The Lancaster news. [volume] (Lancaster, S.C.) 1905-current, 1914-04-14

coastwise ships. Mr.. Bryan declares
that the opposition to bounties is a
doctrine for which the Democratic
party has stood from time immern-
orial." He refers to the exemption
plank as little plank" and to the
pronouncement on bounties and
subsidies as the larger plank" and
says:
What opiate does the little plank
contain that it can make those who
accept II .obiiyious OF the larger
plank? BY what rule OF construc-
tion can the small plank be made
binding and the larger one ignored?
The secret of the strange power OK .
erted by the little plank is to be
found in the fact that IL carefully
conceals the means by which it is to
be carried out HaG the world sub
sidy, or bounty been inserted in this
plank, 1T could not have secured IT,
endorsement of the Convention he.
cause the contradiction between this
plank and the larger plank would
have been Immediately apparent. If
the same care had been used in the
drawing of this plank that was used
in the drawing of the plank on
merchant marine. it would have read
as follows: We fa"or the exempt IN
from toll of American ships engag-
ed in coastwise trade passing
through the canal, but without i'm
posing additional burdens upon the
people and without bounties OF sub
sides from the public treasury.
PRESIDENT JUSTIFIES.
But even II tho platform had not
contained within itself complete ref
utation OF the position taken by the
advocates of free tolls. the President
would have been justified in the posi-
ton that he took by the changed con-
ditions which confronted him. A plat
form is a pledge and is as binding
upon an official as the command
of a military officer is upon a sub
ordinate-the statement cannot be
made stronger. But the uhordinate
officer is simetimes compelled to act
upon his judgment where a change
OF which the commanding officer Is
not aware has taken place in "OnGit-
tions. 1t is not only the right OF The
subordinate to Judge the situation
for himself where conditions have
changed since the order was given,
but 1t is his duty to do so. In the
case under consideration the Presi-
i
ficiel act which he regards as neces-
sary for his country's welfare, and
the people must decide whether or
not he is justified and those who re-
fuse to act with him also assume re-
sponsibility and they, too, must abide
the Judgment OF the public. Such a
change has taken place since the
Baltimore platform was adopted.
Had the Democrats in Convention as
sembled been confronted by the con-
dition which now exists and had they
known what those now know who
Il for repeal, no such plank
would ever have been placed in the
platform. The Conventions atten-
tion was not even brought to the fact
that a majority of the Democrats in
the House had voted against the free
tolls measure and that It had in fact
been passed by combination If M
nority OF the Democrats and a ma
jority of the Republicans"
ACT JOINTLY WITH NATIONS. ..
Mr. Bryan says that platform
planks dealing with international
questions must be accepted with the
understanding that act Jointly with
other nations in international af-
fairs" that even If the plank had not
been contradicted by another plank
Ii the platform and even If it had
not co" cealed a subsidy policy re-
pugnanI to Democratic principle and
history that even If conditions had
not changed platform plank
should be aken on international
questions "as the expression of a
wish rather than as the expression of
a determination, for no nation can
AFFORD to purchase a small advantage
in the face Of ~ 'Sul protest
"If a nation" continued the Secre-
tary, desires to array itself against
the world ii should be sure that the
thing which it is to gain is worth
what it costs. The President, know
ing that every commercial nation ex-
cept our own constructs the treaty as
a pledge OF equal treatment would
have been receant TO this trust had
he failed to point out to the Ameri-
can people that our diplomatic re-
lations would be seriously disturbed
by the carrying out of the free tolls
policy"
Considering the repeal measure
upor its n crit; NJ Hrvan sa.1
there were just two question to be
decided:
First. Is it desirable for the Demo
cratic party to abandon it's historic
position and become the advocate OF
subsidies and bounties? And, second
II II is desirable, what is the Demo-
cratic party willing to sacrifice in in
formation prestige ard ")r'l in
fiuence in order to secure the advan-
tage which these subsidies promise
to a few people"