The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1898-09-22
AN APPEAL TO THE MASSES.
Excellent Opportunities Pre- sented to
The Democracy.
MCKINLEY HELD RESPONSIBLE

Adopted In Democratic Conven-
tions Indicate This Sentiment.
One Of the strongest Republican papers
in the east is the Providence, r. l.,
Journal, certainly one of the ablest papers
in New England. 1t gave Mr.. Mckinley
unstintlrg support during the campaign
of 1896 because it thought he was
man who would not allow himself so be
controlled by every wind that blew. The
Journal sees trouble In store for the
Republican party, and does not hesitate
to place the President in the category
to which he belongs. The following is
from a recent issue of the Journal:
Perhaps we may have live issue in
the fall campaign after ALL The leaders
of both parties, or at any rate the more
intelligent Of them, have been agreed all
summer that the old issues were pushed
aside by the events Of the war, that it
would be impossible to draw party lines
| '''N'p p'A NhN IuFoblOub VI nhblOuhl DOllCy
presented by the results of the late
hostilities, and that it was going to be
very difficult to find any issue for use in
the congressional elections that would
appeal with any force to the masses.
But now 1t appears that we may have
an issue that will deeply interest every
body, and which, If made the most of by
| thn &c, - L.
istration, may be made to bring about
great changes at Washington. 1t is the
issue presented by the gross mismanage-
ment of the war department. that has
condemned thousands of our brave
soldiers to utterly needless suffering and
even to inglorious death from disease and
starvation.
| There Is no question that the Ameri-
can people feel keenly on this subj act,
that they are ready, as soon as the
responsibility Is fully and definitely
determined, to throw the weight of their
combined rebuke upon the guilty persons
and to mete out to them the severest
penalty that 1t is practicable for them to
infiict. This state Of the popular mind
presents an excellent opportunity to the
Democratic party, which is sadly In need
Of some new ralIying cry now that free
silver Is dead for at least a comatose issue;
and there are already evidences that at
least some Of the Democratic leaders are
awake to the chance and prepared to
make the. most of it. The Wisconsin
Democrats, for example, in convention
at Milwaukee the other day, put this
stirring plank into their platform:
We condemn in unstinted measure the
war department for TIE blunders and
crimes committed against the brave boys
In blue in camp and on foreign battle
folds by selfish contractors, incompetent
surgeons and vain, heartless army officers
appointed for political purposes. We
hereby pledge to our brave sailors and
soldiers who survive this war our earnest
and loyal support to secure the punish
ment Of the guilty parties
Tie charges made in this plank are
perhaps more sweeping than the known
circumstances warrant, but the pledge Is
one which will unquestionably attract,
and deservedly, the sympathy of hundreds
of thousands Of voters. On the same day
that these western Democrats we're taking
this strong position Of antagonism to the
Mckinley administration on new issue,
here 10 the east the New Hampshire
Democrats adopted platform containing
the following. plank:
We commend to the generosity of a
grateful public the soldiers of the late
war with Spain, sympathize ana com.
miserate with all such as are now
suffering agonies the direct result of
glaring inoon potency and brutal neglect
npon the part of the war department of
the general government, and demand u
} thorough, impartial Investigation of
that department by a Democratic con-
gress and the summary punishment of
the men who have prostituted patrioti IN
to partisanship and greed.
These are strong words, but no stronger
than the circum stances warrant, and
very likely they will be found to be the
keynote of the Democratic campaign this
foil. At any rate we may be sure that u
great many other Democratic, conventions
) will adopt similar planks during the
n'xt few weeks.
Neither Is there any doubt that such an
. arraignment of the the war department
s will be heartily approved by the grea
majority of the American people. The
possibility of making 1t a success as a
party issue depends on the extelt to
which the people are willing to hold the
Republican administration responsible
for the wrongs committed, primarily, by
one branch Of IL.
We may feel couadent that If the Dem
: ocrats only have the sense to sbelve some
y OF their old issues and stick closely to the
lines Of the Wisconsin and New Hamp-
shire platforms they can secure for theiI
G congressional candidates in November a
o good many votes that but for AlgeI
: would have gone to the Republicans.
Indeed, nothing but the extreme blind
J ness and prejudice OF partisanship can b'
expected to prevent the anger of Uh'
a American people from falling with full
A force on the administration and Its head
y through the party 1t represents. There
J. Is no injustice In making the President
Q share with his secretary the responsibilit,
! for the pitiful state of things which
I private chasity is now trying to alleviate
4 He is the real head Of the war depart
7 mont, Secretary Alger being merely his
agent and appointee. He was told wher