The Mitchell capital. (Mitchell, Dakota [S.D.]) 1879-1918, 1904-09-16

slave-holder in his efforts to perpetuate
the institution of human slavery and to
extend slave labor at'the expense of free
labor. The sacrifice OF principle neces-
stated by this relationship led to rapid
decay. The party ceased to produce
great leaders. Men of conscience and
courage, like Thomas Fl. Benton, left
1t. The Significance OF this period is the
illustration it gives of the disastrous re-
suits of a betrayal of principles, to the
morals, honor and usefulness of a party.
The people have not trusted the Demo
cratic party since. except during the two
brief Nightmares of the Cleveland ad-
ministrations.
Party's Shameful Record.
Founded on the wrong side of moral
ana political ethics. it spent the first
sixty years OF it's existence along the
lines of self-aggrandizement and narrow
partisan legislation. While processing
in its platforms to be the friend Of the
masses, it persistenly enacted laws
which bound them to penury and dis
tress. While publicly advocating a
broad, intelligent citizenship, it voted
AGAINST individual freedom. While beat
ing the tom-toms for prosperity to the
people. 1T voted against cheap postage,
the Homestead law, and the Resumption
OF Specie Payment. Claiming to be in
favor of a higher standard of living for
the workingman, it enacted frcc-trade
measures which sent him into indefinite,
enforced idleness. and reduced him and
nus family to the level of the pauper
labor of Europe. Processing the utmost
patriotism. it gave all possible aid 10
the rebeliion.
Some Com
Contrastea with the grand old Repub-
'lcan party: the one abolished slavery,
the other upheld it to the last: the ose
put down the rebellion, the other sup
ported the rebellion; the one preserved
the National faith and credit, and paid
the National debt. the other tried every
scheme and eNpedient to %stultify the re-
public and avoid the debt; the one pre-
served the standard of value unchanged,
the other sought to tamper with it and
destroy it.
Gets Worse Instead of Better.
The professions and promises of the
Democratic party. during the past forty
three years, and the absence of all per-
lcrmance are as notorious as ever. They
show the lack OF ideas, or purpose, but
abound in hypocritical dogmas and
flatulent prctenscs. 1t has Reversed
itself on almost every important Ma
tlonal measure and brought upon itself
the ridicule of r~ight-thinking people.
Apropos of this deplorable condition in
the party. MIR. Dooley' proposed the
following want adj, a little while bcfnrn
the st. Louis convention:
"WANTED-A good. active, e%nergcti
Dimmycrat, sthrong iv lung an lint,
must be in favor Nv sound money, but no.
TOO sound; an anti-impccryalist, hut ~
hoidin' onto what we've got; an inimy OF
thrusts, but a friend iv organized capital
n syInpathizer with tn crushed an' down
throdden people, but not be amy means
sthrlkcs. sover'mint be injunction, free sil-
Yer, sound money, grccnbncks, n single
tan. a tariff fr rivinoo, tn CONSTRUCTION
to follow III, Tag as far as it can, an no
IN Office, an all tn great an ~gloryous
principles Nv our great an sioryous party,
or amy sr-reat an s%loryous parts thereof.
an tn stock yards, in III parlorS iy TIL
rrich an tn kitchens iv tn poor
ClevcIaudisn and Democracy.
During Clevelaud'S administration our
National debt increased a half million
dollars a day in the face of the party's
promise of better times. Each day we
lost half a million dollars in foreign
trade, During that administration the
value of farm products decreased more
than five hundred million dollars. Dis
trust and panic paralyZed the great in.
dustrial system of the country. Banks
closed their doors; business houses as
signed; the balance of trade was against
us: capital withdrew from the fields of
legitimate enterprise into secret places;
labor was forced into unwilling idleness;
we had deserted mills, smokeless facto-
ries. silent machinery. We had tramps
and bcggars, industrial armies, starving
women and children. Two million able
bodied men were begging for work
the opportunity to earn bread for their
starving families.
Unworthy of Existence.
This happened during the administra
ton of the Democratic party which dur
ing fifty years has added nothing to
progress, nothing to the cause of liberty,
nothing to freedom. nothing to the glory
of our common country. This is the
party that, no matter what it promises.
always goes into partnership with calam-
ity. 1t feeds on disaster and fattens on
despair. The only time it has had con-
troll of this country during this gener-
alton. it shut the doors of industry and
clothed labor in rags. 1t fought under
the dishonored banner of free silver, it
opposed keeping our flag IN the Orient,
and advocated that it be lowered in
retreat and trailed in the dust of dis.
honor. Such is a part of the record of
the party of calamity. professions and
promises-thc oft-defeated, discouraged,
~disorsanized. disgraced. divided. decrepit
old Democratic party. 1t stands to-day
without an issue, without a principle,
without a policy, without a platform,
without a leader and without hope.
In closing we quote S. r. Kisor, of
the Nebraska In%dependent. who nuts