The herald-advance. (Milbank, S.D.) 1890-1922, 1904-10-14
ATTITUDE OF PARTIES
POSITIONS OF REPUBLICANS
AND DEMOCRATS.
The Former Stand for Certain Fun
damental Ideas, While the Latter
Are Content to Oppose Everything
offered by Their Rivals.

1t is a common thing to hear it said
that there is little difference in this cam
paign between the position of the Re
publican and the Democratic parties. and
that some people do not much care which
wins. Never was a more radical mis-
take made. There is a wide gulf be
tween the stand of the two parties.
Gulf? No; oceans separate the out.
posts of each from the other.
The Republican party is planted solid
~ upon certain fundamental ideas. and
the actual working out Of those ideas
forms the main rock of its support. 1t
is a com animation of men who believe III
action. led by a man of reslstless ener-
gy. During the last half century the
Republican party has held together the
American Union and made 1t Il nation,
1t has abolished slavery forever from
our shores. 1t has, through the protcr'
tive tariff and other measures. built n
national and individual prosperity. Ii
has, in very recent years. caused th'
American nation to be respected through
out the world as a first-class power.
debating. to-day. a policy of justice anG
fair dealing in international affairs, IL
Europe. Asia and the islands of the
seas. 1t has fought out the fight for
the gold standard. putting the nation on
a sound financial footing with the rest
of the world. 1t stands. now, for hn-
man freedom, equal Justice to all. equaI
opportunities to all, without regard to
race, creed or color. 1t Stands for pros,
perity at home and recognition abroad,
for honest money. for national credit, for
practical works of internal Improvement.
1t has initiated the digging OF the Pan
anna Canal. 1t has begun the lrrlga
tom of the arid regions of the West.
1t has inaugurated an era Of education,
of sanitary reform, of civil and religious
liberty in the new American posses
sions in the Atlantic and Pacific. The
Republican party is Il panty Of work
1T does things! 1t is alive. progressive.
virile and practical. 1t is, in its very
nature. constructive. 1t is a living,
growing force. because it is made up OF
the men of the nation who possess the
power of taking the initiative in al.
forms of activity.
What About the >sition!
And what about the Democratic party,
che party which some people are saying.
is not far different, at present, from its
rival?
What has the Democratic party sail
or done during the last half century:
1t has simply laid its ears back and
kicked! 1t has been the leaden lump
70 lift in all great enterprises under
taken by the country from 1860 on to
the present moment of time. 1t opposed
the war for the Enion with all it,
strength. In 1864 its National Conven-
1ion declared THE WAR A FAIL
URE:" 1t opposed. with heart and soul.
the freeing of the slaves. The district
in which slavery lourished is still Dem
ocratic-a "Solid South" II opposed the
protective tariff. and opposes L still. 1t
adopted the wild craze for free silver
and has never repudiated or disowned
its doctrines Of 1896 and 1900 1t held
back the Panama Canal and would have
defeated its beginning if it had been
able to do so. 1t has discouraged a prac-
teal and humane administration of af-
fairs in the Philippines. 1t has, at all
times. everywhere and anywhere. been
wrong. With a certainty which is mar
yelous it takes the wrong side of every
public question.
And now. after the heat and burden Of
work borne by it's opponent. this party
of ignorance. laziness, representation
and disaster asks to be given the reins of
national power! 1t claims for itself con-
sideration on the ground of perpetual
fault-inding with things as they are
and as they ought to be.
How can any sane man say that the
difference between the two great parties
rs not great! One means health, brains,
heart, work, the solving of hard prob
lens. the assisting of the heavily bur-
dened, the holding of a great strong
nation to it's grand purpose in the bet
tering of mankind. The other means
standing still, looking backward, and GO
ing backward. for man or nation standing
still is bound to ~retrograde.
There must be something in the air
which dulls perception when men can
say that they find little difference this
year between the two great political
parties. Fatness and prosperity ha We
caused some people to lose quick psrcep-
ton and judgment. There would be a
rude awakening for them il the Demo
Gratis should win the November cleo
tions. The chances are much against
any such catastrophe for the sleepy
brethren who don't much care" 1t is
. curious phenomenon, however, the fact
of their existence.