Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1899-1903, 1900-08-02
|Speech Of Temporary Chairman

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Des Moines, August 1.-(Special) -
Following is the text of the address
delivered before the republican state
convention this morning by the tempo
rary chairman, Hon. w. l.. Roach, of
Muscatine:
Mr.. Chairman and gentlemen of the
convention. am profoundly grateful
for the high honor Of
acting as your temporary
chairman. In accepting the re-
sponsibilities which come with this dis
,tinguished prefermentI wish to remind
you that am neither lawyer or states
man, simply an ordinary, every day
business man, and l confidently rely
upon the proverbial kindness and con-
sideration of an Iowa republican aud
fence and the business of our common
cause to atone for the deficiencies Of
which am painfully conscious.
The outcome of the campaign of
nineteen hundred will either be the de-
struction of Organism or the destruc-
ton of prosperity. Prosperity and
Bryanistic rule cannot exist at the
same time. Organism is populism and
hatred of success. The principles and
policies OF Jefferson and Jackson have
no abiding place in the creed of Mr..
Bryan. With reckless disregard of the
known facts of history he prostitutes
their illustrious names in support of
visionary and socialistic theories of
government.
The time was when the democratic
party stood for the least possible
amount of government and the largest
degree of liberty to the Individual In
recent years since the party has be-
come tainted, or more correctly speak
ing, since it surrendered its time-hon-
ored principles and put in their stead
the vagaries of populism, it has be-
come the champion of every impracti-
cal and exploded ism, every visionary
theory in relation to government. 1t
has become thoroly saturated with the
socialistic spirit, which is antagonistic
to Individual achievement and the tri
umph of which would be absolutely
destructive to the existing order.
Makes 1t Possible for Prosperity.
am of the opinion that the constant
appeal of all parties to what is popu-
larly termed the laboring vote has
brought with it some consequences
which are to be regretted. There is
much which any and all parties can
not do for the individual. 1t is as true
today as it has been in the past that
each individual must, in the main,
work out his own career. The most
the political party can do is to con-
tribute to stable conditions, equality
of opportunity, protection against pau
per competition and to insure security
to personal and property rights. The
republican party does not make them
prosperous: she makes it possible for
them to be prosperous. Ready brains
and willing hands must do the rest.
Organized Labor.
A steady effort has for years been
made to array all labor organizations
against republican policies and candi-
dates which sometimes has succeed
ed and sometimes failed. The repub-
lican party recognizes the wisdom up
on the part of artisans in any line of
industry associating themselves for
their common advancement, for the
improvement of the condition under
which they toll and increase their COM
pensation. While grave mistakes have
been made in the name of labor they
have also been made by capital The
wise course for both AMI the one
which is in harmony with my under
standing of republican principles, IS
the practice of tolerance and the rec
ignition of mutually of interest. Any
thing which tends to lift the laboring
man, to improve his efficiency adds to
the value of his service and consti-
tutes positive boon to the employer.
Unreasonable demands, disregard for
law and the commission of acts of
violence have done the cause of labor
great injury-and should prove most
instructive in the future. The labor
ing men of this nation have a mighty
responsibility and the less heed they
pay to the manufacturers Of discord
and the more they cultivate intelli-
gent cooperation and reasonable
treatment of capital the greater will
be their prosperity. Under conserva-
tive leadership, profiting by the mis-
takes of the past, the intelligent CO.
operation of laboring men, in
my humble Judgment will prove
in the future, as it has
proven in the past, one of the most
powerful agencies for their advance
ment.
Condition of American Labor.
The republican party is persistently
charged with being the enemy Of the
men who toll. We have had more than
third of century of almost contin-
nous republican rule. 1t is an absolute
\ ly incontrovertible fact that the aver
age condition Of the American work
man is the best in the world. In this
republican year, 1900. American labor
is the best paid, best housed, living up
on the highest plain, possessing the
highest possibilities and greatest pow
er in the history of the republic. In
the closing days of the campaign of
'96 the charge emanated from the
democratic national committee, that
IL President Mckinley was elected the
laboring men and producing classes of
America would be absolutely crushed
by the money power thru the agency
of the republican party. We answer
their charges in 1900 with their dis
credited prophecies of SO. Universal
prosperity under republican rule pre-
L., i 4 s,.,..