Barbour County index. [volume] (Medicine Lodge, Kan.) 1880-current, 1904-08-31


1T White Sulphur Springs, w. Va, by the
committee appointed by the st. Louis
convention. Hon. John Sharp Will
hams, democratic house leader, deliv-
cred the notification speech, which was
an outburst of historical and political
sarcasm unique in campaign oratory
Opposition critics pronounce it one Of
the strongest arguments ever made.
Among the salient features Of Mr.. Will
Iiams' talk the following appear to be
the most interesting:
AS soon as l learned that was to be
the mouthpiece of the committee for the
performance of this pleasant task be-
gan to look about me in order to see
how the duty had been performed by
others. found that for a notification
speech historical essay is altogether
the proper thing, absolutely necessary
Tor the emergency. We shall therefore
entitle our notification address: "A
Brief Historical Disquisition Upon
Some Of the Blunders of Our Ancestors
as Viewed from the Standpoint of the
Wisdom of Republican Statesmen Who
Have Embraced the Strenuous Life
The first of these consisted in dis
eliminating against the red man-on
account Of the race and color and previ-
Gus condition, supposed incapacities, of
which his color was but the outward
sign. Be that claim pretense or sin
certify, we found, to our establishment,
that the door of opportunity and hope
In the way Of oflce-holding and voting
al IN 1oI
This first violation in America of the
divine right of manhood suffrage and
OF the cherished fundamental dogma
that all men of all races are equally
capacitated to govern themselves, and
especially to govern others. has doubt
less been the Iliad of all our woes
Plainly, 1t was what the Boston Tran
script so eloquently calls 'colorphobia.
THE next great blunder in our early
history consisted in taking up arms
against King George and his forces,
when the latter were actuated, as they
themselves confessed, only by the kind
est designs of 'benevolently assimilat-
ing to themselves our sources and our
opportunities
Talks Of Increased Knc Wedge.
! I'VE know, now, of course, that all
our ancestors talk about 'inalienable
rights of self-government, mo taxation
without representation habeas corpus
and right of trial by jury, freedom of
the press, freedom Of speech and free
dom OF assembly were only a pretext
resorted to by ranting insurgents in
order to throw off the 'civilizing influ-
ences' of the best government which the
world had that far witnessed
Coming on down the current of time
we found another period of popular
Mysteries that is incomprehensible to
us of wiser generation. in view of some
enlightening facts in our recent history.
Some men in the troublesome little
town of Boston masquerading as Indi-
ans, seized and threw into the sea GER
tain cases of tea belonging to certain
merchants of the East India company.
The consequence was that the entire
population of Boston, men, women and
children. observers of the law as well
as law-breakers. were punished and the
Boston port bill was passed thus in 3
fashion royalty communicating the
little town, commercially and indus
trially. Our ancestors could not be
quieted, but got worse and worse, until
their misguided counsels led to the fool
fish result of 'insurrection' and free
and Independent American govern
ment.
The Loss of Free Trade.
THE next great historical blunder. in
spite of which, strange to say. we have,
as | cannot too often repeat, prospered
right, along in every step of our history
with now and then a temporary drop
back, was the immolation of our an
cestors of the nations industrialism
upon the altar Of free trade within that
common domain. Notwithstanding al
ready existing state lines furnished con-
venient place. opportunity and tempta-
ton to establish customhouses.
Another error of our erandfathers in
connection with our foreign affairs has
come over me lately with weighing
down emphasis. George Washington
thought that our wisest and best and
most patriotic foreign policy consisted
In amicable relations with all the other
nations of the world and entangling
alliances with none of them.
I'VE know now. from our fellow citi-
zen in the white house, that the peoples
who may expect our tolerance and
friendship are those who maintain or
der and prosperity those who govern
themselves we'll, those who pay their
financial obligations and that it may
become a duty which we cannot ignore,
certainly in the western hemisphere. >
to intervene in some way, more or
less indefinite. in the domestic affairs
Of those who do not 90 all these things
nor behave with decency in political
and industrial matters, whatever in the
world that may mean but who, by the
omission of the doing of all these things.
do loosen the ties which bind together
civilized society, which ties, of course.
God has appointed us his mundane
vicegerent mechanics to tighten up
again.