Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1903-04-09
Victory in 1904.

letter year in the history of the Demo-
cratic party, or the blackest OF all its
black-letter years. Every indication
now points to Democratic success in
that year, if Democrats are permitted
to take advantage Of the opportunities
afforded them. The Republican party
has long ago exhausted the mandate
tnat called it into being. 1t has vio-
lated every pledge that it has made to
| the people of this country within the
last twenty years. 1t advocated civil
service reform when it thought by so
doing it would prevent Its majorities
from diminishing, but has continued
to give place to the spokesman as If Its
platforms were silent upon that sub
ject. In its youth, it forced civil war
upon the country rather than permit
the people Of the South to longer hold
the black man in a condition of in
voluntary servitude; in it's old age, it
has waged a war of subjugation in
lorder to reduce the brown man of the
Philippine Islands to state of slavery.
In the sixties it passed the thirteenth
constitutional amendment prohibiting
salvery, or involuntary servitude with
In the United States, or within the
limits of any territory belonging to
the United States; in the nineties it
quietly sanctioned slavery in our
newly acquired territories. 1t estab-
lished the national bank, war meas
urea temporary device to tide us
over time of storm and stress-it
fastened this iniquitous banking sys-
tenn upon our shoulders long after the
supposed necessity that gave rise to it
ceased. With promises of bimetalism
upon its lips it has succeeded in fixing
the single gold standard upon us.
Twelve years ago, when the people
were becoming restive under the bur-
dens of tariff taxation, it promised to
reform the tariff; it kept its promise
by raising the tariff wall about us
higher than it was in the beginning.
1t began its career by enthusiastically
advocating the cause of free labor, it
now sanctions the ruling of the Federal
Judge who seeks to drive men to work
against their wills. In the fifties the
United States marshal chasing run
away negro across the fields was to be
thwarted by any means that ingenuity
could suggest; to-day the United States
marshall who rounds up body of
miners for quietly assembling to dis
cuss their grievances, is to be helped
in every way possible. This is the Re-
publican party as it was and as it is.
1t has become rotten from center to
circumference. The gangrene of cor
, ruption has affected every part of its
huge carcass. The fatal virus has
spread from the leader of national
reputation to the humblest lieutenant
in the obscurest township Of the most
remote county in the land. 1t taints
the minister who receives his two or
three shares OF trust stock from a
liberal or designing parishoner and, so
long as they pay comfortable dividends,
refuses to say one word against con-
ditions that renders his life work abor-
tive and must ultimately drag his
church into the mire. 1t besmirches
the bishop who fails to reprove sin in
high places through fear of reduced
income, or because of hints that there
will be shortage in the building fund
If he does not confne himself to
heavenly things. 1t overfows the
politician, who does what he knows tc
be wrong and ADVOCATES what he be.
lieves to be wrong in order to reap a
present advantage. 1t reaches the
r poor devil who on election day sells
his vote for few dollars because they
mean present food and clothing, light
- ,n5 ,r,,r,tb +o hi, lftt1a opao uho ha
trays his principles reluctantly be-
cause the good they bring him is far
far away, and the good his treasof
certainly brings him is near at hand.
!. Republicans are neither better mol
worse than other men. They hate evi
and revere good as other men do
They have vices, but they also have ;
conscience. 1t is these facts that cause
US to look to the future with hope.
is the fact that the rank and file OF tht
\ Republican party are OF the same ella,
as other men that gives us confidence
in 1904. The Republican party neve
appeared stronger than it does now
but we believe that it never wa
weaker. Its bulk is the bulk of th
inebriate, OF man with the dropsy
When any party ceases to appeal tt
10 the conscience and hearts of men
when every heart-throb for humanit
has died out Of IT, when its ears hav
become deaf and its eyes blind t
human suffering, when it has becom
dumb In the cause Iof human liberty
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