Barbour County index. [volume] (Medicine Lodge, Kan.) 1880-current, 1904-07-20

Hon. John Sharp Williams, temporary
chairman of the democratic national
convention, in one of the longest and
most effective speeches ever delivered
before such a body, tore the claims Of
the republican prosperity makers to
pieces in mastery way. Among some
of his leading points were the following:
This is an appropriate place and time
for democratic convention.
The place is st. Louis, the chief city
of the most populous state carved out
of the Louisiana territory acquired by
the father of democracy. The time is
the centennial anniversary celebration
of the acquisition of that territory, a
vast area of contiguous territory whose
possession was necessary for self-de-
Tense and which was fitted in climate and
soil for homemaking by the sons and
daughters of the republic-the ami
versary of real and not pseudo expansion
an expansion of our population, our
industrial life, and our free institutions,
over uninhabited lands, or lands sparse
ly settled by savages, whose tribal in
dependence. we recognized by treating
with them, or settled in spots by white
men easily and willingly assimilated;
not a so-called expansion by mere
superimposed force of our flag and our
military authority. The democratic
party afterwards guided the country to
further expansion of this real, free
character in the acquisition of Florida,
the admission of Texas as state and the
acquisition from Mexico of magnificent
far west fit to be made states in the union
and governed under the constitution.
The most important quadrennial
American people of their chief eXecu-
tive. Before the great election takes
place, at which all men are supposed
to arrive at a choice by ways of hon
esty and intelligence-would to God
they did-at least two minor elections
of a different character are held. There
have always been two great parties
which, since the first national political
conventions, have elected delegates to
conventions for the purpose of select
ing a candidate and promulgating a
platform. One of these parties has gone
through it's party election of delegates,
has selected a candidate and announced
a platform. 1t was one of the quietest
and most unanimous" occasions that
the muses. of history have recorded.
Everything seemed to have been fixed
beforehand.
The address of the temporary chair
man of the republican national conven-
ton was, in one sense, historical. 1t
dealt much in history at any rate, most
of it ancient history and a great deal
of it bad history. There was labored
argument to prove that the party OF
Roosevelt must, by something like evo-
lutionary process, act as the party OF
Lincoln and Mckinley. This was neces-
sary in order to disguise the palpable
fact that it is not so acting. Not with
out reason then this labored argument
by this great and ingenious lawyer. II
was to draw away attention from
Rooseveltism and it's volcanic, eruptive
and reckless character, by dwelling
upon the fact that, at some period Of
its history, the republican party has
been "a party which did things" and
did them safely The orator hoped &c
have the country lose sight of the fact
that it is now in both of it's legislative
branches a party of passivity, of non
action, of obstruction to reform and
progress, in word party whose only
sacred precept is the shibboleth which
maketh them known, one of them to
the other, shibboleth drawn from the
gamblers table. stand pat" a precept
born of cowardice and fear to move
have heard that in October, 1902, Mr.
Root made political speech in Cooper
Union, New York, in which he used this
language:
IF tariff law has on the whole
worked well, and if business has pros
pered under it and is prospecting, it is
better to endure some slight inconven-
fences and inequalities for time thar
to incur the uncertainty and disturbance
OF business which necessarily results
from the process of making changes
The mere fact that a different rate o.
duty would be better than the rate fixed
In statute does not settle the question
whether the change should be made nov
or should be deferred Every tariff
deals with duties on a vast number q
articles and involves a vast number O.
interests often conflicting and whenever
the law is taken up by congress for. con
sideratioh with reference to one chang,
every schedule in that law is going Il
find some one urging change in tha
schedule; and all the business interest,
of the country are going to be left dur
ing long continued discussion in ,
state of uncertainty as to what will b,
the outcome of duties upon the thing
they are producing, and therefore in un
certainty as to what competition from
abroad they will be obliged to meet
And l have heard that the president i,
his political tour through the west !,
the spring of 1908, made a speecb !,
which he used this language: IF a tar
i'll law has on the whole worked well
and if business has prospered under !
and is prospecting, it may be better r