The Bellefontaine Republican. [volume] (Bellefontaine, Logan County, Ohio) 1855-1905, 1901-10-25
FORAKER'S
Great Speech at Delaware! +!
The Eloquent Senator Discusses
Vital Issues In His Own
Forcible Style.

IOTCiDie Style.
MIR. Chairman and Citizens:
The campaign upon which we are en-
tering is of unusual character.
The nation is passing through q
We feel more like mourning than
disputing.
We would gladly forego all discus
sion that we might tarry longer at the
grave of our dead president, silently
studying the great lessons of his life
and trying to fathom the awful mys-
terry of his death.
But the world moves on and the liv-
ing have claims.
The official head Of the nation has
been murdered, but the life of the ma,
tion remains untouched. Our great
leader is dead, but the government
lives and the duties of citizenship sur
vive. They command us and we are
here.
In another respect this campaign is
unusual.
Interchangeable Democracy" claims to
have changed-to have taken de
parture;" to- have been born again;
to be different and better this year
than last.
They exultingly point to the fact that
at their state convention they declined
to compliment or in any way whatever
| recognize Mr.. Bryan, and refused to
indorse the platform on which he and
they all stood last year.
For this they ask thanks and q vote
of confidence. We cheerfully give
them the thanks, but the confidence is
another matter. We have had expert
ence. Their performance is not new.
| It recalls
SOME ANCIENT HISTORY
| that excites distrust. They proclaimed
| their most notable departure" in 1871,
but they have been pretty regularly
in the business ever since. They were
| then under the leadership of Clement
L. vallandigham. H was at once the
ablest and the most audacious Demo-
crat Ohio ever produced.
With high-sounding phrases they re-
solved to accept the results of the war
which had ended six years before. in
| cluding the Thirteenth, Fourteenth
| and Fifteenth amendments to the Con-
| stitution, "as a settlement in fact Of
all the issues Of tfJu war, and to ac-
| quiesce in the same as no longer issues
before the country" and pledged
themselves to bury out of sight all
that is Of the dead past. namely, Sc
cession, slavery, inequality before the
law and political inequality" and de-
voted and consecrated themselves
thereafter and forever to the full,
faithful and absolute execution and en-
forcement of the Constitution as it now
is, SO as to secure equal rights to all
persons under it, without discrimina-
tion of race, color or condition"
Standing on such platform there
could be no more talk about slavery,
secession, coercion, or "a white mans
government" Thenceforth the nation
must be conceded to be greater than
any state-greater even than South
Carolina-and the negro must be rec
ognized and treated not only as a man,
but as the political equal of ali other
men. That was, indeed, a departure;
it was in fact complete surrender of
all there was Of Democracy in that
day.
1t was an awful thing to bury II all
at once.
i No wonder It was six years after Ap-
pomattox before they could make up
their minds to accept such wholesale
bereavement. But as one defeat fol-
lowed another. they began at last to
perceive that some things were indeed
settled, and, when finally convinced
that there was no other alternative,
they made the doleful business as spec
tacular as possible.
With a great f1uttering of flags and
beating of drums, they marched out
of the. graveyard into the highway OF
progress, proclaiming a change OF
heart and promising good behavior
And then, as though that condoned al
the vicious past; as though, after years
of persistent error, it was better tc
finally accept the truth, although driv'
en- to it, than to have been its cham
pion all the while, they turned to the
people and asked to be restored tC
a power.
Their sublime effrontery was eQualet
only by the overwhelming rebuke tha
followed at the polls. The people were
: rejoiced to learn that they had con
r fessed their sins and promised to re
t form, but they were not prepared t.
D entrust them with tire government
They naturally wanted some proof o
4 sincerity and some guarantee that |
party that was so radically wrong OF
the great problems that had been solv
= cd, would not be wrong again on othe
e questions that might arise. The.
r thought it we'll to impose a probation
It ary period; and did so.
d The people were wise.
II THIRTY YEARS
!. have since come and gone. During thi
q period tht Democratic party has adopt
d ed and advocated every heresy, ever
d ism, every fallacy and every evil tina
b has appeared in American politics, an
" then, in turn, abandoned the same
J., except only the latest. which they stil
: uphold as their present stock in trade
!, Taxation of government bonds an
o notes, the payment of government oh
/ legations with g-eenbacks, free trade
IS free silver, government by injunctio
n and open alliance with Populism an
II Communism. coupled with persisten
Is and malicious violation of the -Four
: teenth and Fifteenth amendments, ar
IL hut a few of the many mistakes an