec-
t.qe. REAL economy, and would con-
fine themselves to perfecting a tariff
asEansement much like that advocated
hy Taft in 1905, they would get the
center of the stage. make hit and
eohhle mitch of the Republican ap-
g,lause Such q tariff scheme could
lie based on the findings of the tariff
commission, which seems to justify
The Judgment of certain leading
statesmen not many years ago.
While tile Democrats insist on re-
peating their blunder by again oppes-
ing protection and standing for low
ad valorem duties, Republicans seem
10 have recovered from their lapse
Of conscience when they inflicted up
on President Taft the Payne-Aldrieh
bill. and it's violation of popular de-
mand. Democracy ever makes the
mistake of thinking that the people
So. in
The intelligence of the nation was
never farther from free trade than
today. Have its fallacies not been
demonstrated over and over? De-
rnocraev deals in generalities rather
than specific facts,
Republicans blundered three years
go but they do not persist in il, The
tariff commission plan opens the way
to sensible adjustment and handling
Of the long troublesome problem.
protective policy must prevail
and every attack upon it is one more
blow aimed at industry and labor. The
plan that appeals to the horse sense
of all grades Of American citizenship
is the one that shall measure the diff
ference in cost of production and yet
guard against the methods of foreign
producers to sell below cost in order
10 relieve a surplus.
Progressive" Democrats stand for
something more than tariff for reve-
nue. only"
Locally the most of us shout: PA
tronize home Industries Nationally
the Republican party stands for the
same. Protection does that most ef-
fectively. Boom our town." is a pet
slogan with business men, laborers
and newspapers, but many of these
same men lose sight of their logic
when ii comes TO national affairs.
We can remember way back to 1909
when there was howl for free hides
and cheaper shoes. Even the manu-
factnrers said that with hides on the
free list the protective duty on boots
and shoes could be dispensed with.
Well, they got absolutely free hides.
much against the wishes of the farm
er but he was ticllled up. to some de-
gree. with the prospect of cheaper
shoes The duty on boots and shoes
was also lowered from 25 to 10 per
cent. The government lost the duty
as foreseen, but who got the Il per
cent Was il you? Guess NOT Aoi
MAS il the manufactures. for in the
face Of a prospective advance of 81
cents per pair all around in shoes. ths
makers of shoes are now clamorine
that the duty be reimposed.