Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1900-07-07
throne, pursue the policy he has so de.

throne. pursue the policy he has so de.
| nounced.
He must not. while protesting opposi.
| tion to combines and conspra ci,s
| against trade, send his emissaries to the
trust baron castles to beg, like Lag
arus at Dives gates, for subscriptions
| to his campaign. He must not lend
| the moral support OF his administration
| to monarchy In its efforts to destroy
a republic. But he must ever sympa-
thize with a people struggling for the
| right Of government.
Instead of the Republican policy Of
| monometallism, he must offer the free
| and unlimited coinage of the money
metals of the constitution, the gold, that
polishes the winged sandals of Hermes,
and the silver, that glitters in the bow
of Diana.
Instead Of a panic breeding. credit
currency, controlled by the bank trust,
he must offer government paper con-
trolled by the people.
He must be able to distinguish be-
tween Democratic expansion and Re
| publican imperialism. The first is
natural growth by the addition OF con-
| tiguous American territory. into every
| foot of which Is carried the constitution,
| the flag and the decalogue. and over the
shoulders of every inhabitant of the
duucu leTIltoTy 10 tuToWH rove
| Of sovereign citizenship. 1t Is growth
that has added is stars to the field Of
blue in the Banner OF the Free" to
symbolic the states that have been
carved from wisdom and craftsmanship
Of the Democratic party: this Is an ex-
pansion that is bounded on the north by
the constitution Of the United States, on
the east by the Monroe doctrine, on the
south by the Declaration Of Independ-
ence. and on the west by the Ten Com
| mandments.
How different this from the bandit
policy of the Republican imperialism,
with its standing army, and bayonet
rule of conquered provinces, its gov
ernment Of sullen subjects against their
will, by force and fraud. Its denial to
them Of the protection Of the constitu-
tion or the command which says: Thou
shall not steal" policy that would
send our Uncle Sam or his American
range with a cowboy hat. rope and
branding iron. to rustic and brand over
all the lesser islands Of the Orient. while
hypocritically chanting the long meter
DoXology.
Democratic skies are tlnged with a
roster hue today than when we met in
convention four years ago Then
financial cataclysm had spread over the
country, and, although its every induc-
ing cause was easily traced to the errors
and follies Of the Republican party. yet
we were In power when II came. and We're
wrongly held responsible for the wreck
of shattered fortunes which followed in
its wake. Torn assunder by dissensions
within, and disasters without, our party
faced a gloomy and foreboding future
which seemed to augur its dissolution.
While discord with her fiaring torch
confused the counsels there, from out
the sunset realm "a champion came and
bade defiance to the oncOming host
With the strength of youth. and the
wisdom of age, with knightly mein and
matchless speech. he lowered above his
peers, and all who saw him then with
one accord did hail him "chief" and gave
our party's banner to his hand. Slowly
despair gave way to hope, confidence
took the place where timorous fear had
been. the broken shattered columns
formed again, and behind him, surging.
came 6,5OOOOO valiant men to that un-
equal fight.
And the story OF how we'll he fought,
how fearlessly he fell, and how dearly
the enemy's victory was bought, has all
gone out into history now.
Back from his first battle he came, q
baffled but unconquered hero Of the
rights Of man. Conspicuous of the
the belief that no issue is ever settled
until 1t Is settled right, he cheerfully
acquiesced in the result of that cam
paign, and girded his loins for the next
great contest between the dollar and the
man.
For four years he has waged an un-
ceasing warfare against the peoples
enemy, for four years he has held up the
party's standard and his voice has
| oh, L. n
state and territory. When the trusts
began to Increase under the protection
of Republican administration, he was
the first to point out the danger and pre-
scribe remedy.
When the alarms of war for hu-
manity reused the heroic spirit Of our
land he offered his sword to his coun-
try's cause or the day that war was
declared.
When later he saw the administration
departing from the ancient landmarks
of our institutions, in it's enchanted
dream of empire and miitarism, he was
the first to raise warning voice, and re-
signing his commission on the day the
treaty Of peace was signed, he threw
himself into the contest for the rescue
of the republic.
With the issues now clearly drawn, no
doubt remains as to the name of our
candidate. On that question we are a
| reunited Democracy.
Already worthy allies differing from
us rather in name than faith have
shouted for our gallant leader again,
! and every state and territory has in
structed its delegates to this convention
to vote for him here. So 1t only re-
mains for Nebraska to pronounce the
name that has been thundered from the
foot Of Bunker Hill and echoed back
from Sierra's sunset slope, and that re-
verberates among the pine-clad, snow
capped hills of the north, and rises up
from the slumbering. flower-scented
savannahs of the south, and that name
Is the name Of William Jennings Bryan.
her best-loved son.