The Plymouth tribune. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1901-1911, 1904-04-28

a convention it is their prinpipal business
T. dodge the issues and the candidates they
last had. When they come to write g
be the last thing they adopted. Why, in
100 they did not dare to reaffirm the
platform of 1896 without such complete
mouincati0n as to show they didn't mean 1t.
In 1902 they didn't dare reaffrm the plat
FORM or 1900 In 1904 they Will not dare
reafirm single vital issue contained in
any previous platform they ever adopted
1hey VIII not dare to renominate the only
man they have eyer been able to elect Pres
ident since the civil war. They will not
care renominate the candidate they had
! IN the last two presidential campaigns
AMI they are now engaged In doing their
, MSe b pest TO nnd some one for candidate
been before the people Of this country for
a1 aqafbeG Of century All Its past
adopted them. all its leaders repudiated
by the very. men who nominated them.
some voiceless hero to lead them on to
| victory. From having a candidate who did
nothing but talk. they are. about to nom
Is Parker? Doubtless an upright man and
an honorable gentleman. But what does
he believe? What is his opinion on any
we propose to elevate man to the loftiest
station in the world that has no views on
any of the vital questions he will be called
on at once to deal with? The mere fact
that the Democratic party in sheer des-
| peration, is forced to take him or do worse
is no reason why our people should accept
their reason for so doing. They want a
man without record. They know that, II
Democrat has a record at all, Ii is bad
one. and they are forced to take man
without past: but the country can and
| will be spared that infection.
OUR LEADERS AND OUR PRINCIPLES.
Thank God, we not so impoverished.
| We know what our principles are. We
know what our platform will be- We know
what candidate we will nominate. We are
not engaged in any device Of ''now-you-sce
it-and now ou-don't" with past problems.
! There is not a man in this presence today
who would be willing to change single
| plank in any platform ever adopted by the
Republican party in all the years of its
history. Would you today, as you survey
/ the past. change one line in any platform
J utterance ever made by our party? Is
/ there any man here who would alter one
syllable Of our party's past: Where are
! the platforms Of this organization today
| Search the statute books of the nation
you today with a record Of having given
| the energizing vitality of law to every es-
sential plank in every platform adopted In
| all its history. Would you learn the pro-
gress OF your country in the last fifty
| years? Read the record Of your party and
you will ind it. Her platforms have be an
the fingerboards that pointed the way of
| progress, and Der principles have been the
enduring highway upon which we have
marched. And we are not compelled to
| wait until after our national convention
| meets. as do the Democrats OF Indiana, be-
fore adopting PLATFORM:
What OF our leaders? Who is our leader?
Is he political mummy? Is he an eco
| nomic parrot to mechanically repeat
cient platitudes and exploded formula? Is
he but the echo of a voice long stilled?
spects. unique. He Is bold. manly and
ergetic. They say that he is too impetu-
Gus. / deny It, but il 1t were true, would
rather be lmpetuously right than be dog
gedly wrong. They say that he is too i'm
| pulsve. | deny it. But. even If ii were
true. | would rather ride a spirited horse
| Roadway. than to he booted and spurred
and securely seated upon a hobby-hOrse.
We know where he stands. He has spoken.
he will speak, he can speak for himself.
His record is his defense, If any defense
were needed.
liar stress of conditions Mckinley was the
| idol of the nation. He had been long tried
and rose superior to every trial. The peo-
XII When he was suddenly stricken i down. ike ike
| an eagle In its highest flight. the world
was appalled, and in the darkness the brav
asked on every hand. And then voice
was heard which. though choked with the
| all-prevailing sorrow Of the land. reached
| to the utmost parts of the earth. I'm the
| presence of God and our lamented dead |
promise, so far as in me lies. to faithfully
| execute the policies Of which he has been
the abest exponent and which were the
most cherished ho"es Of his life" Like
| magic confidence was at once restored and
all the mists of doubt dissolved. Has he
| been faithful TO that sacred pledge? He
| might have avoided the ENHANCEMENT of
| reciprocity with Cuba. but Mckinley had
pledged 1t; and though his rtrty was d.
| yided it. he took the stun.D In the very
| heart of the opposition. ana the law today
| graces the statute books of the land. Nc
Kinley's administration started anew the
n.rr .t.H
| executive has gloriously continued it. Soon
Z shall he finished, and the first vessel that
piows through Its placid waters should
| bear, beside our starry flag q broad and
| waving banner upon which should be writ
| ten in letters of gold the name of the cour-
| ageOus man whose wisdom and whose pa
trIotism made possible that GROWING glory
of our day.
He had the courage to settle the coal
strike when it theatened far more than v.
| realize. when thick clouds lowered. an
when they were dark and portentious, IN
when there was more dynamite in faa
question than any other since the civil war
contrary to all precedent. he seized il firru'f
and settled IL right and for the best nteI>
ests of our people and our land. All he
wants Is for all the people to obey the law
cobinatiOns-all obey the law, That Is his
doetrine-this is his creed. and it will
ceive the firm support and unwaYering ed
herence of every lover of his land. Is he
unsafe? He is for all law breakers. He is
for all demagogues He is for all who
| would create dlsSensions in our land.
graduate of Harvard, and vet imbued with
the spirit OF western directness; an author
OF acknowledged merit and cowboy.
man of wealth. bur n firm believer in III:
gospel OF labor and the genius of toll; civ!
service commissioner yet preaching awa,G
practical policies: assistant secretary of the
navy: leader Of the final charge up San
Juan hill: Governor Of the Empire state of
the Union president Of the United States
always meeting the highest expectations Of
his friends and disappointing ever the hopes
pf his enemies; an orator, soldier, states
mamie is safe-and the people will say
that lac Is safe enough for them. and ne
name Of the next president of the United
States will be Theodore Roosevelt
And we have leaders in Indiana. too
able to lead us in any contest. Worthy
min Han rison. Worthy successors, too, to
Hendricks and Mcdonald and voorhees, ann
Turpie. Democrats. it Is true, but Demo-
Gratis who were great when Democracy
meant something: before II had been seized
with the collie of Organism or the paresis of
HearstiSm..
Our senior senator Is calm, dignified, wise
and conservative: the trusted and devoted
friend OF William Mckinley: tie adviser
ind counselor Of Marcus A. Hanna; lead
er by right of merit, by dlnt of achieve
ment i have seen him when the pillows
rolled, but he was as serene and upper
turbed as a morning in May: shall never
question was up for discussion and public
excitement throughout the lard rose to
greater heights than ever before in time OF
peace Gentlemen" he said. this thing
Is right. The people have not seen 1t yet.
but they will. l have sublime faith In the
right finally impressing Itself upon the peo-
pie, and they will ultimately decide that
an inst