The Lexington dispatch. [volume] (Lexington, South Carolina) 1870-1917, 1912-10-23

"fnFaG IN inCCH?r tx N"0'is'cH - "a
Wilson law Of :>@i. WheH 1nis pro
vision was declared unconsItr4o02!
bv the suprc,cr crlTt nT a ma}c:iH
Of ore the D2IJCc~.L.c PARTY rene%oG
the fight ard has ccnlcnded for the
income tax in three national cam
pai2ns. In 1888 the Democratic plat
form demanded the submission OF an
amendment specifically authorizing
an income tax-tho very amendment
now before the states for TatihcauoA.
NJ. Rcosevelt's candidate. Mr.. TAFT,
declared during the campaign that an
amendment was rot necessary. ana
Mr. Roosevelt reve" made any aTsu-
ment in favor Of the amendment or III
favor Of the principle embodied IN II.
The amendment has now been Tatlileo
b. tilirty-fcur states: but, SO TAR as
know, Mr. Roosevelt has never mace
q speech in favor CT its RATIFICATION
nor. since the subrn; ;ssion Of the
amendment, made Speech urging ali
income tax as part Of our fiscal sys'
tenn. It would rot require any great
stretch of generosity On his part to
credit the Democratic party with prl-
ority in the advocacy of this reform.
Not Always For Railroad Regulation.
Mr.. Roosevelt is now an advocate of
railroad regulation. When did he COM
mence? The Democratic party in its
platforms of 1886, 1900 and 1904 de-
manded an extension Of the powers of
the interstate commerce commission.
Up to 1904 Mr.. Roosevelt never dis
cussed the subject of railroad regula-
tion officially or in public speech, so
far as I have been able to find. Al
though nominated without opposition
in the convention of 1901, his platform
contained no promise Of railroad regu-
lation. BY its attitude on the railroad
question the Democratic party alienat-
ed the support of those railway officials
who counted themselves Democrats,
and Mr. Roosevelt, both in 1900, when
he was candidate for vice-president,
and in 1904, when he was candidate
for president, had the benefit Of the
support Of those ey-Democrats. It was
in 1904 that he wrote his famous let
ter to Mr.. Hartman and in the state
of New York profited by the campaign
fund that Mr.. Hartman raised.
When after 1904 Mr.. Roosevelt took
up the subject of railroad regulation
he found more hearty support among
the Democrats in the senate and house
than among the Republicans, so that
he has reason to know that the Dem
ocratic party has for long time plant
ed itself boldly upon the peoples side
on the subject of railroad regulation.
Under the circumstances we might
expect some complimentary reference
to our party's attitude instead Of
anathemas.
T. RS Complete SomersauIt.
On the subject Of publicity as to
campaign contributions he has not only
adopted the Democratic position, but
he has been compelled to turn COM
plete somersault in order to do so. In
1908 the Democratic platform demand
ed the publication before election Of
the names of Individual contributors
and the amounts contributed. Mr..
Roosevelt at that time indorsed Mr..
Taft's contention that the publication
should be deferred until after the elec-
ton, and even went so far as to give
reasons for believing that 1t would be
improper to make the publication be-
fore the election. Two years later he
declared In favor Of publicity before
and after the election, landing on the
Democratic side shortly before the law
was enacted carrying out the Demo-
cratic platform on this subject. Here,
surely, he ought to praise the Demo
cratic party for the pioneer work it
has done in purifying politics.
Here are a few of the things which
bear the Democratic brand, and with
all Of his experience on the plains he
will not be able to work the brand
over 80 as to make it look like IT. R.