Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1913-07-23
Wednesday, July %, 1918.
A Sadly Mistaken Neiehbor.

hard time of IL trying 10 work up polltI-
cal CAPITAL out of the Underwood tariff
bill Their main hope has been 10 pref
udice the farmers against II because
some agricultural products nave beei pu,
upon the free list. The farmer has been
pictured in lurid colofs as the helpless
victim OF the wicked Democratic free
traders" in the effort to enlist his self
interest against the bill-Portland Argus,
Our Portland neighbor is largely mis-
taken in the declaration that "Republi
cans have been having hard time oil
it." 1t may be no serious breach OF eth
i.s at this time to confess that the Re-
publican press has taeitiy refrained
from making use of mere than very
small proportion of the political capital
at hand. for fear of prejudicing the
case. The Democratic demonstration
has been vastly more illuminative or
the fallacy and desperate character OF
Democratic free trade principles" than
any Republican explanation could have
been.
In other words, dear Argus. the
Democratic party. in power on snf'peft
NJ a minority of American voters. has
been given rope with which to hang
istef And the performance is being
carried out TO the taste of the most ex-
acting protectionist.
When you speak Of political capitai
for Republicans. you perhaps write m
mediately after an Office nap in which
the news of the day has sloughed on
vonr memory. Now in the first paper
on the pile in our morning mail, which
happens to be the Fredericton On. b.
Daily Cleaner, We find dispatch from
Ottawa concerning what 1t Calls the
..WIlson tariff at Washington And
the second paragraph of that dispatch
reads:
s.Gensraily speaking, the tar'tt IS
viewed with much favor here, pr'mar-
ilv because il embodies the main con-
ces.ions Of tho reciprocity treaty
without exacting corresponding hseai
favors for Canada"
I,etsus look at that phase OF the case
candidly for a moment. Millions Oh
American farmers and those dependent
on them, arose in their wrath because
~ the unfairness and manifest disas-
Ter far agricultural interests in the
Taft reciprocity plan. And even can
ada would not accept the arrangement
offered, Now Canada is delighted With
the Democratic proposal. because l.
gives all and asks nothing.
How would our free trade friends ex-
meet the farmers on this side the line
to view such proceeding? Have Re-
mahlicans any need to work up any
thing against the Wilson tariff bili'
Another paragraph in tie same otta-
wa article, published in a provincial
paper. reads:
"The practical benefit Of the coness-
sions Of course will be in proportion
10 the extent to which other Compel
inc countries enjoying favored nation
treatment are able to profitably avail
themselves Of the new arrangement.
Free coal will be . boon to British
coIumbis, and should, If proper ter.
minais are secured, be Of equal ad.
vantage to the Maritime Provinces.
The Same applies to fish, lumber and
pulp wood"
When the beneficiaries of striking
" small voting minority. through a
notorious political fluke. proceeds to
perpetrate upon whole nation the pro-
duct of repeatedly discredited spo-
litical dogma, fits probably the wisest
course 10 give such higots full oppor-
tunity to DO their worst. The previous
..Wilson bill' gave the country stom-
ech fun of free trade for generation,
but, tor lack of anything else. the
Democratic party has continued to mug
the delusion until another generation
has grown up. Perhaps another severe
lesson is necessary, and 1t would be
useless and impolitie to oppose 1t, but Il
is not for lack of enlightening material
that we have 20 little to say concerning
the present Democratic display.