The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1900-06-21

CONVENTION HALL, Philadelphia June
2o.-Following is the speech of Senator
Lodge of Massachusetts, as Permanent
Chairman of the Republican National Con-
vention:
zone of the greatest honors that can
fall to any American in public life is to
be called to preside over Republican Ma
tional Convention. How great that honor
is you know, but you cannot realize. nor
can express. the gratitude which l feel
to you for having conferred it upon me.
/ car only say to you, in the simplest
phrase, that / thank you from the bot
tom of my heart. 'Beggar that l am l
am ever poor in thanks, and yet l thank
you
I'VE need again to nominate the next
President of the United States. Four years
have passed since We nominated the SOL
der and statesman who is now President.
and who is soon to enter upon his second
term. Since the civil war no Presiden-
tial term has been so crowded with great
events as that which is now drawing to
a close. They have been four memora-
BILE years. To Republicans they show a
record of promises kept, Of work done OF
unforeseen questions met and answered 10
the Democrats they have been generous IN
the exhibition of unfulflled predictions In
the ruin of their hopes of calamity, ana
in futile opposition to the forces Of the
times and the aspirations OF the American
people wish / could add that they had
been equally instructive to our opponents,
but while it is true that the Democrats
like the Bourbons, learn nothing, it Is only
too evident that the familiar comparison
cannot be completed for they forget
great deal which it would be well for
them to remember.
In 1887 We took the Government and
the country from the hands of President
Cleveland. His party had abandoned him
and were Joined to their idols, of which
he was no longer one. During the last
years of his term we had presented to us
the melancholy spectacle of President
trying to govern without party. The
result was that his policies were in ruin.
legislation was at a standstill. and public
affairs were in a perilous and incoherent
condition. Party responsibility had van
ished, and with it all possibility of intel
ligent action, demanded by the country at
home and abroad. 1t was an interesting
but by no means singular display of Dem
ocratic unfitness for the practical work
of government To the political student
1t was instructive, TO the country it was
extremely painful. to business disastrous.
I'VE replaced this political chaos with
President in thorough accord with his par
ty, and the machinery OF government be-
gan again to move smoothly and effective
~. Thus We kept at once our promise OF
better and more efficient administration.
In four months after the Inauguration OF
President Mckinley we had passed Tariff
bill For ten years the artificial agitation
In behalf of what was humorously called
tariff reform, and of what was really free
trade had kept business in ferment, and
1aGr fs l.ze1
industries depression, panic. and finally,
continuous bad times to a degree never be-
fore imagined Would you know the result
of our tariff legislation, look about you.
Would you measure its success, recollect
that 1t is no longer an issue. that our OPP
ponents, free traders as they are, do not
dare to make it an issue. that there is not
a State in the Union today which could be
carried for free trade against protection.
Never was policy more fully justified by
its works. Never was promise made by
any party more absolutely fulfilled.
The Money Question.
Dominant among the issues of four
years ago was that OF our monetary and f.
nancial system. The Republican party
promised to uphold our credit, to protect
our currency from revolution. and to main
tain the gold standard. We have done So
than our promise. Failing to secure, after
honest effort, any encouragement for inter-
national bimetallism, We have passed law
Strengthening the gold standard and plant
ing it more firmly than ever in our fnan-
cial system, improving our banking laws.
buttressing our credit, and refunding the
public debt at 2 per cent interest. the low
est rate In the world. /: was a great work
well done. The only argument the Demo-
Gratis can advance today in their own be-
half on the money question is that a Re-
publican Senate, n the event of Democratic
success would not permit the repeal OF a
Republican law.
This is precious argument when look.
ed at with considerable eyes, and quite
worthy of the intellects which produced it, |
Apply it generally. Upon this theory, be-
cause We have defeated the soldiers of
Spain and sunk her ships. We can with safe
~ dispense with the ar:iy and navy which |
did the work. Take another example. !
There has been fire in great city; 1t |
has been checked and extinguished; there !
fore let us abolish the fire department ard J
cease TO insure our homes. Distrust in |
our currency, the dread Of change, the !
deadly fear Of debased standard were |
raging four years ago. and business lay |
PROSTATE before them. Republican su- |
premacy and Republican legislation have |
and business has risen triumphant from
the ashes. Therefore abolish your fire de- |
partment, turn out the Republicans and
put in power the incendiaries who lighted |
the flames and trust to what remains of |
Republican control to avert fresh disaster |
The proposition is its own refutation.
THE supremacy OF the party that has !
saved the standard of sound money and |
guarded it by law is as necessary for its |
security and for the existence of honest /
wages and of business confidence now as Il |
was in 1896. The moment the Republ -caa |
party passes from power, and the party OF !
free silver and fat paper comes in, stable |
currency and the gold standard, the stan
card OF the civilized world. are in immi- !
nent and deadly peril. Sound currency /
and a steady standard of value are today |
safe only in Repr' lican hands.
Hawaii and Cubn.
But there were still other questions In
1886. We had already thwarted the efforts
OF the Cleveland Administration to throw
the Hawaiian Islands back to their de-
throned Queen and TO give England to.t-
hold for her cables in the group. We then
said that We would settle finally the Ha
waiian question. We have done so The
traditional American policy has been car.
ried out. The flag of the Union floats to-
tay over the crossroads Of the Pacific.
I'VE promised TO deal with the Cuban
question. Again comes the reply, We have
done SO. The long agony of the island is
over. Cuba is free. But this great work |
brought with 1t events and issues which
no man had foreseen, for which no party
creed had provided policy. The crisis |
came, bringing war in its train. The Re-