Akron daily Democrat. [volume] (Akron, Ohio) 1892-1902, 1901-10-19
THE KEY NOTE AS
SOUNDED BY Mr.. FORAKER.
CONTINUED from first page, part one)

selves TO bury out of sight all that
Is of the dead past, namely, secession,
slavery, inequality before the law and.
political inequality" and devoted and
consecrated themselves thereafter and
forever to the full, faithful and abso-
Lutte execution and enforcement of the
Constitution as it now is, so as to Sc
cure equal rights to all persons under
il, without discrimination 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 Thcnceforth the nation
must be conceded 20 be greater than
any state--greater even than South
Carolina and the negro must be rec
ognized and treated not only as man,
bnt ae thr political equal of all other
men. That was, indeed departure;
4 was in tact complete surrender
of all there was Of Democracy in that
day.
1t was an awful thing to bury it
oil at once.
No wonder 1t was six years after APP
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 great huttering 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
all the vicious past; as though, after
years Of persistent error 1t was better
TO finally accept the truth, although
driven to it, than TO have been It's
champion all the while, they turned to
the people and asked TO be restored to
power.
Their sublime effrontery was equaicd
only by the overwhelming rebukc that
followed at the polls. The people
were reioiced TO learn that they had
confessed their sins and promised IA
reform, but they were not prepared ia
entrust them with true government.
They naturally wanted some proof OF
sincerity and some guarantee that q
party that was so radically wrong on
the great problems that had been solv'
ed would not he wrong again on othe:
questions that might arise They
thouhgt It well to impose probation'
aiy period: and did so.
The people were wise.
Thirty years have since come and
gone. During this period that Demo
cratic party has adopted and advocat
ed every heresy, every ism, every fal-
lacy and every evil that has appeared
in American politics, and then, in turn
abandoned the same, except only th'
latest. which they still uphold as thci
present stock in trade.
Taxation of government bonds ant
notes. the payment of government oh
legations with greenbacks, free trade
free silver, government by injunction
and open alliance with Popullsm ana
Communism coupled with persistent
and malicious violation of the Four
teenth and Fifteenth amendments are
hut few of the many mistakes ana
ruinous policies and propositions to
which It has given its adherence and
support
When it finally got into power 1t was
more than mere disappointment. What
II advocated in the House II abandoned
In the Senate The Wilson tariff law
was the only measure of national char
acter and importance that it was abb,
"a "A
upon the government. disaster to bust
ness. ana loss and misery To millions
of American homes.
That statute holds lasting place II
the recoiections of the people and II
the history of the country ns monu
mcnt to the incapacity Of the Demo
cratic party
Its whole attempt to govern III
country was II disastrous failure.
forfeited public confidence and WEI
ont of power thoroughly discredite
as IA public agency. II has since stea'
fly gone from bad TO worse. Ii In
seemingly reached the point where
is incapnblc of even proposing patrio
Sc and acceptable policies.
These nre harsh criticisms, but the
nre far less severe than Democrat
leaders are pronouncing on themselvc
They now confess that they wer
wrong lasl year and for years beIor
IN regard 10 questions of vital chnra'
ter and importance that affected ol
national honor, our industrial dcrt
opment, our foreign policies, our NJ
tlonnl obligations, ana our prosperit
happiness and good name as pcopl
They pretended then TO believe WHIT
they advocated, and, necessarily, the
either did or they didn't If they oil
they lacked capacity; II they dldn
they lacked sincerity. In either ca
they are unworthy of public conh
enee. hut we have both cases.
Since the state convention they ha'
been holding their county convention
and "some have gone one way al
some another" some have adopted Il
state platform and rejected the II
tional, ana some have adopted the >
tional and rejected the state; soi
have chung to Bryan aud some ha
spewed him out, and some have tri
TO do both. This diversity Of the cou
ties has been exhibited by the stat,
II.