Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1902-09-06
The Democratic Text Book.

book prepared by the committee Tor
the use of Democratic editors an"
stump speakers AS usual the party
assumes the attitude of Directing 10
everything which the party in power
has done or proposes TO do IL Is 'he
favorite Democratic policy OF KICK
find fault. scold and object, witnout
itself beng positive, definite and ag7
gressive or any question. There IS
great care exercised il. s.YadtnS an
references to the Democratic record III
the past. Many pages are devoted to
demagogic ranting against trusts
| perverting the facts as to all conf
binations Of capital and proposing in
discriminate tariff smashing as the
| only remedy, but even Bryan in his
Augusta speech did not more carefully
avoid the Democratic record on this
issue than does this remarkable text
| book.
| Almost third of the volume is de-
| voted to an attempt to resurrect the
buried bogy of imperialism" The
American people in 1900 expressed with
some emphasis their opinion of the pol
| icy of scuttle, but the Democratic text
book talks as though the republic mad
been wrecked by the acquisition of the
Philippines. 1t holds up Aguinaldo as
| an abused and injured mortal, but
neglects to quote his final acceptance
of American sovereignty as the best
| thing for the islands. 1t fails to give
credit to the government for maintain
| ing peace in the archipelago when
Spain was not able to establish in 200
years of occupancy, and says nothing
| of the establishment of civil govern
ment and schools. the great impetus
given to business and commerce and
the emancipation of the masses from
the oppression of the hated friars.
1t fails to show how at any time this
country could have escaped with honor
the responsibilities thrust upon it by
Cuba, a war which Democrats in Con-
gress were particularly active in has
tening. 1t does not dwell upon the
Democratic votes, cast at the urging
of Bryan, which made possible the
ratification of the treaty of Paris and
the acquisition of the Philippines. 1t
oiVac credit IN nn1icv nj the
administration which has fully re-
deemed its pledge to make Cuba an
independent republic and which has
made Porto Rico far more contented
and prosperous than it ever was un-
der Spanish rule.
The text book touches briefly on the
| prosperity of the country much after
the manner of Bryan who asserts in
substance that there really isn't any
prosperity, and, besides it isn't the re-
| suit of Republican rule!" 1t dis
creetly avoids any comparison with
the days of Democratic rule when
business confidence was gone, fac
were necessary to feed the great
| army of unemployed in the cities, and
when wOrkingmen, instead of striking
for more pay as in these times, were
without any work or were protesting
| in vain against a reduction in wages
| 1t points in glee to the higher prices
of some of the necessities of life, but
| neglects to say that every man in the
country who wants work can have It.
| that the scale of wages was never so
high, that the deposits in the savings
| banks have increased as never before
| in corresponding period. that the
| western farmers have had bonfires of
mortgages, and that the business of the
| country never began to be on such a
| scale.
This remarkable little volume 50
| full of perversion. evasion and mis-
representation, says that the present
| Congress was extravagant, but it fails
to specify any appropriations that the
Democratic members voted against. II
| doesn't dwell upon the financial condi-
ton of the government with great
surplus in the treasury and the ma
tional debt being fast reduced. Nor
does it recall the times of the last
| Democratic administration when there
was yearly deficit instead of a sur
| plus and when bond issue was neces-
| sary to pay the running expenses
These are some of the more important
| of the few things which the Demo-
| cratic campaign text book says and
| the many which it neglects to say.
| 1t lodges the free silver folly.
| There is little in it that is new, much
| that is absolutely false and several
| things that are positively silly. For
| instance. it devotes a whole page 20
| an attempt to make political capital
| out Of the Schley case, and in another
| place finds space for such unadul-
terated rot as the following:
| 1T is now said that one of the first