The Cairo bulletin., 1904-02-13
Speech Of Secretary Shaw,

llal SeaTcn lOf an issue. III was up'
propriate then, and the same subject
is appropriate now. Quadrennally
since can remember, the Democratic
party has searched, not alawys wisely
lut ever diligently, for an issue on
which campaign might be won,
While It has been prolific of measures
or rctarding commerce and checking
he well-nigh Irresistible impulse o!
he American people for growth and
development and for antagonizing
such events as tend to increase our In
ternational influence. never. in m,
recollection. has 1t sought to formulate
wise, progressive policy.
Speaking of the party, and not OF
is members, | venture this explain
ation of the sad, discouraging and re
yrettablc record of its past. Polltica
converts can not be secured by preach
Ing a gospel of despair. The Amcri
can child Is born Of expectant parents
nc is rocked in cradle of hope ,hc Is
educated in school OF inspiration
and, unless politically mislcd, he will
cast an optimistic ballot.
have been reading with some In
tercst the recent speeches made at
Democratic dinners and on the floor OF
congress, and from them have sough'
10 discover. Is possible, the probable
battle cry of the forthcoming nationa'
campaign. In prosecuting this search
know no better process than that Of
elimination. Eliminate the impossible
from the somewhat Heterogeneous
mass and the residue, will continue the
object OF our search.
No phase CT the money question car
become the paramount issue In the
campaign of 1874 The gold standard
has been established. and the last re
port OF the secretary of the treasur,
officially interprets teh act OF March
IA. 1870, as authorizing the redemption
of silver dollars and silver certificates
in gold, whenever In the opinion OF
the secretary, such course Is ne3es.
sary for the maintenance OF parity be
tween all forms of money coined or Is
sued by the United States government
4 On this rock our financial interests sc
curely rest, and in thta law the conf
lence OF the American people trusting
ly reposes.
Neither can the campaign Of 1901 be
fought upon any issue growing out o.
our recent war with Spain. Imperial
ism. which was sounded by the Demo
/ cratic party as a note of warning and
alarm in 1901. has been silenced as ef
rectually as 1t was silenced in 1868 am
! 1872.
Neither can the Forthcoming cam
paign be fought upon any phase OF th'
question. ON March ,, 1922 a Demo
cratic committee appointed by Dem
! ocratic congress made It's report clos
ing with these words: Owing t
present differences Of opinion betweei
the members Of this committee. w
!
| limit this report to submitting to tht
/ careful consideration of subsequent
congresses the facts shown by thu
testimony take before your commit
| tee" From that time until now n,
original specific legislation on the sub
| iect has been passed by Democratic
congress or recommended by Demo
cratic president, and few important
prosecutions against alleged trust;
have been instituted by Democrati,
attorneys-general All that has beer
done on the subject, except the pro
mitigation Of Democratic party plat
forms, has been the result Of Republ
san craftsmanship; and all importan'
suits for the enforcement Of the Law
have been brought by direction o
Republican executives.
II will be somewhat difficult 10 get
an issue out of the tariff The las
Democratic victory was achieved upor
the declaration that the Federal gov
ernment has no constitutional powe'
TO impose and collect tariff duties ex
cept for purposes OF revenue Onl.
Not content with denouncing the pro
tectlve policy as economically unwise
they went to the limit and declared
the principle unconstitutional. Tha
platform will never be reaffirmed. The
Chicago platform and the Kansas Git,
platform, perchance, may be reiter
ated, but the Democratic party vii
never again refer to its utterances II
the year 1892.
Tho only other possible issue that
can he carved from the tariff Is ths
proposition that our present protec
tive policy shelter trusts and monop
olies. Our political opponents have
rung the changes on this so long. and
recommended the removal of duties
from trust made goods until the trusts
are destroyed with such continued We
hemeuce that a rcaffimation of thei
nnsiLian can scarcnlY ha mahn th.