The Birmingham age-herald., 1923-07-03
A NEW POLITICAL EPOCH

A NEW POLITICAL EPOCH
 It is not improbable that the great difficulty experienced by the Repub- lican party in discovering a national issue on which it may make it's appeal to the people has it's source far deeper than mere party ineptitude. The Democrats would perhaps find them selves in the same dilemma were 1t not for the Republican legislative rec ord, which will furnish plenty of grist for the Democratic campaign mill. The reason for failure to find an over whelming issue lies doubtless in the growing enlightenment and intelli- gence of the people of the United States. The public is growing too wise for the politicians, and refuses to be hoodwinked into blindly and thoughtlessly cheering for g slogan simply because it is of the party.
 The tariff, which was once a sure dividing line, is now recognized as 8 matter of degree instead of principle. 1 The people perceive that both parties are for a tariff, the one to a greater extent than the other, the one for protection, the other for revenue only. This has always been the case, only the people have failed to see it. The truth of the statement that the tariff is local issue is also being better and 11-;Jol1y some sections of the South that have always been unitedly against a high tariff have conceived it to their inter- est of late to change front, notably Louisiana in the matter of sugar. It is hardly likely that the tariff will ever again play a conspicuous role as a party divider, except during the coming campaign when the Democrats will endeavor to show, with good pros pect of success, that the high tariff is responsible for the high prices, and that the increased duty is paid, not by the importer or the foreign pro- ducer, but by the American con sumer. The tariff is in reality cam ouflaged tax, only now the camouflage is wearing off and the people see through it.
 Education and enlightenment draw men closer together instead of the reverse. In the future it will not be can people on political issues, because common intelligence gives men a more or less common opinion as to politics and national purposes, and de- creases the likelihood of blinding citi- zens to the essentials by means of word screens or plausible fallacies. The day of the rule of the orator is over. People may be entertained by eloquence, but when they come to choose their leaders they will demand record of results. There is the par ticular in which the Republicans neg lected to make use of their politi- cal opportunity. They have failed to show record of legislative and ad- ministrative achievement to which they may refer the public attention without fear of losing public confi- dence thereby. The Democratic party is going to run on the Republican rec ord, which is most distressing to those party leaders who did not comprehend in time the great illumination that has for some years been permeating the American intelligence. This pro- cess of intellectual enlightenment is still going on, and the point is grad ually being reached where the aver age voting intelligence is unmistakably higher than the average intelligence of the political demagogue. There will still be parties, but there will be | less hokum.
 The coming campaign is going to be marked by a more sincere appeal to common sense than has ever be- fore been the case. The party that makes the mistake of not perceiving this new epoch in our political expe- rience is going to suffer loss of pub lie esteem. The feeling of new in tellectual ability among the people and of new political independence of thought is in the very air. Who is there, except those whom politics has blinded, that doesn't sense it?