Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1900-05-09
The Hon. lanes Hamilton Lewis Again.

| ton Lewis Of Washington, the polychro-
matte nolfticaI paradox Of the North
west His wonderful suits OF ciotheS'
his curly pink whiskers, his l9-carat
| cgotism and his lurid rhetoric were
once nrominent features of Congress,
but the state of Washington became
ashamed of itself and relesated MN 10
nri,.atn life. Now he has been heard
| fr,r, again and il is plain that he IS
the same Lewis. except perhaps ne Is
, trifle more so. 1t was at meeting
| AZ = Democratic club in Detroit, the
o,,or night when several hundred
faithful Popocrats braved a dollar ban
oue, Drvan was there. but the bright
ara shining star of the gathering was
r.,vie ana all the other luminaries
paled beside him. The. eloquence which
he liberated from his bosom was of i
brand seldom heard even at Bryan
BANQUET. Bryan was out-Bryaned to
his face. Thus it was that he started
in to fill the air with sound:
our hearts return in thought to the
irving DAYS of 1896, when true
Democracy had been betrayed by her
trusted servants, deserted by her
afrrightcd children, and abandoned it
seemed by hope itself, when, as the
mother in the wilderness, forlorn at the
loss If her children, she sat in despair,
moaning. Why hast thou forsaken
I,n,, he.
eminent was being pledged as Il pawn
to the money changers, the citizens
surrendered as a collateral security
to be foreclnsed upon at the Will Of his
master, while the sovereignty of the
first republic Of earth was murtSaGed
to imperial royalty, aud freedom went
wailing through her deserted temples.
The strain was too much the people
the uncomfortable Democracy-brokc
their lashings. sprung forth unshackled
and daring freemen. defying their mas
ters."
This is the unconquerable, I'M
shackled Ham Lewis at his best. snort
ing defiance at imperial royalty and
the money changers. Think how
freedom must have walled anew as
the waves of that eloquence broke over
helpless. innocent Detroit. But here he
goes singing. springing onward:
What heaVen-born courage leaned
to us how a new life was ours, how
hope born anew to the depressed shone
out and became guiding light. The
clouds had lifted. From the valleys
and the hilltops came the true children
of Democracy-the soldiers Of the CON
stitutinnal government-armed with
resolve and their vows Of liberty or
death shining from their hearts. cap
tanned by the greatest commander Of
liberty's army. thoy stormed the
battlements Of pride, struck down the
fortress Of official privilege. swan tn"
surging waters of scorn and derision.
and cllmbcred up the heights where in
eoIpnt aristocracy had barricaded it
self. ana. with hosannas 70 the God Of
justice shouting for equality TO all
mankind. and free land t. Il free
people. Democracy was once more in
| her fathers house. ana liberty once
again the WatchWnri Of frermen. Hope
perpetual for all mankind clGspcd the
Constitution. ana both taking their
abiding place beneath the flag Of q re-
deemed country. grects the republic to-
night with a newborn courage and
! salutes the morrow's rising sun with
unvanquished victory"
Wow, Think of the unvanquished
victory which Ham achieves when he
wrestles with English syntax. In this
| passage he makes a few historical in
| accuracies. but those do not trouble
him; he is an orator who crates for the
sake of oratory. For instance, he
! should have pictured Joe Bailey, not
hope perpetual clasping the Consti-
tuition. And it is on record that
Democracy, instead Of singing peans of
victory on the heights was pushed off
into the Shiny slough Of defeat. At
this stage the direful effects of the
dollar dinner are seen in his eloquence:
I'VE know not what the future holds
The air is filled with strange warnings.
The seeress Kisses from the darkness,
beware of the ides of November. and
tmid man shrinkS with a sense Of un-
usual danger. Our republic itself halts
Us shl hCsitatCs. she knows not her
| way. Her paths are new; her future a
mystery Outside her gates await her
enemies. long hopeful for the hour OF
her confusion. only in the faithful
min rity is her destiny secure. 50 long
as we shall remain tru" to our heaven
endowed trust all cannot fail-all can
not end. Good cannot die. Justice and
| freedom will not Ire deserted of theil