East Oregonian : E.O. (Pendleton, OR) 1888-current, 1912-02-14

ment that the history of the one is
the history of the other. The truth
is the history of the last so years,
with one or two exceptions, has been
the history of the republican party.
DenOunces Reforms.
with the effort to make the Sc
lection of candidates, the enactment
of legislation and the decision of
of courts depend upon the monetary
passions of a people necessarily in
differently informed as to the issues
Tafts Speech.
Men praise Lincoln today and at
tack the republican party, altogether
forgetful of the fact that in Lincoln's
life the men and the party were so
closely united in aim and accomplish
presented, and without the opportu-
nifty to them for time and study and
that deliberation that gives security
and common sense to the government
of the people, such extremists would
hurry us into a condition which could
find no parallel except in the French
revolution or in the bubbling anarchy
that once characterized the South
American republics.
.Neurotics" Are Scored.
"Such extremists are not progress
sives-they are political emotionalists
or neurotics who have lost the sense
of proportion, the clear and candid
consideration of their own weakness
| as a whole, and that clear perception
of the necessity for checks upon hasty
popular action which made our peo-
l. h. I 1.,ffA Il
who drafted the Federal Constitution
the greatest self-governing people
| that the world ever knew.
1T has been said, and it is a COM
mon platform expression, that 1t is
well to prefer the man above the dol
| lar, as if the preservation of property
right had some other purpose than
the assistance to and the uplifting of
human rights. Private property was
established as an instrumentality in
the progress of civilization and the
uplifting of man, and it is equality of
opportunity that private property pro-
notes by assuring the man the re-
suits of his own labor, thrift and self
restraint.
! Abuses Are Diminishing.
eve have permitted the establish
ment of corporations and the acquisi-
ton of power through the corrupting
use of money in politics. so as al
times to give to a few dangerous con-
troll in legislation and government
! but during the last 10 years much
| progress against such abuses has beer
made in this regard. Statutes have
been passer, notably the antitrust
statute and the interstate commerce
law, and its amendments, to restrain
a misuse of the privileges conferred
by charter
I'VE have an army of mobile troops
not more than one to 1000 of ouI
population, and now it is proposed by
our democratic friends in congress to
reduce that army by eliminating one
! third of our cavalry. They would cut
! out some of the best cavalry in the
world, five regiments of which are
needed for a nucleus of a larger army
should we ever be suddenly called in
! to war. For the same reason they
propose to depart from the time-hon-
ored practice of adding to our navy
each year two battleships but cutting
|
Curtailments Held Mistake.
| I'm considering our many respon-
sibilities in different parts of the
world l think this is a great mistake
| Certainly the elimination in the adj
| ditions to the fleet ought not to be
contemplated until the Panama ca
nal is completed. In other words oul
democratic friends are doing the very
thing that they are always reputed
to do, they are doing the right thing
at the wrong time.
with unfailing accuracy, they
have selected as their policy that
which is least defensible under exist.
ing conditions.
II have said this much to show
that the republican party since it;
beginning more than so years ago al
ways has been a progressive party
and it always has recognized its re.
sponsibility by action.
Party's Record seen.
1--WE have a record in the last II
years and especially in the last three
years, of responding to popular need.
by legislation specifically adapted tC
afford the proper remedies, so VIII!
should we not be sure of winning {
vote of confidence from the people
We know what We propose to do
so we offer a definite programme
show definite results and we believ,
these results are what the peopl
wish. We do not hesitate to ask 70
their support
ut is because of my confidence
that the republican party can point t
definite deeds already accomplished
to laws already on the statute books
and being enforced, and carried to
useful purpose and proposed statute
! with a clear description of the term
and effects of these statutes, that
confidently rely upon an ultimate Yer
dict by the people in favor of tn
old republican party the party @
. Lincoln and of Grant, the most pro
gressive party in the history of thi
country or any other country"