Norwich bulletin., 1914-09-14

In ht8 4ddro1B befOre the tSPuoA can state convention Senator fTanA B. Brandegee said:
 IL Is just six years ago today that l stood upon this very platform as pre- eiding officer of the republican con vention which ratified the nominatlon of William Howard Taft and James T. Sherman for president and vice presi- dent, respectively, of the United States. The great majority Of the people or the United States and of this state were with us at that time. and we beleve that an equally great majority or the people are with us today. .
 Tho lack of any evidence or contest or factional strife in the proceedlngS which have resulted in your selection, and the harmonious and fraternai feeling which is conspicuous on every hand are unmistakable augurdes that republicans everywhere appreciate the necessity of restoring the conduct or public affairs. both state and national, to the only political party which through a series of years. has demon etrated It's capacity to administer the government so as to insure prosperity at home and honor and prestige abroad. Whatever may have been past differences of opinion as to candidates. whatever animosities may have arisen n to the conduct or the proceedings Of past conventions. They all pale into comparative insignificance in the face of the one great emergency ere ated by the fact that the democratic party. which, whenever given oppor- tunify. has proved itself incompetent to govern the country. is misgovern- ,lng tho country. and that the only political party which has ever proved capable. of governing the country well Q not governing the country.
 Now Governed by Minority
 It will not be entirely proftless to nnalyze the existing situation briefly, but somewhat more closely. The coun- try ig today being governed by a par ty which Is in the minority Of the total vote of the country by more than q million and quarter of votes: It Is largely sectional party. Of course, the solid south, the section of the country which enables that party to obtain power dominates it's policies and it's legislation while it remains in power. The result is that whenever an elector of Connecticut casts his ticket, or any candidate upon it. he Eoes all that he can to place in the hands of the statesmen of the south ern states the determination of the Fundamental national policies of the country. The historic attitude of the public men of the south has always been in advocacy of the doctrine of tree trade between this nation and all other nations.
 Why they originally assumed this attitude Is perfectly apparent. Before the Civil war the south, with it's slave labor, directed it's industrial activity almost exclusively to the raising and marketing of a few great staple pro- ducts, such as cotton, tobacco and sugAr. A large percentage of this product was exported to foreign na- Hons.
 These conditions. with the excep- hon of slave labor. now free but still very cheap labor. remain substantially the same today. The ideal economic condition for the south, therefore. is lo hold ite monopoly upon these three p0ateaGsicplturat staples so far as to91ible and to buy what they must 5uaeume iu the shape of manufactured pfpducts, representing the labor and Rages of skilled artisans, in the cheap lst market obtainable
 With complete free trade or tariff sratic party promises as the perma- aent fiscal policy of this country, the south could supply itself with what tver products 1t needs made by the sheaper paid labor of foreign coun- nies. Of course. it is apparent to the most casual observed that this demo- srAtic policy of a tariff for revenue pnly would drive every manufacturer h New England out of business and compel him to sshut down his plant md discharge his skilled workmen lnless he can reduce the cost of pro- luctng his product to that of his for
 ign competitor. From 50 to 80 per sent of the cost of manufactured pro-