Oxford eagle. (Oxford, Lafayette Co., Miss.) 1876-current, 1904-08-25

Henry Gassaway Davis, democratic
nominee for vice president of the Unitea
States, on August u was notified OF the
honor conferred upon him b. The party
at White Sulphur Springs, w Va, by the
committee appointed by the St. LOUIS
convention. Hon. John Sharp VIZ
liams. democratic house leader, dellv7
cred tlieasaiifieai tin speech which was
an outburst of historical and political
sarcasm unique in campaign oratory.
Opposition critics pronounce 1t one Of
the strongest arguments ever made.
Among the salient features Of Mr.. Wiz
liams' talk the following appear to be
the most interesting:
''As soon as | learned that was TO be
the mouthpiece Of the committee for the
performance of this pleasant task be-
gan TO look about me in order TO see
how the duty had been performed by
Others. | found that for a notification
speech historical essay is altogether
I the proper thing, absolutely necessary
+ for the emergency. We shall therefore
entitle our notification address:
Brief Historical DisQuisition Upon
Some of the Blunders of Our Ancestors
3as Viewed from the Standpoint of the
Wisdom of Republican Statesmen Who
Have Embraced the Strenuous Life
the first OF these consisted in dis
terminating against the red man-oE
account of the race and color and previ-
g Gus con6ition, supposed incapacities, OF
Sylfieh his color was but the outward
5Sien Be that claim pretense or sim
5cerity. We found, to our astonishment,
thai the door of opportunity and hope
iSthe way of office-holding and voting
4 had been closed to, 10! the poor Indian.
! This first violation in America of the
divine right of manhood suffrage and
{ of the cherished fundamental dogma
that all men of all races are equally
|capacitated to govern themselves, and
. Especially TO govern others, has doubt
less been the Iliad of all our woes
Plainly. it was what the Boston Tran
&script so eloquently calls 'colorphobta
f'The next great blunder in our early
history consisted in taking up arms
against King George and his forces,
when the latter were actuated. as they
themselves confessed. only by the kind
est designs of 'beneyolently assimilat-
ling to themselves our sources and our
opportunities.
Talks of Increased knowledge.
I'VE know, now, of course, that all
<Our ancestors talk about 'inalienable
rights of self-government no taxation
without representation habeas corpus
land right of trial by jury, freedom of
the press, freedom of speech and free
dom of assembly were only a pretext
resorted TO by ranting insurgents in
Ebrder TO throw off the 'civilizing influ-
|ences' of the best government which the
world had that far witnessed.
n Coming on down the current of time
Ezge found another period Of popular
that is incomprehensible to
bis of a wiser generation. in view of some
8enlightening facts in our recent history.
/Some men in the troublesome little
kown of Boston, masquerading as lndi-
ans. seized and threw into the sea GER
tain cases of tea belonging to certain
merchants of the East India company.
[The consequence was that the entire
&population of Boston. men, women and
children, observers of the law as well
as law-breakers, were punished and the
Boston port bill was passed, thus in a
fashion royalty communicating the
little town. commercially and indus
{rially. Our ancestors could not be
oluieted. but got worse and worse, until
=, Ia -, fI,,
sh result of resurrection and a free
Ind independent American govern
nent.
The Loss of Free Trade.
The next great historical bInder, in
pite of which. strange to say, We have,
Is cannot too often repeat, prospered
light along in every stepof our history,
18th now and then a temporary drop
pack. was the immolation of our an
estors of the nations industriaiism
pom the altar of free trade within that
ommon domain. notwithstanding al
eady existing state lines furnished con-
enient place, opportunity and tempta-
ion 10 establish customhouses.
"Another error of our srandfathers IL
Connection with our foreign affairs has
ONE over me lately with weighing
own emphasis. George Washington
houeht that our wisest and best and
most patriotic foreign policy consisted
n amicable relations with all the other
ations of the world and entangling
lliances with none of them.
I'VE know now, from our fellow citi-
Heu in the white house. that the peoples
yho may expect our tolerance and
riendship are those who maintain or
or and prosperity those who govern
themselves well. those who pa& their
nancial obligations and that il may
3ccome "a duty which we cannot ignore.
srtainlv in the western hemisphere
!, 3ntervene' in some way, more or
AsS indefinite. in the domestic affairs
fhose who 90 not 60 all these things
mr. behave with decency in political
industrial matters whatever in the
,orla that may mean. but who, by the
mission of the doing of all these things.
Il 1oosen the ties which bind together
xilized society which ties. of course
od has appointed us his mundane
kcegerent mechanics TO tighten up
gain.
Turns Guns on Roosevelt.
eSyhat a queer, old-time, childishidea
as that of our ancestors, that the
Resident of the United States is simply
ehief executive and that his duty con-
lists in executing the laws as they are
.t+tan I need mt fell Won sir that If