The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1904-03-10
The Democratic Calamity.

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The Democratic Calamity
1t Is obvious in the first place that we
will begin tile contest with the very great
advantage Of successful achievement
along every line that makes for the well
fare Of the people and the glory of the
Republic. 1t was stupendous task that
confronted the Republican party when it
assumed the reins of government seven
years ago. -Four years Of Democratic
administrations administration which
once heard my distinguished Democratic
friend the Hon. Champ Clark. of Mis-
souri, declare to have been the worst
calamity which had befallen the :;uraan
race since the fan of Adanl-four wears
of Democratic folly and mismanagemant.
had brought the country e.. Il condition Il
distress and disaster hardly equalled hy
any other period in its history. Forty
five thousand miles of railways were in
The hands Of receivers ScoT s cf banks
had been forced to close their doors;
prices Of farm products had declined TO a
ruinous figure. All over the land fur
mace fires had gone out and factories and
mills had closed their doors. until the
highways were filled with marching
armies Of idle men, Private capital!
frightened by the threat of a debased
currency. had withdrawn from the chan
nels Of trade and gone into hiding. The
national revenues had declined until they
no longer suficed TO meet the needs Of
the treasury, and the administration had
been obliged to borrow 262 millions IF dol
lars to defray the ordinary expenses Of
the government. In flct the industries
of the country We're PROSTATE, its bust
ness paralyzed, its finances disordored.
its people distressed and unemployed. as
the result Of four years Of Democracy.
To change all this was the stupendous
task that confronted the Republican par
T.. And it did it. 1t Is not necessary in
this presence to take time to tell how it
was done.-The short of it is that the Re
publican party knows how to run the gov
eminent of the United States and that is
something the Democratic party never did
know. and seems Incapable of learning
Hardly had VIM. Mckinley taken his seat
in the executive chair when hope began
TO take the place Of distrust And before
the first fun year of his administration
had rolled around the country was in
the full swing Of that splendid prosperity
WHICH llesS Ntl4AitANrN VIII 4ldlNiA any
abatement down TO the present hour
which has been without a parallel in the
history of our own country and which has
been the wonder and the envy of the
other nations OF the earth.
These seven marvellous years have not
only witnessed the unprecedented develop
mert Of our home Industries and the ex-
pansioa OF our foreign commerce but they
have seen the flag OF our country borne
in triumph through "a just and holy war
and planted in glory and honor at the
gateway of the orient--thcTe to stay in
glory and honor not as an emblem of OPP
position and tyranny but as the symbol
there as for more than a hundred years
ii has been here. of freedom and iustincc
and good government. All. my friends !
the Republican party has been busy these |
past seven years. II is the party that docs |
things. and it : always busy.
The Search for Issues.
And incidentally. ii has kept the Demo |
cratic party busy-huntug for an issue. |
1t has found several II has had % find |
q good many. because il has never been |
able To make any one issue last over |
more than one campaign. Somehow or |
other for the past seven years the Demo |
cratic issue of one campaign has become |
q Republican asset the next.
During The past four months I have |
listened 10 scores Of Democratic speeches |
by men who regard themselves as nation |
al leaders Of that party, and not one Of /
them has 50 much IS alluded 10 Imperial |
ism. the paramount issue Of the last /
campaign. Indeed the only allUsion % 4
this question which I have seen for long /
time was in an address by the president /
of the Anu-InPerial League OF Boston.
who warned his fellow sufferers that their
cause was in sTaat danger by reason Of
an apparent disposition on the part OF
the oppressed and down-trodden Filipino /
TO become reConciIed 10 his lot Ana the
only allusion any Of these Democratic
orators have made TO the
e.lver question was made the other day
by Alb Williams. the minority leader OF
the house. who declared thar free coiaSg sc
as a political issue IS as dead as secession
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