The San Juan islander. [volume] (Friday Harbor, Wash.) 1898-1914, 1904-11-05
CUSHMAN ON THE
ARTOFPATCHWORK
HIS BRIEF AND HEARTFELT TRI-
Butte TO DEMOCRACY
AT Cleveland, Ohio, He Tells How
Grover Cleveland's Admininstra-
ton Revived and Fostered the
"Lost Art of Needlework.

Congressman Francis w. Cush-
man, of the state of Washington, in
his speech at Gray's armory last
Saturday night, says the Cleveland,
Ohio, Leader, developed an unex-
pected incident into a very amusing
and telling bit of campaign oratory.
Mr.. Cushman was under a full head
OF steam in his Republican speech,
when he said:
Now, my countrymen, l want to
call your attention to one of the de-
claratiOns of the Democratic plat
form. Searching in his pockets.)
Where is that platform? (Continu-
ing to search in all his pockets, he
finally discovers it in his hip pocket.)
Oh, yes, here it is. Strange that I
didn't know enough to look for it in
that pocket in the first placel
Uaughter.) That is unquestionably
the proper place for every man to
carry a Democratic platform-as
near as possible to the patch on the
seat of the American trousers! Re-
newed laughter.)
There is such an intimate rela-
tion, and l might say such close
companionship between the declara-
tions of Democratic platform and
the patches on the American poste-
rior, and the one merges so grace
fully into the other, that it is difficult
to tell just where the platform leaves
off and the patch beginsl Great
laughter).
'Mr. Chairman, I had no thought
or intention of producing all this
merriment by merely reciting a few
patches from American history!
Perhaps in the heat of debate tonight
l may have said some unkind things
of the Democratic party. If so, l
want, in the fullness of my heart, to
atone for it now, by freely admitting
that the last disastrous administra-
tion of Grover Cleveland depressed
all American manhood; but L believe
that that same administrat tiOn raised
and exalted the standard of all Amer
lean womanhood, It is true that the
American woman was just as delight
full before Mr.. Cleveland went into
power, but not as practical as she
became afterwards. In those days
many of those good, old-fashioned and
practical attributes of American
womanhood had fallen into disuse and
decay. In those days many an Amer
lean woman didn't understand prac-
tical needlework at all, but in the
next four years there was greater
advance in that peculiar and practi-
crl kind of needlework than in all the
years of our national history before.
Gaughter.) No tariff in all Ameri-
can history ever boosted any Ian
gushing industry with anything like
the tremendous impetus that Cleve-
lands free trade administration gave
to the lost art of American needle
work. Uaughter.) In those good
old days l myself was a living, moving
monument of woman's most noble
handiwork. / looked like the rein
carnation of Joseph's coat. But
whenever I walked down the street
in those days no one except my wife
and my mother could tell from my
outward appearance whether | was
going or coming. Great laughter.)
'sBut all of you can tell now that
was coming, because in the very next
campaign l arrived with a Republi-
can majority and a new suit OF
clothes at exactly the same timeI
(Renewed laughter.) With this brief
and heartfelt tribute to Democracy
will now pass on to live subjects and
living issues. "
All DoouhJ;oous who desire tn vote