The presidental election in America took place last Tuesday, Nov. 3, 1908. William Howard Taft was elected as the new president of the United States; he will succeed president Theodore Roosevelt on March 4, 1909. This election, as all other American elections, appeared to be very important from a superficial view-point. However, the election could not have been so important, because there is no radical difference between the two leading political parties of the United States; the principles of both the Republican and Democratic parties are very much alike. It is true that all candidates took a spectacular part in the campaign; they denounced each other's character and political platform. However, these tactics are employed only because they all know that the easiest and best way to promote oneself is to denounce all opponents; when you denounce your opponents you create the impression that you are better than they.

Although all American politicians denounce each other before elections, 2nevertheless, they are all alike; one is not any better than the other.

Before the election the Republicans denounced the Democratic candidates and their platform. They praised themselves, saying that they brought about prosperity in the country. However, they were completely silent about the fact that during the present Republican administration a grave economic and industrial crisis appeared from which the people are still suffering. During the early part of the administration, a temporary wave of prosperity was produced by shamefully increasing the tariff rates on foreign goods. Such methods can create only a short period of prosperity, because foreign countries soon retaliate by increasing the tariff rates on American goods. The people soon learned the truth of this statement by bitter experience during the administration of the Republicans, the authors of the shameful high tariff policy.

France, who of all nations is the least economically dependent upon the United States, was the first country to retaliate against our shamefully high tariff rates; France immediately raised the tariff rates on all American imports.

This French action greatly frightened the Republican politicians in America. In an effort to avoid a crisis, our Republican politicians immediately dispatched a special commission to France with powers to offer her all kinds of concessions. Other economically independent countries, such as Russia and Austria, will probably follow the example of France.

Therefore, it has been proved that prosperity cannot be maintained by means of high tariff rates. The Republican politicians in America are beginning to see their mistakes, because they have started to talk about revising the tariff rates. However, they do not intend to make any appreciable reductions; they wish to maintain the higher tariff rates as long as possible.

Nations are no longer able to exist independently of each other; practically all countries have important ties with one another. We all know that individuals do not give anything to each other for nothing, and they do not reward a bad act with a good deed. What is true of individuals is also true of nations.

Regardless of the results of the election, there will not be any important changes in this country. Even if Eugene V. Debs, the candidate of the working class for president, would have been elected no really important changes would take place, because this country is not ruled by the president. Although an American president has greater influence in the government than the president of France, nevertheless, he is not the ruler of the country, because he does not make the laws of the land. All national laws in the United States are made by the Senate and House of Representatives. Therefore, the Senate and House of Representatives. are more important than the president. However, so far the American working class has not been able to elect even one representative, either to the Senate or to the House of Representatives. Even the most ardent supporters of Debs did not expect him to be elected, because American workers are less politically minded and not as strongly organized as European workers.