Jasper County Democrat, Volume 9, Number 21, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 25 August 1906 — THE AMENDED SLOGAN [ARTICLE]

THE AMENDED SLOGAN

Speaker Cannon and the President Agree on Policy. -STAND PAT AND PASS THE HAT’ If Republicans Control Next Congress There Will Be No Attempt at Tariff lieviaion The Political Problem That Those Who Favor Tariff Reform Must Unravel. Now that Speaker Cannon has induced President Roosevelt to join him In making the paramount issue for the campaign for the election of congress what the speaker so euphoniously expresses as “Stand pat and pass the hat,” what are those Republicans who believe the tariff should be revised going to do about It? For instance, the South Dakota Republican convention put itself on record in favor of the abolition of the tariff tax on lumber “for the benefit of the American home builders and the protection of our forests.” But if the voters of that state elect the Republican candidates for congress and there is a Republican majority Speaker Cannon and President Roosevelt, unless the latter again changes his mind, will refuse to allow a bill to abolish the duty on lumber to even be considered. It would be dangerous to disturb the lumber schedule or to relieve the people of the tax on homes, because, you know, or you should know, that the tariff schedules are so scientifically adjusted that to disturb one paragraph of the sacred edifice endangers the whole structure. 8o the Republicans of South Dakota can expect no relief from the tax on homes unless they determine to vote for Democrats to represent them in congress or pledge the Republican candidates to keep out of the Republican caucus for speaker and vote for the Democratic candidate for speaker. In Minnesota and Michigan similar tariff ideas are prevalent, .with even more pronounced ideas on reciprocity with Canada, but the same obstacle of the stand pat programme stares them in the face, with similar necessity for electing Democrats or pledging the Republican candidates to keep out of the caucus, which, once entered, binds them to the protectionists band and foot. In Massachusetts many Republicans think free hides and free coal are necessary to preserve some of the great industries of that state, but a condition confronts them similar to that of their brethren in the northwestern states. Unless, therefore, congressmen like George P. Lawrence, Samuel W. McCall, William C. Lovering and John W. Weeks, who had the courage in the last congress to stand up and be counted for reciprocity, shall show still further Independence of the Republican machine by keeping out of the caucus of the Republican members of the house of representatives and are prepared to vote for a speaker who will not suppress all efforts dor tariff revision, nothing will come from their efforts. In lowa the Republican convention has just escaped a bolt by compromising with the stand patters, so the Republican congressmen from that state, even those that believe in tariff reform, will be compelled to join in the procession that considers it a sacred duty to aHow the protectionist juggernaut to crush them. Those Republican and Independent voters of that state can only aid tariff revision by voting for Democratic candidates for congress. There are signs of alarm In Republican machine centers that show that tariff reform sentiment is so strong even with Republican voters that they fear the result of the election in all the close districts, but promises by Republican candidates for congress that they will vote for tariff revision are felt to be worthless as far as the action of the next congress is concerned, as they have been futile In the past. The Republican voters who believe their Interests require tariff revision have the result in their own hands. They can accomplish it in two ways, either by pledging Republican candidates for congress to keep out of the Republican caucus and vote only for a speaker who Is pledged to tariff revision or by voting directly for Democratic candidates for congress who are also pledged to tariff revision. To vote for a Democrat is the bolder step and more certain to produce the result aimed at.