Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1904-07-13

pis.ce oI wheat ana how II enabled rne
farmer to pay his debts and put the
money in circulation, and said: But
wheat going up had another effect.
When wheat went up during the cam
paign, while silver bullion went down.
there was thereby furnished seeming
object lession of the inaccuracy of the
contention of Mr.. Bryan and his. fol-
lowers, of whom l was one, that there
was necessarily connection in price
between the two" This he said caused
a stampede to the Republican party
and elected Mckinley, because the ad-
vance in wheat had put up the prices
of everything, including labor.
He claimed that it was the Demo-
Gratis who led in the war against Spain
and in setting Cuba free; he denied
that as to the trusts the Democrats
had failed to enforce the laws on the
statute books, although they had only
had a four years opportunity, and de-
clared that the Republicans in any
proper sense did not deserve credit for
what they had DONE
He took up the tariff plank of the
Republican platform next and declared
there was only one way to make s'pub-
lie interests" known, and that was ito
vote down the men who say that all is
well enough and that the gospel of hui
manity as far as the tariff is concerned
is all included in the phrase stand
pat Then he made an argument
against the tariff as it exists. especial
ly making point of the fact that
United States manufacturers sell goods
in foreign countries cheaper than they
sell them at home; and during his dis
cusson of this plank he said: s'Of
course this platform had to contain the
usual historical untruth, to-wit: that "a
Democratic tariff has always been fol.
lowed by business adversity-a Repub-
lican tariff by business prosperity
Temporary Chairman Williams
closed his opening speech to the con-
vention by telling what the Democrats
would, and would not do if they win
the fight. He said they would NOM
mate for president man trained in
the ways of the constitution who will
not usurp the Legislative or judicial
functions; who will not recklessly vio-
late international usages, even with
the weakest nation, no matter how
tempting the profit to be reaped by it;
who will not keep people guessing
about what he is going to do or say
next
1T will nominate him upon plat
form ignoring dead issues and dealing
with every present live issue in tones
certain and unmistakable; favoring
economy of administration, enforce
ment of honesty in the public serv-
ice, wise and business-like revision
and reduction of the tariff by the
friends of the masses and of the COM.
mOnwealth, and not by tariff beneficaries
and their representatives alone, a re-
duction which shall aim at equity of
burdens and equality Of opportunities,
and whose ultimate object shall be to
raise revenue by taxation to support
the federal government in virility, but
in simplicity-an object to be reached
in business-like, conservative and
common-sense way, with due regard
to existing conditions, and by steps
constituting in themselves an object
lesson for their own justification and
for the justification of further re-
FORMS"
He closed as follows: "Above all,
and in conclusion, a good Democratic
administration will ponder and prac-
tice the simple precepts of Jefferson's
first inaugural address. 1t is the pOlitl-
cal sermon on the mount for Demo
cratic republicans. Gentlemen, it is in
the power of no man or party to as
sure success. 1t is in the power of the
humblest to deserve it. God grant that
we may have it. Let us by the char
acter of our platform and the character
Of our candidate deserve it. Let us
erect standard to which all good
men may repair with that injunction"
Having closed his speech the chair
man declared the convention open for
business and had the roll called for
members of the different committees.
The convention then adjourned for
the day.