The Bolivar bulletin. (Bolivar, Tenn.) 1888-1946, 1904-07-15

willing to be educated. They say
that while population was increasing
some, there was never any steady,
advancing general increase until the
Republicans came into power.
When attention is called to the
economic, industrial and administra-
tive vices resulting from their in
competency, they say that after all
there are some things which the
all-wise Providence insists upon
doing without giving any par
ticular reason for it. So, on the
whole. we may conclude that what
ever the Lord does 10 administering
this good universe that turns out to
be good they credit to themselves
and whatever the Republicans do in
administering the Government turns
out bad they charge up to the Lord.
"Gentlemen of the Convention,
beyond the exciting passions of war
and distracting panics of peace; $be
yond the reach of disastrous dread
appeal and the dead past's dying
wall, we meet in the clear and
rational call of seasoned common
sense, to reason together for the
we'll being of our country and our
party. No man here can have his
exact way. No leader can take us
along the narrow ledge of his un-
questioned logic. No section
should swerve US from the course
that leads to union and fellowship.
No faction can divide US into weak
ened parts and leave us on the field of
battle in front of the enemy. No
man is greater than his party, and
no party is greater than it's princi-
pies. There is no principle. which
does not rest upon a condition and
there is no condition which may not
change. There is no creed set
down in black and white to which
we are forever strapped, as to a
corpse. There is no platform which
can last forever unless it be made
of abstract things incapable of dem
onstration. The world is moving
in it's course and every dreaIy de-
tail of its toll works out some
mighty change. Civilization is
night and day working with the
tcountless hands and its influence
runs ahead to where we cannot see
or hear.
A political party is an agency 10
the hands of these material and
multiplied forces, and if it ceases
to interpret events with Intelligence,
it will be deserted. The recent
past is filed with a record of our
disagreements. Many of US would
change that past if it were within
our power-most of us would not
but, whether we would or not, the
point is it is past. If we intend
to settle here the question as to who
was right and~who was wrong, then
we are freedomed 10 failure. For
if we did not settle it then, how can
we succeed now? If you tell me i
was wrong and l tell you you were
wrong, and we halt there to thrash
it out, that is the end But if you
tell me, right or wrong, we meet
again, after a short, sharp separa-
ton, at the Democratic altar, and
that we must clasp hands in a nat
ural alliance of Democratic faith
and find some common ground on
which we each may stand with hon
or, | say it does not matter who
was wrong, the point is we are to-
gether again. The science of sensi-
BILE government is founded on COM
promise. The integrity of party
existence rests OH the homely rule
of meeting each other half way. A
platform is not photograph of par
ty faith-it is composite sketch of
party compromise. A policy is an
approximation, not a'precise plan.
1t is better to give up some untime-
ly doctrine and occasionlY succeed,
than to hold them all faithfully and
always fail, for if we could become
master of few things we might
become ruler of many. To plan
success in disregard of principle
is mere intrigue; to plan failure by
HOIuihS " OH Outid w GU iSouO hiCi z
folly. Winning is not wicked;
strategy Is not a sin. 1t is far bet
ter for the country to relight the
fires of Democratic hope by success
coming from concession than it is to
put out what is left by failure fasten-
ed to a formula.
Gentleman of the convention we
come together in the historic val
ley of the Mississippi at time
when amounted millions are making
a patriotic pilgrimage to shrine
erected by Democratic wisdom and
foresight. Surely as you gather
here, with the present breaking
upon your enraptured vision and
the past filling your heart with
songs of praise; surely as you con-
template the commonwealth filled
with happy homes that stretch out
in bewildering succession to the
Southern seas, and recall with un-
affected pride that your party gave
this kingdom of wealth and courage
to the worlds advancing reach;
surely here, close to the quickened
pulse of the great Southwestern
giant as he comes to strike hands
across the year with the spirit of
the Old Dominion; here, swept by
the thrillino and pnnoblinO mamo