Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1914-10-01
PROTECTION AND PENROsEISN.

publican party from being held account
able as the refuge of monopoly and spe-
cial privilege, we must eliminate as our
recognized mouthpieces and public rep
resentatives men who have helped TO i'm
peril both protection and republicanism
by causing these names to stand for
what the great mass of the people do not
want In those particular directions.
In all human PROBABILITY the hold Of
Penrose Is so strong on the great in
terests in Pennsylvania that he is liable
to retain his seat in the United States
Senate. but it is reassuring to know that
the leading champions of disinterested
protection, such great and recognized ex-
ponents of republicansim and of protec-
ton as the New York Tribune and the
Philadelphia Ledger, are condemning
Penrose in the most unmeasured terms
and opposing the interests demanding his
return to the Senate. That attitude re-
fleets the present trend Of republicanism
hope of those who believe the party will
be able to shake OFF the ultra-reaction-
airy tendencies and forces which have
pulled it down.
The New York Tribune, which has OPP
posed Barnes In New York as well as
Penrose in Pennsylvania, has had the
satisfaction of seeing the Albany boss
eliminated from his position al the head
of the republican organization, although
those who understand the inner-work-
ings of machine politics must realize the
retirement OF Barnes from his position
publican committee by no means signifies
his relinquishing of we'll entrenched die
tatorship. Few bosses die and only once
in a lifetime does a boss resign, and
that is when he is forced to step down
and out.
That the effort of the Republican party
to ''clean house" from the inside Is hav-
ing n good impression on the outside
voters, Is evident from the comments of
the New York Post. which speaks of the
situation In the Keystone state and in
the United States Senate as follows:
The Philadelphia Ledger, a thick-and-
thin protectionist newspaper, and the
leading daily in that citadel of protec-
tionlsm, is fighting vigorously against
Penrose. This is a pleasing development
when o recalls the long history OF the
old Pennsylvania republican machine.
What made the continuous rule of the
Camerons, and Quay. and Penrose pos
sible was that, with extremely few ex-
ceptions, even the best of Philadelphia
republicans drew the line, in their re-
sistance to it. a the point where their
action might in any way imI,eril the
sacred edi1ce of protection.
The Ledger itself does, indeed. insist
that protection Is not practically involved
In Penroses election, or the reverse; thus
| 1t devotes a leading editorial to proving,
by a survey of the prospective vacan-
cies in the Senate, that it would he prac-
tically impossible, unless there is re-
publican tidal wave in 1916 and 1915, 70
overcome the democratic majority in the
United States before 1920, and that there
fore the future of the protective sys-
tenn is not In any way contingent upon
the defeat of Senator Penrose.'
but that is not the good old Pennsyl-
vania way of thinking about protection.
In season and out of season, with dan
ger near or remote, with expectations
reasonable or unreasonable, the one SUI
preme duty was to stand ny protection
| How are you going to have a tidal wave
| If you don't work for It? And what Is
a little think like Penrose's corrupt or
ganization In comparison with winning
a victory for protection? That was the
couraging o see evidences that It is
being outgrown."
Everybody we'll informed regards Pen
|
roseism in Philadelphia the same as
Tammany Hall in New York. Whereas
the way for a political party to secure
the support of the present generation OF
Americans as n whole is to deserve sup
port by clean politics, square dealing and
thorough feAlty to sterling principles, The
| ha IA,
driven. The young men of to-day arc
thinking for themselves as voters never
thought before. The snap OF the party
whip falls on unheeding ears. Only the
voice of genuine argument and appeal tc
sound reason find an audience among the
great mass of voters at this time,
And 1t is we'll that this Is So The vot-
ers Of this age want to hear both sides
of the case stated fairly and squarely
and the Taper which is not afraid tc
state the whole situation clearly. stand
ing Loyalty by established principles, NJ
matter whose head is hit or whose toes
are stepped on. must ultimately com
mand their confidence.
| When such conspicuous republican
journals and champions of protection al
the New York Tribune. the long tim'
republican bible" of New York and ever
of national repubicanism, and the Phil
adelphia Ledger, cry out against Pen
roseism, we are beginning to see th'
working of the new republicanism which
sooner or later will regain the confidence