The herald-advance. (Milbank, S.D.) 1890-1922, 1904-09-16

the institution Of human slavery and to
.xtend 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 aud.
courage, like Thomas II. Benton. left
it. The significance OF this period is the
illustration it gives Of the disastrous re-
suits OF a betrayal Of principles. to the
morals, honor aud usefulness Of a party.
The people have not trusted the Demo-
cratic party since, except during the two
brief nightmares OF the Cleveland al
illustrations.
Party's 81 amsfu Record.
Founded on the wrong side Of moral
ana political ethics. il spent the first
sixty years OF its existence along the
lines OF self-aggranaizement and narrow
partisan legislation. While PROGRESSING
in its platforms to BE- the friend of the
masses. it persisteniy 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 70 the
people. 1t voted against cheap postage,
the Homestead law. and the Resumption
or Specie Payment. Claiming to be III
favor Of q higher standard OF living for
the workingman, it enacted free-traie
measures which sent him into inIe.iilite,
enforced idleness. and reduced him and
his family to the level of the patIper
labor Of Europe. Processing the utmost
patriotism. it gave all possible ala 70
the rebellion.
Some Companions.
Contrasted with the grand Old Rppub-
lican party: the one abolished slavery,
the other upheld it to the last: the one
| 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 expedient to stultify the re-
public and avoid tie 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-
fcrmance are as notorious as ever. They
show the lack Of ideas, or purpose, but
abound in hypocritical dogmas and
1atulent pretenses. 1t has reversed
itself on almost every important Ma
tional measure and brought upon itself
the ridicule OF right-thinking people,
Apropos Of this deplora BILE condition in
the party, "Mr. Dooley" proposed the
following want ad., a little while before
the st. Louis convention:
"WANTED-A good, active. energetic
Dimmycrat, sthrong iv lung an limb;
must be in favor iv sound money, but not
teo sound: an anttimpeeryalist, but fr
/ holdin' onto what we've got; an inimy Of
thrusts, but a friend iv organized capital;
a sympathizer with tn crushed an down
throdden people, but not be amy means
hostile to vested inthrests; must advocate
sthrikes, gover'mint be Injunction, free sill
yer, sound money, greenbacks, a single
tax. a tariff fr rivinoo, tn CONSTRUCTION
to follow tn flag as far as it can, an no
farther; civil service rayform iv tn la'ads
IN office. an all tn great an gloryous
principles " our great an gIoryous party,
or amy great an gloryous parts thereof.
He must be akelly at home in Wall street
an tn stock yards, in tn pariors iv tn
rrich an tn kitchens Nv tn poor"
CleveIandism and Democracy.
During Cleveland'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 beggars. 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 thai. 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-the oft-defeated, discouraged,
disorganized. disgraced. divided, d~ecrepit
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. f. Kisor, of
the Nebraska Independent, who puts
these words in Bryan's mouth as regards
Parker and his party:
"Bryan's Po,ition.
Friends and countrymen, let's trust him
Though he's not Il man to trust
Let's endeavor to elect him,
Though his cause Is far from Just,
l have put away all rancor
As l promised them | would,