The Springfield herald., 1904-11-04
Great Issues at Stake, but
There Has Been No Fever
ish Excitement.
MINDS OF VOTERS MADE UP
Present Conditions Are Satisfactory,
and the People Will Elect Fair.
banks and Roosevelt and
Republican Congress.

The Presidential campaign which is
Just closing has some unique features.
There has been, from first to last, an
absence of spectacular features. The
unusual feverish excitement. the election
year collapse of business. the general
uncertainty and anxiety which used to
characterize n national campaign are
lacking this year. Yet the issues at
stake, with choice to he made between
the two great parties, are tremendous.
The cause of the general calm. the
even carrying on of business. the alb
scnce of public excitement. is not the
far-famed APATHY" of which so much
ia said just now. The people are not
apathetic. They are only satisfied. They
have what they want they have made
up their minds to keep it.. and they
know they are amply able to keep it
by casting their votes on election day.
Republican rule, Republican work. Re
publican prosperity, peace and justice.
that is what the people of the United
States have, and that is what they are
determined to keep. by the election Of
Roosevelt and Fairbanks, and lhpubli-
can Congress.
The two great national parties stand
for the two kinds of people into which.
broadly speaking. the whole complicated
mass of human beings may he divided
The people who work, the people who
live each day for the best that day af-
fords, the people who accomplish things,
these are naturally and inevitably Re
publicans. The other kind of people. the
loOkers-on. the critics. the fault-fnders.
the promisers of great things and doers
of nothing, these make up the Demo-
cratic party.
The Republican party acts. The Dem
ocratic party protests.
Policies of the Party.
This programme of the two parties,
carried out for many years, has never
been so clearly shown as during the dis
cussion of national affairs which has
been going on this year. The Republ-
can party came before the country.
through President Roosevelt, to give an
account of its stewardship from the day
when President Mckinley took the chair
of Chief Executive in 1897. The first
four years of the administration of Presi-
dent Mckinley must be considered in
connection with the last four years of
Mckinley and Roosevelt. for the carry
ing out of Republican policy under Re-
publican principles during those years
is the basis upon which Republicans ask
for another term of power.
The Republican platform and Presi-
dent Roosevelt's speech and letter of ac-
ceptance show how closely the Republic
can party sticks to the practical work
of the present, how well it knows what
the people want and how surely it is
planning and moving to carry out the
desires of the people. Upon the money
question the party occupies the same
ground where it stood, under attack, in
1896 and 1900.
In its internal policy it stands for pro-
lection. the irrigation of arid lands, the
construction of the Panama canal. the
regulation of Illegal trusts that run coun-
ter to the Interstate commerce laws. the
payment of just pensions to disabled.
honoraby discharged veterans of the
War for the Union, and other measures
and ideas familiar TO the people. The
hopes and lnbors of the government have
been to bring the Philippines into close
relations with the American people. to
fit them for self government, and to give
them form of self government so
clearly defined as to its future md so
well set forth that all may see what has
been done since the fortunes and fate of
war threw upon the United States the
direct responsibility for millions of fel-
low-beings in the Asiatic seas. The for
.eign policy is but record of peace and
good will with all the nations of the
earth. Prosperity. industry and hopeful
ness at home. confidence and respect
abroad, such is the brief story of Re
publican rule during the past eight years.
What has the opposition to offer?
Upon the gold standard its platform is
silent Its candidate who voted for
Bryan in 1896 and 1900. now firmly de-
clares his conversion to honest money
doctrines. Bryan is on the stump for
Mr.. Parker, and the mass of Democrats
to-day are for free silver. or any kind
of money that will serve TO call the ig
norant to their standard. Upon all the
questions of government policy and prac
tice the Democrats are as much at sea
as they are upon finance. Their whole
plan of campaign. so far as any plan
has been developed. is the worldwithout-
end scheme of finding fault with every
body and every institution which accom-
plishes things.
Democracy's Weak Protesta.
There nre feeble and more or less in
telligent protests against protection. Not
daring to oppose the Panama canal. the
professors content with protesting
against everything that has been DONE
so far, to make the Panama canal n
real thing. Upon the gigantic trust
evil, which menaces individual prosper
lty, not word of sincerity has been
spoken by Democrat. The efforts of
President Roosevelt to apply the United
States laws to infractions of the In
terstate commerce laws by the trusts,
have been roundly condemned by the
Democratic candidate and his followers,
The payment of disability pensions to
aged veterans of the civil war has been
bitterly resented by the same candidate,
and by his political associates.
,ls>A foreign policy, inaugurated aud