Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1884-10-01

anv circumstances. [Laughterl There is not
Republican in all the tifty-hve millions of
people on this continent, who has got the faith
in him. who cannot write a Republican plat
form that is not good Republican doctrine
everywhere. [Applausel There is the same
difference between the Democratic platform
and the Republican platform that there was be-
tween our present national currency and the old
stump-tail currency before the war. Our plat
form is current everywhere. Did you ever
think what would happen to Democratic or
ator if he had put his platform in his pocket at
night and got on the train, and really landed in
the direction he didn't suppose he had gone?
Suppose that he started from Chicago and was
coming to Boston, but by some curious freak he
landed at Atlanta or Savannah, and, thinking he
was in Boston at the time, began to clamor for
a free ballot and fair COUNT Laughter and
applause.] You see it Is question OF climate;
the platform
is LIABLE TO SPOIL
with change of weather. [Laughter.l Sup
pose that the patriotic Democrat-and there are
many misunderstanding his platform, after
days and nights of anxious hair-pulling and
headache, has made up his mind as to what the
concern means on the subjec3 of the tariff, and
he starts out full of the idea that he is friend
of all Gods creation and rec trade. He is go
ing South, as ne thinks, and the Pennsylvania
Railroad lands him in Lancaster, Pa, and, as a
Democratic orator, he begins to talk in favor Of
free trade and TO give that construction to the
platform What kind of funeral awaits that
man? Loud laughter and applause
Our opponents object to our talking about
our record. They decline to talk about theirs,
ana Con { blame them lLaugnUer.J In the lew
words [ shall have occasion to utter about the
Democratic party, remember that draw
broad line of distinction between the party and
the members of the party, the same that [
would draw between a corporation and stock
holder, for instance. know Stockholders OF the
Standard Oil Company, excellent, splendid, and
worthy gentlemen, but the company lpausing
solennly, laughter.l | know Democrats who are
a great deal better than their party; / never
knew any one worse. [Laughter.l This party to
which the So called and self-elected and self
AnpOinte6 "thOnCbtful SpipntiODS
zen" had attached himself! laughter This
party that has shown how potent the silent
vote" is in Maine loud laughter. applause, and
cheersl and in Vermont.
I have said they object to any discussion of
their record, and they insist upon it that when
any of us begin to talk about it we are discuss
men, to issue that it is DID, if it is not settled.
[Laugnter.l The preachers for a great many
hundred years have been denouncing sin. That
is very old issue, one of the first know of; and
suppose they will keep at 1t till sin quits 1t Is
about as hard for political organization TO un-
load its character as it is for man. Political
parties come to the people of this country and
ask for confidence and trust. and the people OF
this country, pretty intelligent and observing,
look not so much at the yehemence and vigOr of
the promise as the probabiliti that the prom
1se shall be kept: and those probable they
determine by the history of the individual or
the party who makes it, Now, is not that the
best kind of sense? II a party promises to vim
dictate the public credit, that party always hav-
ing orders to destroy it, will you take the prom
not. If it pretends and promises to take care of
our financial interests while it's history has been
a steady line of effort to destroy them. will you
accept the promise? 1 take it not. These are
fair square questions which every voter and
every citizen must ask for himself and upon
which he must act.
Now, gentlemen, what is the record of the old
Democratic party? If this hall were all filed
with Democrats, if every man here was Demo-
crat solid in the faith and firm in the belief, L
could clear the hall in three minutes by reading
them their own platform of 1868 or 1872. laugh
teri They have never made promise in which
the interests of this country have been involved
that they have kept. There is no great measure
of public policy which has contributed TO the
growth and the prosperity of the nation that that
party has originated or favored. In all
its long for the last thirty years there is
no measure of that character which that party
has not diabolically and demagogically and
unanimously opposed. Is there any one in this
large and splendid audience, in this cid,
splendid city OF Boston, made memorable by
the present, and sanctited in the hearts of all
our people by the tender and sacred recollec-
tionS of the revOlution-is there single one of
OF its past, its present, and in the sublime hope
and promise of its future-is there single one of
you that point me to one single thing within
the last quarter OF century that this Demo
cratic party has ever done or attempted to do,
from which you as citizens draw any pride, or
from the doing OF which the country would have
drawn any honor? Can you point me to one
single great event in our history which makes
up our patrimony and our heritage as a people
that that party has not Internally opposed?
Laughter and applausel Now that is dread
ful question. it is a solemn inquiry, and the
dreadful fact OF the matter is, that there is not
one single instance, not one.
Now, fellow-citiZens the Republican party,
whose advocate in very small way | to-
night, has never made great promise that it
has not religiously performed. [Applause.I It's
promise Of to-day is the statute of tomorrow,
and its platform of to-day ripens into the fun
damental law of tomorrow. [Applause.J 1t
has crowded into its brief career of twenty-five
Years counted by achievements, a thousand
years, and the greatest history that has ever
been recorded. 1t made our Territories all
free. 1t elected Lincoln. By one supreme
effort it lifted 100000 of human beings from
the night and shame and barbariSan of African
chattelage into the clear and bracing atmos-
phere OF American citizenship. Applause 1t
paid great debt. 1t lifted up to the highest
pinnacle the national credit and the public
good name, and it has placed this great-coun-
try in the midst OF prosperity marvellous and
| uneXampled III the history of the world. APP
plausel Gentlemen, | can never tire of speak
ing of its glories. No one ever speaks of or
| recounts the adventures of the Democratic
party, if [ may make one honorable exception.
Thinking that they needed recruits in the
State CT Maine, Gov Hoadly, of Ohio, visited
there and made several speeches-a notable one
at Biddeford. He was at one time a Repub-
lican, and, feeling the need of record, he
furnished one to his Democratic friends in the
State of Maine. [ propose for your informa-
ton, to read it to you, for it is not long It
is something new, fresh has nothing of the
m-Idew OF age about it, and quite in the nature
y.
dressing Democratic audience in Biddeford
spoke to them in the words and figures follow
ing:
The Democratic party under [pausing] who
do you suppose, Senator? Jefferson loud
laughter added the Gulf States to the Union
[Applause.l The Democrats of Biddeford
never had heard of that before, evidently
Laughter The Democratic party under
[pausingl James K Polk sent the American flag
to the Pacific loud applausel and gave us land
enough Tor twenty States. [Applause.l
That is all. Loud la lghter and cheersl The
trouble with that record is. it begins too early
and quits too quick lLaughter.l
IT STOPS JUST SHORT
of the time when the thing begins to be inter-
estlng 1t reminds me of the old news from
the Potomac: important if true" LAUGHTER /
The Governor goes on, however to say that at
one time he was an Abolitionist. There is no.
body here who will mention what am going to
say outside, but did you ever see one of these
washed-Out Republicans who had faded into
the Democratic party, sort Of melted in, so to
speak, that ever Dragged about being a Demo-
crat? [Laughtcr.l never did. He was always
proclaiming the fact that at one time he was
something better. He used to be Republican
laughter; like the decayed gentility YOU sea i'm
old States, that has seen better DAYS. a little
raveled out at the edges and run down at the
heel, but there are here and there marks which
show that originally the goods were valuable
[Laughter.l He was an Atolitionst he saws,
when Logan was voting the Democratic
the Independents and their allies-the
VN1x,z 20 49, S;,Alrv