The commonwealth. (Greenwood, Miss.) 1896-1923, 1904-07-16

q nHAlFIAtl III NhV AakiSAAal
convention, in one of the longest and
most effective speeches ever delivered
before such a body, tore the claims of
the republican prosperity makers to
pjeces in a mastery way. Among some
Of his leading points were the following:
This is an appropriate place and time
for a democratic convention.
The place is st. Louis, the chief city
nj the most populous state carved out
"a of the Louisiana territory acquired by
Il the father of democracy. The time is
II the centennial anniversary celebration
II of the acquisition of that territory, q
vast area of contiguous territory whose
N possession was necessary for self-de-
Tense and which was fitted in climate and
soil for homemaking by the sons and
Il daughters of the republic-the ami
I yersary of real and not pseudo expansion
an expansion of our population, our
4 industrial life, and our free institutions,
over uninhabited lands, or lands sparse
4 IL settled by savages, whose trtbal. in
dependence We recognized by treating
with them, or settled in spots by white
men easily and willingly a%ssimilated;
not a so-called expansion by mere
superimposed force of our flag and ouT
military authority. The democratic
party afterwards guided the country to
further expansion of this real, free
character in the acquisition Of Florida,
the admission of Texas as a state and the
acquisition from Mexico of a magnificent
far west fit to be made states In the union
and governed under the constitution.
The most important quadrennial
event in the world is the election by the
American people Of their chief execu-
tive, Before the great election takes
place, at which all men are supposed
to arrive at a choice by ways of hon
esty and intelligence-would to God
they did-at least two minor elections
of a different character are held. There
have always been two great parties
which, since the first national political
conventions, have elected delegates to
conventions for the purpose of select
ing a candidate and promulgating a
platform, One of these parties has gone
through its party election of delegates,
has selected a candidate and announced
a platform. 1t was one of the q%uietest
and most unanimous occasions that
the muses. of history have recorded.
Everything seemed to have been fixed
beforehand.
The address Of the temporary chair
man Of the republican national conyen-
ton was, in n sense, historical. 1t
dealt much in history at any rate. most
of it ancient history and a great deal
of it bad history. There was a labored
argument to prove that the party of
Roosevelt must, by something like evo-
lutionary process, act as the party of
Lincoln and Mckinley. This was neces-
sary in order to disguise the palpable
fact that it is not so acting, Not with
out reason then this labored argument
by this great and ingenious lawyer. 1t
was to draw away attention from
ROoseveltism and its volcanic, eruptive
anu ItthlCoo ibuI uNLVl, W uNSiAlhS |
upon the fact that, at some period of
its history, the republican party has
been "a party which did things and
did them safely. The orator hoped to
have the country lose sight of the fact
that it is now in both of its legislative
branches a party of passivity, of OF
action, of obstruction to reform and
progress, in a word a party whose only
sacred precept is the %shibboleth which
maketh them known, one Of them to
the other, a s%hibboleth drawn from the
gamblers table, stand pat" a precept
born Of cowardice and fear to nov
have heard that in October, 1902, Mr..
Root made a political speech in Cooper
Union, New York, in which he used this
language:
IF a tariff law has on the whole
worked well, and if business has pros
pered under it and is prospecting, it is
better to endure some slight %inconven-
fences and inequalities for q time than
to incur the uncertainty and disturbance
OF business which necessarily results
from the process of making changes.
The mere fact that a different rate of
duty would be better than the rate fixed
In statute does not settle the question
whether the change should be made now
or should be deferred. Every tariff
deals with duties on a vast number of
articles and involves a vast number of
interests often conflicting and whenever
the law is taken up by congress for con-
slderation with reference to one change
every schedule in that law is going to
md some one urging a change in that
schedule; and all the business interests
oil the country are going to be left dur
ing a long continued discussion in a
state OF uncertainty. as to what will be
the outcome Of duties upon the things
they are producing, and therefore in I'M
certainty as to what competition from
abroad they will be obliged to meet"
And have heard that the president In
his political tour through the west, In
the spring of 1903, made a speech In
which he used this language: IF a tar
IN law has on the whole worked well,
and II business has prospered under it
and is prospecting, it may be better to
endure some Inconvenience and in
equalities for a time than by making
changes to risk causing a disturbance
and perhaps paralysis In the industries
and business of the country. The fact
that the change in a given rate of duty
may be thought desirable does not set
tie the question whether 1t is advisable
TO make the change Immediately.
Every tariff deals with duties on thou
sands Of articles arranged in hundreds
"A Wnpdarfu1 c,;Iar wn