Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1916-02-16

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tuous outburst of applause.
Mr.. Root mercilessly assailed tn
acts of the Wilson officials; spoke in
praiseworthy way of Theodore Roose
velt; commended Robert Lansing, bu
asserted that diplomacy in an atmos
phere where words, not deeds, are tn
outstanding feature, where a fist j
shaken first and a finger afetrward
has led other nations than German,
to believe 1t is entirely. safe to xii
Americans because American wratl
would expend itself in words.
Americans Failure to Protest
Americas failure to protest agains
the violation of Belgium came in 70
a blistering attack from Mr.. Root.
That American diplomacy is bank
rupt, that the nation has sacrificed it
old traditions and love of liberty 70
love of wealth and prosperity; that tn
critical period in the nations life i
swiftly approaching; that Presiden
Wilson asked his country to be neutra
between liberty and oppression" ant
that the Mexican policy and the word
TO proud to fight" have brough
Worldwide contempt for American
diplomacy were declarations made b,
Mr.. Root between storms of cheer
from his audience of several thousand
- Roots Views Cheered
Mr.. Root was introduced by Fred
erick c. Tanner, chairman of the Stat,
committee, and was received with ap
plause that lasted two and one-hal
minutes. When he opened his attacl
on President Wilson's foreign policy
he was repeatedly interrupted will
cheers, first when he denounced tn,
policy of making threats and failing
to make them good"
]
The Times at a Crisis
No other Presidential election since
1854 has been so fraught with conse
quences so vital to national life as the
one now approaching, Mr.. Root said
and all ordinary considerations which
play so great part in Presidential
cam paigns, "are and ought to bt
| dwarfed into insignificance." HI
! pledged that If the Republican party
! is returned to power the people may
expect a foreign policy which viii
| leave no doubt anywhere in the world
4 of Americas purpose and courage tt
protect and defend her independence
her territory and the lives and JUS
rights of her citizens under the law!
of nations" and that the people may
expect, also, that "the Government
! will stand for full and adequate prep.
aration by the American people fol
their own defense"
Mr. Root charged the present ad-
ministration with, "the lack of fore.
sight to make timely provision OF
backing up of American diplomacy by
actual or assured military force";, with
the forfeiture of the worlds respect
for our policy of making threats and
of failing to make them good" and
with "a loss of the moral forces of the
civilized world through failure to truly
interpret to the world the spirit of the
American democracy in its attitude
towards the terrible events which ac-
lcompanied the early stages of the
war" These, said Mr.. Root, were the
administrators three fundamental
errors" The temporary chairman
said in part:
For the first time in twenty years
we enter the field as the party of OPP
position, and indeed 1t is much long
er time, for in 1896, in all respects
save the tariff, the real opposition tc
the sturdy and patriotic course ot
President Celevland was to be found
in the party that followed Mr.. Bryan
1t is our duty as the opposition to
bring the Democratic party to the bar
of public judgment, to put 1t upon its
defense so far as we see just and sub
stantial grounds to criticise its con-
duet, and to ask the voters of the coun-
try to decide whether that party, or
been since it came into power, has
shown itself competent to govern the
country, as it should be governed, and
whether it's spirit, its policies, and its
performance are the best the Ameri-
can people can do in the way of popu-
lar self-government.
Misfft Tariff Road to Ruin
Discussing the domestic situation
before the European war began, Mr..
Root said that during the eighteen
months of Democratic control there
had been "a steady decrease in
American production, in exports and
in revenues, and a steady increased in
imports and expenditures" Enter
prise had halted. he asserted, and new
undertakings no longer made their ap-
pearance, and the country's produc-
tive industries were laboring under
a misfit tariff devised by the Demo-
cratic party in a spirit of suspicion,
distrust and hospitality towards Amer
lean business enterprise" and trans
portation and commerce had become
dull and despondent." The Tariff
Commission created under Republican
legislation to ascertain the facts upon
which tariff laws should be based, Mr.
Root said, had been driven out of busi-
ness and no substitute provided, he
declared, there was q nervous dread
leSL SOnleDOuy IS make '' money, ana
"enVy of business success" was an
element in the framing of legislation
and the administration of the laws.
Mr.. Root continued: '..
"The great war has not changed the
lesson, which we had already learned
when" it began. 1T has but obscured
further demonstration. 1t has caus-
ed. an enormous demand for some
things which the United States is able
to produce in large quantities. and in
these lines of production, while other
industries still languish, there have
been an extensive employment of la
Dor, great exports and a. great influx
of money. d..
"But this is temporary, it must soon
cease, and when the factories have
stopped and their laborers are no
1onger employed we must deal with a
situation for which. wise forethought
should make provision.
More important still, the war has
paralyzed the peaceful Industries of all
Europe; and has stopped that com
l1etitive foreign production which in
July, 1914, had already entered Ameri-
can markets to superseded American
products under the tariff law of 1913.
The war has thus given to. American
products an immunity from competf-
ton far more effective than any posi-
BILE protective tariff. But that is tenn
-porary, and when the war is over,
whan foraipn nrodupti m, bauipe aoatr