The Springfield herald., 1904-10-14
ATTITUDE OF PARTIES
POSITIONS OF REPUBLICANS
AND DEMOCRATS
The Former Stand for Certain Fun
damentai Ideas. While the Latter
Are Content to Oppose Everything
offered by Their Rivals.

1t is n common thing to hear it said
that there is little difference in this cam
paign between the position of the Re-
publican and the Democratic parties. and
that some people do not much care which
wins. Never was a more radical mis-
take made. There is wide gulf be-
tween the stand of the two parties.
Gulf? No; oceans separate the out
posts of each from fhe other.
The Republican party is planted solid
ly upon certain fundamental ideas, and
the actual working ont of those ideas
forms the main rock of its support. 1t
is combination of men who believe iii
action, led by a man of resistless ener-
gy. During the last half century the
Republican party has held together the
American Union and made it nation
1t has abolished slavery forever from
our shores. 1t has. through the protec-
tive tariff and other measures, built up
national and individual prosperity. 1t
has, in very recent years, caused the
American nation to be respected through
out the world as n frst-class power.
debating. to-day, n policy of justice and
fair dealing in international affairs. III
Europe. Asia and the islands of the
seas. 1t has fought out the fight for
the gold standard. putting the nation on
a sound financial footing with the rest
of the world. 1t stands. now, for hui
man freedom. equal justice to all, equal
opportunities to all, without regard to
race, creed or color. 1t stands for pros
perity at home and recognition abroad,
for honest money, for national credit, for
practical works of internal improvement.
1t has Initiated the digging of the PAN
ANA Canal. 1t has begun the irrisa-
.Sf t1... Nnaf
1t has inaugurated an era of education,
of sanitary reform, of civil and religious
liberty in the new American posses
sions in the Atlantic and Pacific. The
Republican party is party of work.
II does things! 1t is alive, progressive.
virile and practical. 1t Is, in its very
nature, constructive. 1t is living,
growing force. because it is made up of
the men of the nation who possess the
power of taking the initiative in all
forms of activity.
What About the Opp,sitionf
And what about the Democratic party,
the party which some people are saying.
is not far different, at present, from its
rival?
What has the Democratic party said
or done during the last half century?
1t has simply laid its ears back and
kicked! 1t has been the leaden lump
to lift in all great enterprises under
taken by the country from 1850 on to
the present moment of time. 1t opposed
the war for the Union with all its
strength. In 1864 its National Conven-
ton declared THE WAR A FAIL
URE." 1t opposed. with heart and soul.
the freeing of the slaves. The district
in which slavery tiourished is still Dem
ocratic-a solid South" 1t opposed the
protective tariff. and opposes it still. 1t
adopted the wild craze for free silver
and has never repudiated or dsowned
its doctrines of 1896 and 1900. 1t held
back the Panama Canal and would have
defeated its beginning il it had been
BILE to do so. 1t has discouraged a prac
tical and humane administration of af-
fairs in the Philippines. 1t has. at all
times, everywhere and anywhere. been
wrong. With certainty which is mar
,elous it takes the wrong side OF every
public question.
And now, after the heat and burden of
work borne by its opponent. this party
of ignorance, lIZiness, procrnstination
and disaster asks to be given the reins of
national power! 1t claims for itself con-
sideration on the ground of perpetual
fault-fnding with things as they are
and as they ought to be.
How can any sane man say that the
difference between the two great parties
is not great? One means health, brains,
heart, work. the solving of hard prob
lens, the assisting of the heavily bur
dened, the holding of great strong
nation to its grand purpose in the bet
tering of mankind. The other means
standing still, looking backward, and go-
ing backward, for man or nation standing
still is bound to retrograde.
There must be something in the air
which dulls perception when men can
say that they find little difference this
year between the two great political
parties. Fatness and prosperity have
caused some people to lose quick pcrccp-
tion and judgment. There would be a
rude awakening for them il the Demo-
Gratis should win the November elec-
tions. The chances are much against
any such catastrophe for the sleepy
brethren who don't much care 1t is
curious phenomenon, however. the fact
of their existence.