The News-Herald. [volume] (Hillsboro, Highland Co., Ohio) 1886-1973, 1901-10-24
SENATOR ). Q. FORAKER.
Speech At the Opening Of the Ohio
Campaign, Delaware, Oct. 70.

Campaign, Delaware, Oct. i9.
Mr.. Chairman and Fellow-Citizens:
The campaign upon which we are en-
tering is of unusual character.
The nation 10 passing through q
great sorrow.
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,
ton remains untouched. Our great
leader is dead, but the government
Nvss 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 a 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
10 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 vote
Of confidence. We cheerfully give
them the thanks, but the confidence is
another matter. We have had expert
once. 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 q settlement in fact Of
all the issues of the 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 1t now
Is, SO as to secure equal rights to all
persons under 1t, without discrimina-
ton of race, color or condition"
Standing on such a 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 man,
but as the political equal of all other
men. That was, indeed, o departure;
It was In fact complete surrender of
ell there was Of Democracy in that
day.
It was an awful thing to bury II oil
ct once.
No wonder Il was six years after Ap-
pomattox before they could make W
ehsir 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 a. spec
tacular as possible.
With a great futtering Of flags and
beating of drums, they marched Out
Of the graveyard into the highway OF
progress, proclaiming change Of
heart and promising good behavior
And then, as though that condoned al
the vicious pasE as though, after years
Of persistent error, 1t was better tc
finally accept the truth, GAthough driv'
en- to 1t, than to have BEEN Its cham
pion all the while. they turned to the
people and asked to be restored tt
power.
Their sublime effrontery was eQualet
only by the overwhelming rebuke thai
followed at the polls. The people were
rejoiced to learn that they had con
fessed their sins and promised to re-
form. but they were not prepared tG
entrust them with tire government
They naturally wanted some proof ol
sincerity and some guarantee that {
party that was 80 radically wrong or
ehs great problems that had been solv'
"a. would not be wrong again on othel
questions that might arise. They
thought II we'll to impose probation
ary period: and did 20.
The people were wise.
| THIRTY YEARS
have since come and gone. During thii
period tht Democratic party has adopt
cd and advocated every heresy, every
Ism. every fallacy and every evil thai
has appeared In American politics, and
thsn, in turn, abandoned the same
except only the latest, which they still
uphold a. their present stock In trade
Taxation Of government bonds and
] uOtes, the payment Of government oh