The river press., 1904-10-05


decay. The party ceased to produce
great leaders. Men of conscience and
courage, like Thomas H. Benton, left
it. The significance OF this period is the
Illustration it gives of the disastrous re.
suits of betrayal Of principles, to the
morals, honor and usefulness of party.
Ihe people have not trusted the Demo-
cratic party since, except during the two
brlef Nightmares Of the Cleveland. ad.
ministrations.
Party's shamef full Record.
Founded on the wrong side Of moral
and political ethics, it spent the first
sixty years Of it's existence along the
lines of self-aggrandizement and narrow
partisan legislation. While protesting
i'll its platforms to be the friend of the
masses, it persistenly enacted laws
winch 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. it 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 free-trade
measures which sent him into indefinite.
enforced idleness, and reduced him and
ms family to the level of the palper
labor of Europe. Processing the utmost
patriotism. it gave all possible aid to
the rebellion.
Some Comparisons.
Contrasted with the grand old Repub.
fcan 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 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 2of all per-
itrinance are as notorious as ever. They
show the lack Of ideas, or purpose. but
abound in hypocritical doymns and
tlatulent prctenses It has reversed"
itself on almost every important Na-
tional measure and brought upon itself
the rdicule of right thinking people,
Apropos of this deplorable condition in
the party. MIR. Dooley' proposed the
Following want ;ld., a little while before
he St. Louis conventions:
"WANTED--A good, active. energetic
Dimmyrrat, sthrong iv lung an limb:
must be in favor iv sound money, but not
to" sound: an anti-impcrryalist. but f'r
hGlhin, onto what we've got; an inimy OF
"a, sympathzer with tn crushed an down.
tiroIden people. but not be amy means
hostile to vested inthrests: must advocate
sthrikes. govcrmint be injunction, free sill
tax. q tariff f'r rivinoo. tn const itootioll
to follow TIL flag as far us it can. an no
farther; civil service rayform iv tn Lands
In Office. an all tn gr-rcat an gloryous
principles iv our great an goryous party.
or anny great an gloryous parts thereof.
He must be akelly at home in Wall street
an. Tn stock yards, in tn parlors iy tn
r-rich an tn kitchens iv tn poor"
Cievclaudism and Democracy.
During Clcveland's administration our
National debt increased a half million
dollars day in the face Of the party's
promise of better times. Each day we
lost half million dollars in foreign
trade. During that administration tho
value of farm products decreased more
than five hundred million dollars. Dis
trust and panic paralyzed the great in
Iiustrial 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 heggarS. 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 aumnistra
ton of the Democratic party which dur
inS fifty years has added nothing to
progress, nothing to the cause of liberty,
nothing to freedom. nothing to the glory
Of onr common country. This is the
party that, no matter what it promises.
always goes into partnership with calam-
ity. 1t feeds Oh disaster and fattens on
despair. The only time it has had con-
troll of this country during this yener-
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 III the Orient
and advocated that it be lowered in
retreat and trailed in the dust of dis
honor. Such is Il part Of the record Of
the party of calamity, professions and
promises-the oft-defeated. discourage
disorsanized. disgrace1. divided. dccrepit
old Democratic party. 1t stands to-day
without an issue. without principle
without policy. without platform,
without 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
earker and his party:
"Bryan's Positton.
Friends and cOuntrymen. let's trust him
Though he's not a man to trust
Let's endeavor to elect him.
Though his cause is far from Just:
l have put away all rancOr
AS promised them ] would,
am for the splendid ticket,
Though 1t isn't any good.
'*Let us grid ourselves for battle