The Marion daily mirror. (Marion, Ohio) 1892-1912, 1912-04-13
-afe fnan ever before
Ohio furnishes object Lesson.

A-N"N0Ua
From whatever state our national
leader may come this year, Ohio has
furnished the, object lesson for the
campaign. The conditions at her
capital we're like those in Washing
Ton. The revenues we're raised by
taxation unfairly apportioned and
spent with wastefulness and extrav-
agance. The government had fallen
into the hands of men who admins
tered II for their own advantage and
that OF others whom II was to their
interest to favor in order to prolong
their control Special privilege was
rampant on all sides. There was a
strong suspicion Of graft, great and
small. in the gross form of common
stealing and under the various dis
guises which skillful rascallty en-
ploys.
THE people, weary OF unkept prom.
ises Of retrencnment and reform by
the Republican party, turned to the
Democrats, but gave them only par
tial control of the government. These
set about the task assigned to them,
only to find themselves hampered and
obstructed at every turn by Republl.
can officials. But their efforts, though
unsuccessful, were not In vain, be
cause at the next election the voters
swept the state house clean and
turned It over to the Democrats.
I'm 1908 the people gave the Re-
publicans another chance, on their
express promise to reduce the tariff
taxes and make other needed reforms.
But they worse than forgot the prom
Use. They broke It by raising these
taxes and making their iniquities in
distribution and by way of fayoritism
woiae than before. And as to re-
tIenchment. that was only stoca
platform phrase anyway.
'The president, who as a candidate
had added his personal promise to
that of his party. not only signed the
Payne-Aldrich.Smoot tariff bill, but
praised it as the best ever devised
by man.
"At the next election the voters
smote him and his party all over the
Union and sent up democratic
house to give them relief and justice.
They would have sent Democratic
senate and president, too, II they
could.
"The house promptly set to work,
| reducing its own expenses to begin
with. and set its committees to en-.
| quiring into the enormous expenses
of the various departments, with q
view to reducing them, too. And II
| passed bills to reduce the tariff taxes
and correct the mcnstrous injustice
in the existing schedules. The elec.
tions were not entirely without eff
feet on the Republican senate, be
cause It concurred in these bills
with some notifications, and they
went TO the president for approval
"He vetoed them. and the reasons
he gave were. If anything, worse than
his action. He will doubtless veto the
bills passed at the present session, II
they get through the senate. He In
sists that the favored manufacturers
shall be guaranteed reasonable
profit at the expense of the cOnsum
ers Of the country, though everybody
else has to take his chances OF profit
Tariff Breeds Trusts.
"The Republican tariff has been the
chief breeder of trusts and combina
tions to suppress competition anC
raise rrices. II has encouraged ex
traVagance as an excuse for high du
ties. 1t has aggravated the inequali
ties Of wealth. which have spread so
ciallsm among the people. Its reform
on Democratic principles will accom-
plish more for the welfare OF the
country at large than any other sin
gle measure.
"On this there is hardly a dissent
among Democrats. We favor il al
| strongly as we oppose a central bank
The need Of such reform is confessed
The voters have demanded It, 1t will
be the key OF the Democratic position
this fall.
"Whlle the executive has duties
connected with Legislation, II is thu
business department Of the govern
ment which expends peoples none!
, and is looked to for the results which
that money is provided to obtain
and the same qualities and methods
are required there as In any othe
enterprise. The incentive OF persona
/, gain is lacking, but patriotism mor'
than fills its place with the righ
sort of men, for what is better wortl
while than really TO help make on
free institutions bring forth the gool
they were founded to secure.
"And standing for or permlttin
special privileges or advantages O
any kind through the action of a gov
ernment maintained by all the peopl
for their equal benefit is an offens
little short OF treason In the eyes o
b the Democrats. These are matter
OF right and wrong with us, and no
Of mere economies.
THE intlmation that ! ever was O
could be, actively or passlvely, guilt
. OF this offense ! resent as a slande
without excuse or mitigation. | woul
rather be charged with theft, becaus
). that would Involve no betrayal Q
u trust Ieposed by my countrymen an