Jasper County Democrat, Volume 6, Number 13, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 4 July 1903 — POLITICS OF THE DAY [ARTICLE]

POLITICS OF THE DAY

Tbe Democratic Problem. The problem of who is to be the nominee of the Democratic party for President, has been giving the Republicans wucb greater worry than it has Democrats. There is no doubt a difference of opinion among Democrats of wbo should be nominated, but tbe more Important question is, who can be elected. When the convention meets next summer and it can be shown that any good Democrat will be able to carry enough electoral votes to win, he will be nominated beyond question. It must be remembered tliut the rule that requires a twothirds majority of a Democratic convention to nominate makes it tolerably certain that the candidate will be acceptable to the great mass of the party. The most serious question that the Democrats will have to solve is a platform that will clearly express the Issues upon which tbe campaign must be fought and upon which the candidate must stand. The platform must be agreed upon before the balloting for candidates begins and only a majority of the convention is necessary to adopt it. When the delegations from tbe different States meet in convention, they will all be animated by one impulse, to select the most available candidate. They will want to Win. The rank and file of the Democratic party can add vastly to the chances nf success, both as to the selection of i satisfactory candidate and of his llection, by selecting the most representative and honest members of the uarty as delegates to the convention. Do not tie them down with instructions for any man, but leave them free to make the best selection, after conference with their brother delegates from other States. The opinion of the delegates from the doubtful States must and will have the greatest S eight in making the selection. The emocratie sky lias been gradually bearing and with the united effort of all who believe in the good old doctrine of “Equal rights to all and special privileges to none,” a glorious victory for the people is within their grasp. Republican newspapers are taking more than a passing interest In the nomination of the Democratic candidate. They have for some time been trying to bseed strife In the Democratic ranks; their advice and comments are to be taken with due allowance for such intentions. Their efforts from this time on will lie to kill off the most able and loyal Democratic candidates, and to cause confusion and discoxxl in the ranks of the Democracy. To listen to them is to be deceived. They are controlled by the plutocrats, who are the trust magnates, and they know their downfall is at hand if the Democratic policies prevail. The talk of Wall street or the trusts and corporations opposing the Republican ticket is the sheerest nonsense. The monopoly that gives the trusts power to extort from the people has been granted by the Republicans, against the protest and votes of Democrats. In every town in the country the Republican leader is either openly or secretly their willing tool and in many cases their abject sjave. Republican legislatures delight ,in passing laws in their interest and a Republican Congress but rarely says them nay, when the demand is made for legislation. In return they have poured out their money to elect the Republican tickets, both State and National. Is it probable that a divorce of these two interests is intended or even considered? Do the actions of the Republican administration point to any serious opposition to the trusts? It Is all a political play, to fool tbe people, but it should not deceive Democrats.

The Jingo Spirit. The reason for the speech of President Roosevelt at San Francisco in which- he made so strong a plea for a greatly enlarged navy and other preparations for war, is now apparent. His friend Senator Lodge delivered an address at Greenfield, Mass., in which he spoke of dangers from without due to our great industrial growth and power. “We have," said he, “a higher energy of organization- and production than any other nation. For this reason we are driving less highly organized and less energetic peoples to the wall. Whether the opposition thus aroused can be stilled or whether it will become desperate and manifest itself in a political or military manner no one can say. It behooves us, however, to watch carefully and be always on our guard both in our conduct and our readiness.” President Roosevelt and Senator Lodge are evidently agreed that strenuous steps are necessary to preserve this country from the united opposition of Europe either politically by tariffs and others forms of protection pr by the more resolute method of war. It may be that both these doughty statesmen are merely intent upon arousing a martial spirit In the hearts of their countrymen, so that they will allow themselves to be bled more freely for large appropriations for the navy, the army and the other concomitants of expansion. But if they

are sincere in their advice and really fear this country is In such great danger, it would seem that tbey should take their fellow citizens more into their confidence and Say how soon the attack may be expected and what country will take the lead In crippling us. But are they not mistaken? Can any country or a combination of them gain anything by such a move? England, dependent as she is upon the United States for almost her daily bread can have no such intention. France Ims nlways been our friend and besides is having hard work to make both ends meet without the far greater expense of war. Germany is in the midst of a social' revolution and the growing power of the people is such that her vast armaments are more likely to be decreased than to inaugurate a war that would drain her resources to the utmost. Russia could make no stand against us on the sea and without the command of that element who could hai'm us?

These two strenuous statesmen, Roosevelt and Lodge, should be more chary of their talk and not excite the American people unneee-sarily. The Republican party with its extreme protective tariff to shutout all importations and fostering the sale of exports to foreigners cheaper than to our own people may force Europe to combine against us. but all would lose by such protest against international trade. The tendency is toward free-trade and more of it and those who invite an economic war, much more a military one. for their own agrandizement will not i>e backed up by tbe American people.

First Voter*, Beware! The American Protective Tariff League, an organization composed of 1,000 protected manufacturers who pay SIOO a year each in dues and who contribute generously besides, is sending thousands of circular letters throughout the country in an endeavor to secure the names of all first voters in 1904. The letter says that “a great number of young men do not look upon protection as a vital interest to themselves and to their country. No time should be lost in placing in the hands of such young voters a series of protection literature especially adapted. Young voters, when you get the numerous pamphlets which will be sent to you at the expense of these protected manufactuivrs, ask yourselves a few questions like the following: 1. As I am not a manufacturer, why should I vote for tariff duties which prevent competition from foreign manufactured goods and enable American manufacturers to form a trust and obtain higher prices? 2. How can a duty on goods protect lalkxr? 3. With labor on tbo free list and immigrants flocking to this country unchecked at an average rate of 3,000 per day, why should I vote for a system to make goods dear aud increase the cost of living? 4. Being a farmer and knowing that the prices of grains are fixed In foreign, free-trade markets, why should 1 vote to maintain a bogus tariff on wheat and corn, which serves as a cover to tlie genuine protection on manufactured goods? 5. Why should manufacturers who are selling goods all over the world at~-freo-trade prices be encouraged by a high tariff to sell the same goods here at 50 or 100 per cent higher prices? 0. Why should I vote money out of my pocket and into the pockets of the protected trusts? 7. Does the Protective Tariff League think that we young voters are everlasting chumps and that we can be duped by its thinly disguised sophistry? These and other similar questions, taken before and after, will render tariff league literature inocuous and harmless even when taken in ton lots. The worst thing that could happen to protection and its beneficiaries, the manufactui-ers, is to start tariff discussions in our granges, labor organizations and homes. Tbe Tariff League is supplying its sophistry to 6,000 papers every week. It has kept steadHy at this work for fifteen years. Its piMnbers have become millionaires and multi-millionaires in the meantime. They are interested in having the farmers and workingmen believe that all of our prosperity, our gooi crops, our fertile soil, are due to pro* tectlon.” They know well that “protection” enables the trusts to skim the cream off our prosperity and leaves only the skimmed milk for the farmers and laborers. But can we blame them for asking us to support this system? We can stop the tariff plundering when we know and vote for our own interests. Why not do it?

BYRON W. HOLT.