Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1916-09-25

4 VI
pies In writing legislation there IL no
telling what dangers may confront us
now and In the future. and we aban-
don all Justification for our having
been returned 70 power four years
ago.-senator Underwood.
COME one in the Offices Of the Demo-
cratic National Committee must have
been mapping when the statement of the
Alabama Senator containing the above
declaration was given out. Mr.. Under.
wood himself has charged that his party,
in enacting the dyestuff tariff schedule in
the new revenue law turned its back on
its principles The natural conclusion from
the two statements is that he does not
think there is any justification for the
defeat Of the Republicans four years ago
and consequently no reason for the con.
tinuance Of the Democrats in power this
year. But, of course, he does not be.
lieve this. His statement Is only another
example OF the difference between the
professions and practices of his party, of
which its illustrious leader at Shadow
Lawn has given so many.
One has only to look TO the statements
Of Mr.. Hughes and the record of the Re
publican party for examples of consistent
loyalty to the great principle of protec-
ton to American industry. Mr.. Hughes
cited in his Nashville speech the tariff
plank of the platform of 1850, which de-
clared that Sound policy requires such
an adjustment of imposts as to encourage
the development Of the Industrial inter-
ests of the whole country" And then to
the applause of more than half of his
hearers he declared:
That was the platform of Abraham
Lincoln. That is the platform of the
Republican party. Nay, more, that is
the American platform on which busi-
ness must stand in this day IL we are
to meet the economic necessities of the
coming future.
Mr.. Hughes is not the first man to
characterize protection thus. Henry Clay
described 1t as the American policy,
following Alexander Hamiltons famous
Report on Manufactures. in which the
importance Of adopting a policy which
would make us an economically inde.
pendent nation was set forth with such
irresistible logic that few practical men
since his time have been able to find any
reasons for disagreement.
To argue that because there have been
abuses and mistakes In applying the pro-
tective policy 1t should be abandoned is
like arguing that because men are fall
lible and occasionally criminal the human
race should be abolished. The protec-
tive policy has justified itself from the
beginning. There never was a time when
Its intelligent and honest application was
more needed than the present And as
Mr.. Hughes has well said, II 1t is to be
applied in such a way as to safeguard
the interests Of this country and put us
in proper condition to meet the economic
struggle after the war is over. It must
be applied by those who believe in It."
1t Is such talk as this from Mr.. Hughes
that is convincing the thinking men
throughout the country that no mistake
was made in the selection OF Republican
candidate. He is proving that his mental
processes are the same as those of the
great statesmen who have preceded him,
and that when confronted by grave
crisis he can be trusted TO turn his back
on academic theorizing and apply the
tried and proved remedies that have vim
dicated themselves through more than a
century OF national history.