Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1914-06-20
Editorial Comment
"The Presidents Most Serious Error"
washington Post.)

The New York World, which pro-
fesses to be the Presidents best friend,
now pronounces his course on the tolls
repeal question the most serious error
of the Presidents political career. 1t
adds that cit was an error into which
he should not have fallen, for 1t in
| Volved the sacrifice of a Democratic
principle, and he was given pialn
warning in ample time"
The World goes on to say that three
weeks after the Baltimore platform
had been adopted, and before the Pres
ident had received formal notice of
his nomination, that newspaper direct
| ed attention to the tolls exemption
plank in the platform, and advised
him to break that plank on the ground
that II was a ship subsidy and moth
ing else" But the President was not
guided by this friendly advice" He
made his speech of acceptance, APP
proving the platform in its entirety,
and on the 18th of August, addressing
an association of farmers at Washing
ton Grove, n. j., "he fatty Endorsed
tolls exemption at Panama, and TN
dertook to prove that great public ad-
vantage would result from such dis
elimination"
With all due respect to the Presi-
dents volunteer advisers, we suggest
that the President knew exactly what
he was doing when he approved the
Democratic platform, and when he adj
dressed the farmers at Washington
Grove His remarks on that occasion
| showed with striking clearness the
benefits that would be derived by the
hxF tha
free passage of domestic shipping
through the Panama Canal. He said:
One of the great objects in cut
ting that great ditch across the
Isthmus of Panama is TO allow
farmers who are near the Atlantic
to ship to the Pacific by way of the
Atlantic ports; to allow all the
farmers on what l may, standing
here, call this part of the continent
to find an outlet at ports of the
gulf or the ports of the Atlantic
seahoard and then have coastwise
steamers carry their products down
around through the canal and up
the Pacific coast or down the coast
of South America.
Now, at present there are no
ships to do that, and one of the
bills pending-passed, l believe,
| Yesterday by the Senate as it had
passed the House-provides for free
tolls for American ships through
that canal and prohibits any ship
from passing through which is
owned by any American railroad
company You see the object of
that. don't you? (Applause) We
don't want the railroads to compete
with themselves, because we under
stand that kind of competition. We
want water carriage to compete
with land carriage so as to be per-
fectly sure that you are going to
get better rates around the canal
than you would across the CONT
nen.. y
Our platform is not molasses to
catch flies. 1t means business. 1t
means what it says. 1t Is the ut
terance of earnest and honest men.
Gentlemen who talk one way and
vote another are going to be retired
to very quiet and private retreat.
No more able, frank and positive
statement in support of tolls exemp-
ton has ever been made than the fore
going by the President. 1t is an insult
to his intelligence and his integrity
for the New York World to say that
the tolls exemption plank in the Balti-
! more platform could hardly have been
introduced into the platform except
through ignorance or connivance."
The abandonment by the President
of this promise to the farmers of the
United States, the violation of the
platform after the tolls plank had
been repeatedly called to his attention
and had received his most emphatic
approval, the attempt to deprive the
producers of this country of the bene-
fits of free coastwise commerce
through the canal-it is this which
constitutes 1.-The most serious error of
the Presidents political career"
There is nothing personal in this
matter. The Presidents political ac-
ton and its inevitable disastrous con-
sequences to himself and his party
is the subject under discussion. No
one questions his integrity in thus
completely reversing himself and sub
jecting himself to his own singing
criticism as expressed in the last par
agraph of his speech to the New Jer-
sey farmers. 1t is his political judg-
ment which is receiving the wholesale
criticism of Democrats throughout the
United States and not his personal
convictions.
Democrats everywhere must now
face the people on the record as made
by their national leader. His act is
the party's act. His Judgment is the
party's judgment His error is the
partys error. Every candidate for Of
fee must bear the brunt of this ire
trievable error of judgment. The
party is placed in the position Of re-
jecting and violating its own promise
to the people. It Is aligned with the
railroads which seek to cripple COM
petition through the Panama Canal
1t stands opposed to the free use Of
the canal by the American people and
in favor of imposing tolls which will