THE DEMOCRATS AND CANAL TOLLS.
[To THE EDITOR OF TAD "STEMMA.'1
SIR,—May I be allowed to suggest that the Spectator labours under a misapprehension when it says that " the Democrats as a party are mostly in favour of exempting American coast- wise traffic from Canal tolls"? It is true that the Baltimore Convention adopted a plank endorsing such exemption. But political platforms in our country are not to be taken too seriously, and in this case it may be doubted if the delegates really understood what they were doing. The junior Senator from New York, Mr. O'Gorman, is credited with the author- ship of this declaration; and his attitude is extreme, as his reply to the fine speech of Senator Root urging the repeal of the free tolls clause showed. It must be borne in mind, too, that the real purpose of the clause, to grant a subsidy to a monopoly, was not generally appreciated at the time. Now the Democratic Party has always been a consistent enemy of subsidies, as repeated votes in Congress have shown. It is therefore bound to oppose the clause from considerations of domestic policy no less than of national honour. Only a day or two ago the Chairman of the House Committee on Inter-State and Foreign Commerce, a Democrat, said frankly that the clause must be repealed, and intimated that this was the opinion of the President-elect. There is every reason to suppose indeed that the new Administration will undo the error of its predecessor. You have doubtless noted that Mr. Roosevelt's powerful influence is being directed in favour of repeal. Mr. Wilson will be no less sensitive to the claims of good faith with Great Britain and the world.—I am
Sir, &c., EDWARD FULLER. Providence, U.S.A. : January 27th.
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