The Ohio Democrat. (Logan, O. [Ohio]) 1886-1906, 1900-06-21
The Key Note.
Sounded by Chairman Webster p,
Huntington at the State
Convention.


Mr.. Chairman and Gentlemen of
the Conventions:
For the honor Of presiding over
your preliminary deliberations l
thank you.
You are assembled in state Con-
vention for the fourth time since
the memorable campaign of 1896
Since that time democratic thought
in Ohio has been slo WY but surely
concentrating along lines of reform
and manifesting every year the re-
newed devotion of Buckeye Demo-
Gratis to fundamental American
principles; until today, more than
ever before in its history, our party
is distinctively and peculiarly
"the party of the people, Your
last convention at GAINESVILLE mere
ly emphasized the conclusions
which the party had solemnly
reached at Columbus and Dayton
in 1897 and 1898. The GAINESVILLE
convention, and subsequently its
candidates, reaffirmed the Chicago
platform and indorsed for presi-
dent In 1900 the greatest popular
leader of modern times: the elO-
quent or ator in whose tongue "is
the law of Kindness" the honest
citizen in whose heart is the love
of Justice; the unselfish statesman
in whose mind ia the welfare of
mankind-the friend of the people
and the dreaded foe of their enc.
mies-William J. Bryan. That re-
affirmation and that Endorsement
represented the earnest convictions
of the Democracy of Ohio then !;
and there is no reason to believe
that those convictions are changed
now.
You are assembled at time
most critical for the nation and for
the Democratic party. We shall
take no step backward but we shall
take long strides forward. The
time has come when every Ameri-
can citizen must determine for
himself whether this nation shall
continue to be in fact as well as in
name republic, or shall pattern
after Great Britain and become a
colonial empire. We believe that
If we are to have democracy, II
cannot be too democratic; il we
are to have a republic, It.cannot be
too republican. To remain dem
ocracy-to remain republic-is to
preserve the union: while to be-
come a colonial empire is to de-
stroy the union. It was true in
1860 that this nation could not en-.
dure "half slave and half free.'
and it ia true now that it cannot
long endure half republic and hall
empire. Therefore the paramount
question which must be answered
by the American people before the
ides of November is:
Shall the union be preserved
We invite an adjustment Of diff.
erences or at least cessation OF
factional strife between those who
are not agreed as to certain policies
OF government, but who are agreed
that the union must be preserved
There are those who would pre-.
serve the union and at the same
time maintain the single gold
standard; and there are those who
would preserve the union and at
same time restore the bimetallic
currency that has always been and
always will be the only basic OF
permanent prosperity in this coun-
try. But what good will either OF
these accomplish even from his
own point Of view, five have BIZ
metallism or the single gold stand
ard, and the union Is destroyed
"What shall 1t profit man II he
gain the whole world and lose his
own soul" What shall it profit a
nation like ours III IL gain the
whole world and lose its own
character? Whatever a mans
convictions on the money question.
II he believes that the republic
must remain, he is fool II he trade
the greater principle for the lesser; ;
he is blind, II he does not unite
with others to achieve the main
object, no matter how he may dis