The river press., 1904-11-02
MAIN ISSUE AT STAKE
IT IS NOT THE PERSONALITY or
THE CANDIDATES.

Great Question II whether Republic
can or Dsmocra q tic Administration
eha1l Conduct the Affairs Of Govern.
meut = Opposition 10 Neither safe
Nor sane.
Although the Republican party vel
comes comparison Of the character!
and personality OF its candidates with
those of the candidates of the St. Louis
convention, it prefers to urge the cleo
tion Of Roosevelt and Fairbanks as fit
ting representatives and instruments Of
the party's policies and intentions.
II it were true, which it is not, that
there is anything in the career Of Judge
Alton B. Parker to justify the conten-
ton that he would make ''saner and
suffer- President than Theodore Roose-
welt, the fact would remain, that. tied
up with the Democratic party, Moses
with the modern equipment Of Glad
stone could not insure as safe and sane
a government as the Republican party
has administered under President Roose'
welt. IN
1t is not pretended that Judge Parker
possesses any superiority of statecraft,
character or experience to Grover Cleve-
land. In fact, he has been accepted by
the conservative elements Of Democracy
as disappointing alternative for the
ponderous oracle Of Buzzards Bay, and
he has only been accepted by the radical
or Bryan element OF the party, because
he had demonstrated the lack of Cleve-
lands safety and sanity by voting for
free silver in 1896 and 1900. 44
In these two votes the proof is com
plete that there is nothing in Judge
Parker's convictions, character or con-
science to promise anything better, should
he be elected, than u weak, vacillating
and reactionary Democratic administra.
ton u, !,
Worse than this, whatever, may be
thought Of Judge Parker's personal char
acter and ability, he stands before the
world as the presidential creation OF
David B. Hill, and his chief associates
and advisers since his nonli2a ton have
been HILL "Bill'' Sheehdn, ""Pat' Nc
Carren, Charlie Murphy and others
of the Manhattan brand Of Tammany
statesmen for revenue only.
Mr. Facing BOTH Ways"
Nothing in his campaign utterances
has suggested that Judge Parker pos
sesses any Of the stern attributes OF
leadership that bind parties to the will
OF strong conservative, conscientious
Chief. On the contrary he has earned
the sobriquet, bestowed upon him by
Speaker Cannon, Of ''Mr.-Facing- Both
=. Ways
Therefore a vote for the 'safe and
sane Parker and his octogenarian mate
is only to be justified by trust in the
safety and sanity OF the party whose
npminees they are.
For forty years-barrng the two
Cleveland intervals-the Democracy hat
been excluded from power. because the
American people have mistrusted it
safety, it's sincerity and its sanity. Dur
ing all that period it has embraced with
in it's ranks nearly all the elements ol
discomfort, discord and reaction that art
the signs and proofs of hopeless politi
cal stagnancy and decay.
As a party it threw every impedimen
within its reach in the way Of the ener
getic prosecution Of the war for thu
preservation of the Union. ''''
That the reader may understand tha
the Democratic leopard has not changed
its spots in forty years it may be re
called that on July 2, 1864. the Demo
cratic members of Congress put fort(
an-address to the people Of the United
States in which. according to Georg'
William Curtis in Harper's Monthly
President Lincoln was charged with tn,
engrossment of power; with military in
reference in elections; with the crea
tion Of bogus States; with illegally rails
ing troops; with unnecessary and hatefu
conscription; with the payment of ex
70, Hoc. mi, wiz
troops on an equality with white soldiers
cal system: with placing us in peril o
foreign interference; with endeavoring t,
corrupt the race by amalgamation will
negroes"
In August Of that same year Angus
Belmont. whose son is now pulling wire
behind the Sphinx of Esopus," as TEN
porary chairman OF the Democratic Ma
tional Convention, said that flour year
of misrule by a sectional fanatical an,
corrupt party had brought our countr,
to the verge Of ruin. The past and pres
ent are sufficient warnings Of the dis
astrous consequences which would befal
us il Mr.. Lincolns reelection should b
made possible by our want Of patriotism
and unity '."
Seymour's Sentiments.
Horatio Seymour. in his speech a
permanent chairman Of the same con
vention, inveighed bitterly against Lin
coins administration and the Republican
party, saying: "They We're animated b.
intolerance and fana ticism. and blinde
by an Ignorance Of the spirit OF our in
stitutiens. the character Of our peopl
and the condition of our land" 'Step b
STEP" he continued, they have marche
on to results from which at the outse
they would have shrunk with horror
and even now when war has desolate
our land. has laid its heavy burdens upo
labor. and when bankruptcy and> ru
overhang us. they will not have the unio
restored except upon conditions unknow
to the Constitution" He concluded b
demanding the restoration Of the Uno
through the unconditional surrender .
the principle of national self-preserva
tion and 1.-The full recognition of tn
rights of the States demanded by tn