Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1916-03-25
Another Flop Coming?

"'~s''~' 10y SSsb'pSs
There are men in touch with
political sentiment throughout the
United States who confidently predict
that President Wilson will be an ar
dent advocate Of a protective tariff be-
fore the conventions meet in either
Chicago or st. Louis. Reports that
come to Washington from the bust
ness centers Of the South indicate that
even in that stronghold Of free trade
there is now very active demand for
a long standing prejudice against the
Republican party, as such, that pre-
vents many prominent Democratic
business men in the South from voting
the Republican ticket in a national
election.
In recent years manufacturing has
developed rapidly in many Of the
Southern states. It it not surprising,
therefore. that men engaged in manu-
featuring and other lines Of business
such as banking, wholesaling, and re-
falling have come to see the i'm
portance Of a protective tariff in
building up not merely individual
business but the trade and prosperity
OF the community.
SO strong is the evidence of this
change Of sentiment that there can be
no doubt that the Democratic party
would be strengthened in the opinion
Of the strongest Of its members by
advocating a tariff policy based upon
the principle Of America First" The
recent announcement by President
Wilson that he has changed his mind
Upon the subject of a tariff commits
sion. and his further declaration that
he cares nothing for either free trade
or protection. is an indication Of his
recognition Of the change Of senti :
ment in his own party. 1t is only a
few months since he was denouncing
protection and proclaiming the eff
ficacy Of free trade in lowering the
cost Of living. His willingness to ad-
NIT that there is nothing in free trade
is but a preliminary step to his ac-
acknowledgement that protection is in
fact the proper economic policy for
hA ynit A1 sto<4 r. d. -,
pected that he will acknowledge that
he has been wrong all these years. His
changed conditions and that although
the Democratic parry was sound in its
previous attitude upon this question,
the changed conditions have made ad-
visable change Of tariff policy. Thus
will he attempt to save himself from
the accusation that he has at last
changed his mind upon the only Sub
ject upon which he has not already
reversed himself.
When President " ilson signed the
Underwood act, he declared that he
took a peculiar pleasure in doing So
and that this was an accomplishment
which he had hoped all his life to be
able to achieve. That statement was
a direct contradiction Of his later as
sertion that he knew, because he was
o college professor, that there is moth
ing in either the doctrine Of free trade
or Of protection.
Since it is evidenc that as a con-
tinued opponent of protective tariff
the Democratic party must lose some
of it's strongest members, and since
the election Of Democrat on free
trade platform would be impossible. it
is almost certain that the st. Louis
convention will hedge on this issue and
that President Wilson will pose as the
leader in the new movement in the
Democratic party and become as ar
dent an advocate OF protection as he
is now Of military preparedness. He
will hope thus to steal the thunder of
the Republican party or at least re-
move this issue from the campaign
and win the election on the plea that
he kept US out of war"