The Lakeland evening telegram. (Lakeland, Fla.) 1911-1922, 1915-12-20
(By Savoyard in Louisville (Ky)
POST

IN the dark for an ISSUE and so fal
all they have stumbled on is, "Any
thing to beat Wilson," They hint al
the foreign policy, but that is loaded
They mention the tariff; but frencied
protection is as dead as 16 to l, and
is numbered with the issues that
were, like the bloody shirt. Woman
suffrage and prohibition are not
available. Preparedness" is non
political. They have no superior
leader in either house of Congress
such as Nelson w. Aldrich or Thomas
B. Reed, who smote both of Cleve.
lands administrations.
1t is given out that Mr.. Henry
Cabot Lodge is to assail Wilson's for
eign policy; but how can he do that
without asserting the Republican for
eign policy, which is a profound Sc.
cret that would. require all the oxen
in Texas to drag into the open? 1t
is said that Mr.: Reed Smoot is to
challenge the economic policy of the
Secretary of the Treasury, and we
all know what he would substitute
for it-taxes laid on consumption to
the end that wealth be relieved of it's
fair share of the public burdens.
Our government raises a beggarly
sum by an income tax. The Repub-
lican policy is to tax a man on what
he needs and is bound to have, while
relieving him of all taxation on what
he has. The tariff lays a heavier bur-
den on poor man with a large fam
lily than it does on a rich man with
small family, and there never
yet was tariff made by the Repub-
lican party that did not levy heavier
taxes-that is, higher rate relative
ly-upon necessities than upon luxu-
ries. The Republican theory of the
tariff is specific duties; the Demo
cratic idea is ad valorem-to tax the
article for it's price and not for it's
quantity. If Mr.. Smoot would raise
this issue, just let him plunge in.
One thing is certain, and that is
the country is prosperous. The oppo-
sition says that it is due to the big
war in Europe, that we have escaped.
How did we avoid it? Through Will
sons foreign policy. Had the Repub-
licans remained in power there is
nothing more certain than that we
would have overrun, overthrow, con.
quered and annexed Mexico, and had
weak man like Mckinley or an i'm
perious man like Roosevelt been
President, it is absolutely certain
that we would now be party to tbs
war in Europe with American blood
flowing on a hundred fields and re
national debt growing by the billion
quarterly.
But most of the prosperity we en-
joy is not due to the war. The rail
roads were never so prosperous, and
what they carry for the belligerents
of Europe is a beggarly share of their
total business. Our manufacture of
iron and steel is vastly greater than
it was when Mckinley was President,
and the idle mills we have are due
to the antiquated plants. 1t was long
the claim of the G. o. p. that it was
impossible for American soil to yield
a good crop unless the Republican
party was in the ascendancy. John
Sherman was thoroughly persuaded
of the soundness of that proposition,
and made powerful speech to ex-
pound and maintain that absurdity.
Where is the weak place in the
Wilson armor? The Hon. Jim Mann
thinks it may be discovered in the
Presidents plan of preparedness"
and intimates that he expects to
make heap of political capital out
of it. We shall see Mr.. Mann dis
covered his disgust at the action Of
his party in his own State when it
declared for Senator Sherman for
with declared that Elihu Root was his
choice, and gave expression to a
taunt about two spots" manifestly
having in mind Mr.. Sherman, who is
hid away in Senatorial toga once
worn by Stephen A. Douglas. About
the same time the "two spots" of
Ohio abdicated in favor of the Hon.
Theodore E. Bruton. Whereupon,
possibly whereat, the Hon. William
H. Taft announced himself as in favor
of the nomination of Mr.. Root
Mr.. Weeks is more fortunate than
have his State solid behind him, and
Senator Lodge has declared himself
as heartily favorable to the nominal !
ton of his colleague in the Senate for
President. If one may be ill-man-
nered about the thing one might sug-
gest that it would be very conven-
lent, personally, as well as politically, |
to Senator Lodge to have Senator |
Weeks in the White House 1t would
make room in the Senate for Mr.. !
Samuel w Mccall without disturb
ing the feelings and the fortunes of
Mr.. Lodge.
Anything can happen in politics, |
and it is obvious that Mr.. Weeks is
going IN ha ripht nm with tba Iaad. |