The Washington times., 1914-03-24
THE TOLLS REPEAL.

| THE TOLLS REPEAL.
1t was not a united or very har-
monious Democracy that nominated
Woodrow Wilson at Baltimore.
There were elements of dissension
that menaced the party's solidarity.
But if the Democracy had conditions
on its hands that threatened it, the
Republican party had conditions
that split it well-nigh amidships. So
Mr.. Wilson was handily elected, al
belt by decided minority.
Mr.. Taft came to the Presidency,
much as did Mr.. Wilson; elected, in
deed by big majority, but yet not
the real first choice of a very large
element in the party. Mr.. Taft split
his party on the tariff question. He
was pledged to revise the tariff
downward, and not a small faction
in and out of the party believed that
the result was a betrayal of that
pledge.
Likewise, Mr.. Wilson came to the
White House pledged to free canal
tolls for American shipping. That
pledge the President now declares
to have been a mistake. Mr.. Bryan
is quoted as saying that it would not
have been in the platform if it had
been realized by the platform
makers that a majority of Demo-
Gratis in Congress had voted against
the proposal when the legislation
passed. At any rate the President
insists that the law shall be repeal
ed, and it becomes daily more ap-
parent that this issue is big and
sharp rock in the course of the
party's ship of state.
The opposition to the Government
is using toll repeal in part as a pre-
text. The Republicans are ready to
seize upon whatever issue will serve
to make Democratic troubles. The
anti-Wilson Democrats are able to
protest that they are standing by
their platform guns. The question
presents itself, whether the tolls
issue contains the elements of po-
tential party disaster, for the Demo-
Gratis, that were presented in the
tariff issue during the last Republi-
can administration?
Mr.. Wilson is going through a
stressful period of his career as a
party leader. The best friend of
the tariff legislation passed last ses-
sion will hardly deny that the in
creasing costs of living in general,
coupled with the fact that the farm
ers are getting less for their prod
ucts than in long time, has aroused
widespread disaffection among the
rural population. Unemployment,
whatever the cause, and whether
the tariff has or has not to do with
it, is a bald fact that stares one in
the face everywhere. The proposal
to repeal the tolls exemption is de-
cidedly unpopular in many sections
that conceive themselves to have a
material interest in the exemption.
All these and various other ele-
ments, notably patronage, combine
to present a most uncomfortable
prospect at the opening of the Con-
gressional campaign. In a very
great number of districts, in 1912,
the Democrats elected Congressman
by very narrow pluralities, made
possible by dint of the division of
their opposition. II the canal tolls
and other issues shall grow and in
crease in political gravity, as did the
tariff issue of Taft's experience, it
need be no surprise if the Demo-
cratic losses next November amount
to serious menace of the party's
control. 1t is hardly believable that
the Democrats will lose the House
prophecies of that sort are the echo
of hopes, not convictions. But q
serious reduction of the Democratic
majority would be accepted as evil
dence that the party was weakening
in popular support; and it might
easily inspire such rehabilitation of
the opposition as would provide a
very real contest in 1916.
THE GUNMENS APPEAL