Las Vegas daily optic. [volume] (Las Vegas, N.M.) 1880-1908, 1904-10-03
ADDRESS BY
SENATOR KNOX
Manufacturers Club OF PhiIa-
delphia Acts Host to Great
Gathering.
NOTABLE POLITI-
CAL UTTERANCES
Strong Communication Of the
Policy of President Mckin-
lev and His Admins
tratiOn.

The great quadrennial period has
arrived when the American people
review their affairs and condition and
determine through constitutional
methods the personnel of their chief
servants, the president and vice-pres-
ident. and the governmental policies
under which they are to proceed dur
ing an equal period for the future.
The two great political parties have
presented platforms Of principles, and
candidates who are pledged, II elect
ed, to administer the affairs of the
government in conformity thereto,
and the people are now engaged in
the solemn business Of considering
where they shall choose.
1t is indeed a solemn and important
business and when decided will eith'
er advance or retard our progress,
for it is impossible that SO momen.
tous a thing as the continuance or re-
versal of the fiscal, economic, for
eign and domestic policies Of the
American people should have neu-
trail effect
The parties stand in very different
attitudes towards the contest.
The republican party having admin
istered the affairs of the government
almost continuously for nearly half
a century, must be judged by its
performances of past and its prom
ises for the future. Its prospects of
success depend upon the peoples sat
isfaction with that past and belief in
the party's intention and ability to
continue to administer the public af-
fairs wisely and honestly The plat
form of the republican party very lu-
cidly recapitulates its most notable
recent achievements and eoncisely
and without equivocation restates the
policies by which it has been and
will be guided in executing the peo-
pies will,
It is not my purpose 10 discuss the
past of the republican party. Its fifty
years of glorious achievement marks
il unequalled in history as a parry
Of high ideals and great accomplish
ments. IT'S principles have been
nd tc nnvfor
abundantly justified the confidence
the people have given II. During the
greater period of its existence it has
been the party of the majority of the
American people, and the progress
we have made as a people has been
under its guidance of national affairs
Neither do I propose to solicit sup.
port Of republican candidates wholly
upon assurances Of good intentions
for the future. assume that the
great mass Of thinking Americans are
not to be deluded into the belief that
II is safe ~ entrnet the adnipistra.
tion Of naional affairs into the hands
of party solely upon a record or
solely upon prospectus. but rather
upon what the party offers in the
personality Of its candidates. the
principles for which the party stands
tho lnvofv nf the candidates to those
PRINCIPLES. rs Judged hv their charac
ters and their performances land
generally the CAPACITY the partv and
its candidates have shown for admin.
istering national affairs so as to pro
mote the commonweal ~ home and
the raspect for our neOnle and their
flag abroad. which their merits de
serve. II is what is before them in
the shane of sound theory and honest
psrformance that should be weighed
and is weighed by the American peo
ule in the DISCHARGE Of their duty of
committing the DESTINY Of the repub
lie TO individual hands
When in September. 1901. the con
c+i.-t'onnl'r oyrrassed will of the
neople Of the United states was nul
lifted nv an assassin's hand. there
devolved hv oueration of our funda
mental Law upon Theodore Roosevelt
the high honors and grave respons'
tilities which the beloved President
MeKinlev had beer twice called uoor
tv his fellow citizens 10 eniov and
perform.