The Denison review. [volume] (Denison, Iowa) 1867-current, 1899-08-08
Mr.. vollmer's Speech.

The speech delivered by Mr.. Henry
VOllmer before the democratic conven-
ton last Saturday was much of dis
appointment to his democratic friends.
Aside from display Of egotism, there
was but little in the speech save asser-
ton. and there was absolutely no
argument.
MIR. V0llmor did not mention Bryan
and did not make any effort to get
back onto the silver plank of the demo-
cratic party. In this he was consistent
with his course two years ago. He
made much of the trusts and large
capitalizations, but failed to state that
as both political parties have, or will,
declare against them, they are not to be
included in the list of political issues.
He also neglected to state that every
law upon the national statute books,
regulating, restricting or prohibiting
trusts, was placed there by republican
votes. He absolutely failed to com.
ment upon the prosperity of the times.
He failed to state that wages are being
increased throughout the country; that
business and farming interests are
prosperous; that money is cheap and
that never since 1892 has the era Of
we'll being been SO nearly universal.
There was one bit OF political clap
trap in his speech which was wholly
unworthy of HIM. We speak OF his
reference to an Anglo-Amerlcan ALI.
ance. Every reader Of current history
knows that no such alliance is thought
OF by the present ,administr8 ton. or by
any considerable percentage of the
members of the republican party. A
number of AnglO-maniacs have pro-
posed such an alliance. and President
Mckinley has very properly endeavored
to be on the most friendly possible
terms, not only with England but with
Germany and every other nation.
MI. VOllmer's talk was intended to
please his German listeners. but we do
not believe they can be fooled into the
belief that the talk of these over en-
thusiastic friends of Great Britain has
anything in it of a political Significance
or that any party proposes an alliance
with England or any offensive measures
against the FatheIland.
This appeal to supposed race preju-
dice was both cheap and ineffectual.
Speaking of the expansion question,
Mr.. Vollmer dwelt loudly upon the
we'll known words that 'GOvernments
derive their just powers only from the
consent OF the governed" Mr.. Voll-
mer again neglected to state that for
Three quarters of Q century one of the
the rallying cries of his party was hum
an slavery which gave to the white man
GhQ Qh0nIuf n nf hn
gOvernance OF the most degrading kind
and that obtaining the consent of the
Government was the last thing Thought
of.
Mr.. Vollmer also forgot to mention
that this same cry was one of the strong
arguments of the Confederacy. They
said, they no longer wished to be gov
erned by the United States and pointed
to this very sentence as their justifica-
tiOn.
The speaker was very evidently crop.
ing In the darkness for some blanks of
the democratic raft to which he might
cling, and in doing 30, he almost failed
to seize upon any of the real political
issues at stake. Mr.. VOllmer told an
amusing story of an Italian and his
hand-Organ and the customary monkey.
The monkey climbed to the window for
the coin upon the first day, but on the
second was unable to do SO, whereupon
the Italian explained: MADAM excuse
de monk, he hava the fight witha the
house cat last night and he lose his
ambish." Mr.. Vollmer very properly
compared himself with the monkey in
question, implying that he had climbed
after the coin not long since, but that
this year he had lost his 'sambish.n
Under all the circumstances we feel :
that about the only proper thing to do
With Mr.. Vollmer is to comply with his
own request and "excusa de monk.o