Marietta daily leader. (Marietta, Ohio) 1895-1906, 1900-10-06
HISTORIC BOGEY MEN
The Democracy Fears for the Re-
public Every -Four Years.
A New Dress Is Given Its Scnrccrow
But the Same ola Idea Has
Pervadcd Its Platforms
Since 1867.

bates, il matches out "A choice collection
of Nightmares. Presenting different
reason each time, the party has always
declared for the past SO years that the
constitution was being oyerthrown
and the perpetuity of our form of gov
ernment threatened. A review of its
platforms since 1864 will show that it's
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 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 internation-
al prestige that serves as the garments
of this old historic cornfield bogie man.
Listen to the wailing jeremiah Of
1850.
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-
tions." This is an awful state of uf-
fairs to face, a terrible condition TO ex-
ct at hap
busy making money under 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-
licans had brought about a season Of
prosperity solely to engage rhe 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 mists 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 pretenss 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
trodden down" And this same
treacherous platform firing in the
back of soldiers of the union. just
as does the platform of 1900, goes on
to condemn 1.-THE administrative
usurpation of extraordinary and
dangerous powers calcu-
lated to prevent the perpetuation of
government deriving its just pow
ers fron the consent of he 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 1868 when they de-
clared that I'VE arraign the radical
party for its disregard of right and
the unparalleled oppression and tyr
amy that have marked its career. II
has converted the American capitol
into a bastile. Under its repeated as
saults the pillars of the government
are rocking on their base, and should
1t 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 hystera this is an inn
provement even on Kansas City, but
in spite of it Ulysses 5. 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 I'm
perial" Grant the constitution still
survives in shape to furnish further
opportunity for Nightmares over its
danger.
BY 1872 a new excuse for the tre-
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: The civil service
of the government has become
mere instrument OF partisan tyranny.
1t is a 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
warn the people of our common
country, Jealous for the preserva-
tion of their free institutions, that
the policy of federal control of cleo
tions to which the republican party
has committed itself is fraught with
the greatest dangers, scarcely less
momentous than would result from
revolution practically establishing
monarchy on the ruins of the repub-
lic."
In 1906 the dreadful picture of the
expiring gasps of free government
was given another frame, this time
silver frame. I'VE are unalterably
opposed to monometa which has
locked fast the prosperity of an in
dustrious people in the paralysis of