New Britain herald., 1916-09-06
BRANDEGEE TELLS BRETHREN
 WHERE WILSON HAS FAILED Keynote Speech at Republican State Convention Re- stricted to Turning Political X-Ray Admnistra- tion in Regard to Foreign and Domestic Policies

New Haven, Sept. 6.-In his speech It the opening session of the republi- can state convention at the Shubert theater last night Senator Frank B. Brandegee as temporary cbairman attacked at length the policy of Pres ldent Wilson in the Mexican situation, the democratic stand on the tariff, what he termed democratic extrava- gance, the policy of new taxes and what he termed President Wilson's "hesitating and vacillating course" on the preparedness issue.
 In part Senator Brandegee said:
 E'At present there is every indica- ton that the people of the country Intend to finish the house cleaning which they began in 1914, and to ex- tend the process to the executive as well as to the legislative branch of the national government. In various sections of the country where special elections of representatives in congress been held, the republicans have been uniformly successful. There is gen. eral feeling throughout the country that the present administration is BIacking in the ability to successfully conduct the weighty business of this country either in it's foreign or do- n1estic affairs. Seeing visions and the enunciation of cryptic phrases do not tend to simplify the complicated pro- cesses of the public business, nor to promote the establishment of wise governmental policies, When the ad- ministration took office, it promised to reduce the cost of living by reducing &the rates of duties on goods imported Into this country. Everybody knows that before the breaking out of the great foreign war, after the demo- cratic party had passed the new tariff bill, this country was being overrun with goods of foreign manufacture, our laboring men were being forced out of their jobs by foreign competi- ton, and the prices of commodities and hence the cost of living had not been reduced and the revenue pro- duced by the reduced duties upon i'm ported goods were shrinking at a rate which if continued would have inevitably produced a bankrupt treas ury. Of course, the breaking out of | the foreign war soon checked our inn | ports because of the disruption of in i dustries abroad and the disarrange- 1 ment of the ocean carrying trade. 1 Owing to the great demand created 1 by the war our exports have increased 1 by leaps and bounds and by the re- establishment of ocean carriers our l imports have of late trem endously IT, 1 creased. Because, however, of the [ reduced rates imposed upon these imports, the revenue derived from them falls far below what would have beenS produced if these reductions in rates had not been made.
 '"The utter failure of the demo- cratic party to fulfill it's promises to
 
 sufficient revenue by it's tariff legis- lation was one of the chief causes which led the voters of Connecticut two years ago to repudiate the demo- cratic party. Tn spite of this experi- ence and despite the full knowledge that at the conclusion of the world war, the country will be left exposed to the fiercest foreign competition in every branch of industry and trade, the democratic party stubbornly de- cline to pass any legislation which will effectively protect the industries and labor of our country. It is not surprising that inasmuch as the dem ocratic party obstinately refuses to protect our citizens and our indus tries at home that it should also de- cline to protect American citizens and American property abroad.
 '"This country demands and has right to demand that the party to which it commits it's destinies should have vision, an understanding a breadth of knowledge and a leader ship wise and courageous enough to both establish and enforce policies which will at all times secure it's safe ty and promote it's prosperity.
 rV,a Ngexioau Situation
 ."In my address to the republican ! convention two years ago, I denounced 1