Show CHANGES IN NATIONAL ISSUES for the reaper by frank P litschert A careful perusal of the platforms of the two great political parties for the year 1928 brin brings s to mind the many changes that have been made in national issues in less than a generation old issues have passed out of the picture and new ones have taken their places the two latest issues to undergo a chan change ge are those regarding our tariff laws and our foreign relations but we have only to go back a few short years to come upon other issues which have all but departed from our memories for instance there is the issue of the free and unlimited coinage of silver at the ratio of si teen to one without waiting for the aid and consent of any other nation many of us well remember when that slogan was a burning one street corner orators harangued crowds as to the benefits fits which would come from free silver and sidewalk alk debates between free silve rites and supporters of the gold standard were common men wore huge replicas of silvar and gold dollars on their coats to indicate the money of their choice but today the free silver issue is archaic following free silver came the issue of imperialism we were told that in retaining porto rico and the philippines uncle sam was embarking on a program which would make him one of the greatest imperialists of all time that issue was quickly settled too we still occasionally hear the cry of imperial imperialism ism but it is directed now not against ownership of these islands taken from spain but against the program of protecting american lives and property abroad another issue which not so many year ago became quite prominent on the political stump was the government guarantee of bank deposits A few states put this theory into law but thy they have found that the protection of poor banking at the eapen expense e of the public is not a very feasible project and the states who remained with the practice any great length of time found themselves getting into financial al difficulties of which they had li little dreamed blittle A little later of course came the world war and following it the great effort to put the united states into the league of nations and later into the world court the leaguers were defeated decisively at the polls in 1920 and in 1924 the world court idea was adopted by congress with safeguarding reservations which were approved by republican and democratic statesmen alike but the reservations were rejected by some of the european powers in the two platforms of 1928 therefore little is said about international tribunals both platforms are against uncle sams entering into any entangling alliances thus ends another great chapter in our political and diplomatic history another issue which has generally divided the two tavo great political parties is the tariff this year if we are to to accept the platforms at their face value there is little division on the tariff 1 and there is no longer a free trade party in inthe the united states both pa ties favor according to platform declarations a tariff which will vill equalize the cost of production at home and abroad of course it will not do to make the bold statement that the tariff question is settled the free traders are still strong in america although they have lost grousd grou 1 nd during the past few years especially in the south they have gained in the ranks of certain international interests which are now more interested in european investments ments than in american production there can be little doubt therefore that we tare are due for another big tariff battle in congress in the next year or two therefore those who are interested in the protection of home industries dus tries 1 es will do well not to permit themselves to be lulled into a state of false security |