Decorah public opinion. (Decorah, Winneshiek County [Iowa]) 1895-1928, 1912-10-09
DANGER OF DEMOCRACY.
Even Roosevelt Asserts That Wilson'S
Election Would Mean Disaster.

| The tide is turning toward Presi-
dent Taft. The American people are
realizing the danger which confronts
them in the possibility of a Demo-
cratic administration. The Demo-
cratic party, in its platform, adopted
at Baltimore, declares that the pro-
tective system is unconstitutional.
Professor Wilson is a confessed free
trader. He testified before the tariff
board in 1882 that he was i'm favor
of the repeal of all protective laws
and made the absurd statement that
because the states in this Union al
lowed free interchange of commerce,
there should be a similar free inteI-
change between the United States
and all the producing countries of the
world. This illogical, unpatriotic
and absolutely destructive theory
would be put into effect if Professor
! Wilson should be elected president.
| He would be ably seconded in his
efforts by Champ Clark, speaker of
the Democratic house of representa-
tiyes, who publicity declared upon the
floor of congress that he was in favor
of destroying every custom house in
the land.
! Colonel oosevelt-through his
organization, now happily decreasing
in numbers, is no more nor less than
Democratic aid society-bears en-
phatic testimony to the distressing
conditions which would follow the
election of Professor Wilson. In the
outlook, July %, 1912, Theodore
Roosevelt wrote the following:
IF Mr. Wilson were elected, he
would either have to repudiate the,
promises made about the tariff in the
Democratic platform or else bring
every industry in the country to al
crash which would maye all panics il
our past history seem like child'sl
play in comparison. In short, were
DR.. Wilson elected on this platform,
he would be obliged at the very OUT
set of his administration to face the
alternatives of dishonesty or disaster,
the alternates of refusing to carry
out the expressed pledges of the plat
form. or else of causing such disaster
to every worker in the country as
would mean nationwide ruin
Since writing this article, Colonel
Roosevelt has been even more en-
phatic. He said at the Minnesota
state fair recently that if the tariif
plank of the Democrats should be-
enacted into law, it would plunge
this country into period of COM
mercial disasters such as we have not
seen in lifetime At st. Louis in
a speech, Colonel Roosevelt made the
Following observation:
Il believe that if Mr. Wilson's freel
trade policy or tariff for revenue only
policy is in good faith adopted and isl
not a mere campaign cry. widespread
disaster will result to American life =
1t is remarkable that Colonel
Roosevelt, himself Republican, and
the recipient of the Republican party
and supposedly concerned in the well
fare of his country, should deliber-
ately attempt to help into power the
IN ifc
would plunge the country into dis
aster. There can be no question,
however, that this would be the re-
suit. Every one remembers the hard
times of the last Democratic admin
stratiOn-factories everywhere clos
ed, millions of men out of employ
ment, banks suspended, railroads in
bankruptcy and starvation every
where. A recurrence Of these con-
ditions is certain if the Republican
party is defeated next November.
1t seems impossible to believe that
the American people will allow the
fair sunshine of prosperity to be OBJ
Scured by the black and Somber cloud
of business paralysis and enforced
idleness under Democratic admins
tration. And it seems equally im-I
possible to believe that any can be-
so blind as to believe there is chanceI
for Colonel Roosevelt's election. IieI
does not believe it himself. All his
recent speeches show that the oneI
hope that yet remains to him Is thatl
votes to defeat President Taft. Arel
you going to help him?
Morgan swore, before the senate
investigating committee last week
that ha pava S150 OOO O0 m RoOca-