The Montgomery advertiser., 1904-07-07
HYPOCRISY OF THE
 REPUBLICANS BARED
Speech of Elihu Root at Ch.- cagO is Torn to TatterS.
The Issues of the Past Are Left to the Past, and the Mlssissippinn Calls On the Convention to Meet the
 Questions of the Present .. SQuarely and Sanely.

St. Louis, July 6.-The following IS the speech of John Sharpe Williams temporary chairman of the Democratic National Convention:
 This Is an appropriate place and time for the Democratic convention The place is St. Louis, the chief city of the most populous State carved out of the Louisiana Territory carved out by the father of Democracy. This time is the centennial anniversary celebra- sion of the acquisition of that terri tory, a vast area of contiguous terri tory, whose possession was necessary for self defence and which was fitted in climate and soil for home making by the sons and daughters of the re- public-the anniversary of real and not pseudo expansion-an expansion of our population. our industrial life. and our free institutions, over unin- habited lands. or lands sparsely set tied by savages. whose tribal inde- pendence we recognized by trading with them. or settled in spots by white men easily and willingly assimilated; i; not O so-called expansion by mere su- perimposed 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 a State and the acquisition from Mexico of a mag nificent far West fit to be made States of the Union and governed under the Constitution.
 The most important quadrenntal event in the world is the election by the American people of their chief ex- ecutive. Before the great elevation takes place at which all men are sup posed to arrived choice by ways of honesty and intelligence-would to God they did-at least two minor cleo tions of different character are held. \ There have always been two great par ties, which, since the first national po- litical conventions have elected dele gates to conventions for the purpose of selecting a candidate and promul- gating a platform. One of these parties has gone through its party election of delegates, has selected a candidate and announced a platform. It was one of the quietest and most unanimous" occasions that the Muses of History have recorded. Everything seemed to have been fixed beforehand. There are some conveniences about conven- tion of that sort. One of them is that the temporary chairman knows six or nine months beforehand that he is going to be temporary chairman. He also knows what he Is wanted to say compared with what he wants to say. I could appreciate that, l assure you. The permanent chairman also knows what Is expected of him for half year beforehand. The platform com mittee's ready written report, no dis cussion about it. and Is perhaps revis- ed by the candidate himself, who has also been agreed upon.
 Mir. Roots Speech.
 The address of the temporary chair man of the Republican National Con- vention was, in one sense. historical. It dealt much In history at any rate. most of 1t ancient history, and a great deal of 1t bad history. There was a labor ed argument to prove that the party of Roosevelt must, by something like evolutionary process, act as the party of Lincoln and Mckinley This is necessary in order to disguise the palpable fact that it is not % acting. Not without reason then. this labored argument by this great and ingenious lawyer. It was to draw away attention from Rooseveltism and its volcanic eruptive and reckless char acter, by dwelling upon the fact .-4at, at some period of its history. the Republican party has been "a party which did things, and did them safe ly." The orator hoped to have the country lose sight of the fact that it IS now Tn both or its legislative branches a party of passivity, of non- action. of obstruction to reform and progress, In a word, party whose only sacred precept is the shiboleth which maketh them known, one of them to the other; a shiboleth drawn from the gamblers table; stand pat. a precept born of cowardice and fear to move.
 shall not pay undue attention to the temporary chairman of the Repub- 1ican Convention. After interrogating in the light of reason a few utter nnces, l shall pass on to the author itative voice of his party which is it's platform, for proof of the fact thar MT. Root knew how to pay a debt. The country has not yet forgotten when MT. Roosevelt paid a glowing tribute to his cabinet which wound up with the sentiment And the greatest of these is Root" But let me read first what the President did say of tb. junior member of that mutual acmira- tion society. I find in the American Review of Reviews from the pen of Walter Wellman: Ordinarily the President of the United States is not to be interviewed. But there are ex- captions to all rules. When l asked President Roosevelt for an expression of his opinion of the character and GuDllc SerNlCeS or flnu Root, who within a few weeks is to retire from the Secretaryship of War. the President replied: T am very glad to do that In John Hay I have a great Secretary of State. In Philander Knox I have a great Attorney General In other cabinet posts l have great men. Elihu Root could take any of those places and fill it as well as the man who is now there. And in addition he is what probably none of those gentlemen could be a great Secretary of War. Elihu Root Is the ablest man l have known in our governmental service. I will go further. He is the greatest ma that has appeared in the public life of any country. in any position. on either side of the ocean, in my time"
 Well what of 1t? have never heard that Secretary Root has denied the soft praise in deed" Yes. And what praise in return could be adequate in repayment? In this wonderful mutual admiration so- ciety of "me, too, Teddy, and me. too. Eihu" Is the return rhapsody of Mir. Roots peroration at all extraVagant considered from the standpoint of re- payment of course.
 Root Tweed's Defender.
 Is it any wonder that he was the man selected by the candidate to lay it on strong?" a man of ability. too, Mr Root. He had dAfanhAd Twaed