Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1900-09-20
HISTORIC BOGEY MEN
The Democracy Fears for the Re-
public Every -Four Years.
A New Dress Is Given Its scarecrow,
But the same Old idea Has
Peryaded Its Platforms
Since 1857.

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constitution was being overthrowD
and the perpetuity Of our form OF gov
eminent threatened. A review of its
platforms since 1864 will show that its
present alarm about the republic is
nothing new. The democratic party is
always frightened, distressed and in
condition of hysterical alarm lest ma
jority of the voters Of the republic
shall be traitors to their government
and TO themselves. There is always
shown the same old frightful picture
hung in new frame; the same old
hairy arm Of Jacob but with fresh
voice of new Esau each time, A dem.
ocratic platform without a plank trem-
bling for the very life of the republic,
with new excuse for the shivers, would
be as unreal as Hamlet played without
the Dane.
This year it is opposition to expan-
sion, national growth and information
al prestige that serves as the garments
OF this old historic corntieid bogie man
Listen to the wailing jeremiah of
1900.
"The burning issue of Imperialism
growing out of the Spanish war involves
the very existence of the republic and
the destruction of our free institu.
TONS" This is an awful state of af-
fairs to face terrible condition to ex.
list at a time when our people are so
busy making money under a period OF
republican prosperity that they may
fail to be aware Of the awful peril that
threatens. Only one thing is lacking.
The platform makers should have gone
on to declare that the wicked repub-
Leans had brought about season of
prosperity solely TO engage The atten-
ton of the people while they prose-
cuted their nefarious designs under
cover of the smoke of the chimneys of
industry. Drag from the msts of al
most forgotten obscurity, however, a
long line of democratic platforms and
you will find that in the minds of de-
mocracy this awful condition of affairs
is chronic.
In 1864 the democratic platform
denounced Lincoln for "Four years
Of failure to restore the union by the
experiment of war, during which, un-
der pretense of military necessity of
a war power higher than the consti-
tuition, the constitution itself has
been violated in every part and pub
lie liberty and private right alike
trcdden down" And this same
treacherous platform firing in the
back of soldiers of the union, just
rs does the platform of 1900, goes on
to condemn "thc administrative
usurpation of extraordinary and
dangerous powers " v calcu-
lated to prevent the perpetuation of
a government deriving Its just pow
ers from the consent of the gov
erned."
The trainers OF the Kansas City
platform evidently had the model of
the platform of 1864 before them
when they framed that of 1900. But
perhaps they also had as a model
their plank of 1865 when they de-
clared that ave arraign the radical
party for its disregard of right and
the unparalleled oppression and tyr
amy that have marked its career 1t
has converted the American capitol
into a bastle, Under its repeated as
saults the pillars of the government
are rocking on their base, and should |
it succeed in November next and in.
augurate its president we will meet
as subjected and conquered people,
amid the ruins of liberty and the
scattered fragments Of the constitu-
ton For hysteria this is IN i'm
provement even on Kansas City, but
in spite of 1t Ulysses s. Grant was
elected, and yet no one in Washing
ton has ever been known to stumble !
over any of those awful scattered
fragments that should be laying
around loose. In spite of the "lm.
perial' Grant the constitution still
survives in shape to furnish further
opportunity for Nightmares over its
danger
BY 1872 new excuse for the ire.
mors must be found, so the civil serv.
Ice became the paramount issue"
and the awful danger to the consti'
tuition from the men and women who
held places at Washington was held
up in this shape: "rhe civil service
of the government has become q
mere instrument of partisan tyranny,
1t is u scandal and reproach upon
free institutions and breeds a de.
moralization dangerous to the per.
petuity of republican government"
In 1892 they brought out the par.
amount issue" imperilling the life Of
the republic in this shape; 1--WE