New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1912-09-22
BEING EXPLICIT"

We thought that at last he nad oe
come explicit" His platform de'
clares that protective duties are uncoh,
etitutionaI Many have been puzzled
IN know how be could run on that
platform and yet promise business tha'
he would make only gradual changes
In the protective duties, thus deliOer-
stely violating the fundamental law
as his party and presumably he him
seIf interpret It. But nobody had been
able TO get an answer to the puzzle.
Therefore. when we read in the special
correspondence OF The Evening Post
that at Detroit Governor Wilson took
occasion TO reply TO an editorial
(which had appeared In The Detroit
Journal few hours before, taking
''him TO task because. II averred, nc
Thought anything but free trade I'M
constitutional" we reJoiced The
correspondent did lot have room 10
give the answer. Nevertheless, the
question was answered. So we waited
for the Detroit papers TO give in de-
tail Governor Wilson's explicit recon-
element OF his protective promises
with the constitutional principles OF
his platform. Here Is the question as
presented by the Governor:
THE Journal" Of to-day has an edi-
torial in which I must say It does me
very much more than justice person.
ally But il finds I'm me an uninten-
tlonal Machiavelli II says that there
IS an honest man who honestly believes
that q protected tariff is unconstitu-
tional, and If he gets a chance being
an honest man. ne will unset this I'M
constitutional arrangement. That is
good reasoning, but it is entirely incon-
sistent with another part of the edi-
torial which very kindly ascribes
brains 70 me, for il comedies that /
am not only an honest man but an in
telligent and a well informed man.
And here is his answer:
one of the things that know is
that about half the people in the United
states are Democrats. ] know that
thew are engaged In every kind Of in
dustry, and that they could not unite
to accomplish economic destruction
without also deliberately accomplish
ing economic suicide. Ana l do not be-
lieye that half the people IN the United
States are going to combine 10 ruin
the industries OF the United States. |
am too intelligent 10 think that is like
~. Moreover, so far as ] am myself
concerned I would with the greatest
respect call the editors attention 70 a
little utterance which l ventured 70
make upon accepting the nomination
for the Presidency. In which l explicit
~ laid down the programme which
thought we ought to pursue with re-
gard TO duties. said that that ought
not to be changed except in such a way
and at such a rate as would not IN any
way interfere with the course OF sound
business In the United States.
As explicit" as an oracle of Del
phi. How does the honest man
whose platform contains clear-cut
declaration that protective duties are
unconstitutional reconcile that princi-
pie with continued and only gradually
reduced protection? Search the speech
In vain for a solution. He raises the
issue and pretends TO dispose OF tt
just as the magician pretends 10 tie up
In a handkerchief the marked coin
which he will pick out of your waist
coat pocket a few minutes later II IL
deft sleight-of-hand business, But
since he was processing to give an
honest and frank statement respecting
the constitutional theory Of his plat
form, 1t Is not surprising that, accord
ing to The Evening Post" the speech
was followed by this incident:
One man gripped his hand on the fly
and said:
Governor. that was a scholarly
speech. but you missed the point"
what was the point?" asked the
Governor.
But" he said, telling about II after
ward. before / could get the mans
answer he was swept away In the
crowd, and now I'm wondering what
"the point was"
What pity! Everybody else Is won
dering what the point was, too.