Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1904-10-21

Than the onsfiEatien- the Constitution It.
self has beea disTegarded In every part and
public liberty aud private rigAt alike tired
den down. aud the material prosperity OF
the country essentially Impaired. justice,
humanity. liberty and the public welfare
demand that immediate efforts be made for
cessation OF hostilities. With a view to an
ultimate convention Of all the states OF
ether pcaceabie means. 10 the end that. Mt
the earliest practicable moment. peace may
he restored on the basis of the Federal
Union Of the States.
Demanded states Rights.
In another resolution the principles and
purposes of the Belmonts aud Seymours
OF 1864 were set forth in these tradi-
tional terms:
Resolved. That the aim aud object Of the
Democratic party Is to preserve the Federal
Union and the rights Of the States unim-
paired, and they hereby declare that they
consider the administrative usurpation OF
extraordinary and dangerous powers not
granted by the Constitution, the subver-
sion OF the civil by military law IN States
not In insurreetion, the arbitrary arrest.
imprisonment. trial and sentence OF Ameri-
can citizens In States where civil law exists
in full force, the suppression Of freedom
OF speech and OF the press the denial OF
the right Of asylum, the open and avowed
disregard OF State rights. the employ ment
of unusual test oashs and the interference
with and denial OF the right OF .Ae people
storation of the Union and the perpetration
of a government deriving its just powers
from the consent OF the governed.
With the omission of a few phrases
having reference to the then prevailing
condition OF war. there is nothing to dis
tinguish these uttcrances of the Demo-
cratic party forty years ago from those
Of the same Bourbon party to-day. The
similarity of phraseology used to de-
nonnce, to declare and TO demand, the
invocation of the Constitution to pre-
serve rights and liberties from imaginary
perils OF administrative usurpation, mill
tary subversion and individual invasion;
the fictitious concern over non-existing
financial and industrial burdens-ail go
to show that the Democratic party of
1904 stands in the same old shoes OF
1864, snarhng at the heels of the Re-
publican party which now, as then, is
doing things for the advancement, peace
and prosperity OF the people of the Uni
ted States.
1t will be observed that in August,
1864, the Democratic party assumed to
express "the sense OF the American peo-
pie" in its arraignment Of Lincoln and
the Republican party. an assumption
which the American people in Novem-
Der promptly repudiated by the follow
ing vote:
Popular Electoral
vote. vote.
Lincoln ard johnson. o216,0G7 2i2
Mcclellan and Pendeton. ls0s,I25 y
States not voting ...... 81
Delaware, Kentucky and New Jersey
were the only States in the slim Demo-
cratic column that year.
Same Old Cry.
Every four years since 1864 the Demo
cratic party has gone through the same
formula of arraigning the Republican
party as the party Of unconstitutional
usurpation, fanaticism, sectionalism, ex-
trayagance, financial bankruptcy. cen
tralzation. corruption and abuse of pow
er--and with two exceptions the Ameri-
can people have returned the same ver
diet they did in 1864. In 1884 and 1892
certain exceptional conditions, for which
the Republican party was in nowise re-
sponsible, caused the American people
to lend trusting ear TO the reiterated
impeachment of the Republican admins
tration. Cleyeland's two terms were the
result. both giving conclusive proof Of
the incompetence of the Democratic
party to administer the government ex-
cept by adopting every Republican policy
and practice they had denounced.
In Clevelands second administration
the Democratic party attempted to re-
place the Republican tariff with mon
grel mixture of free trade, class pro-
lection and special bounties, and then
came to pass the very conditions OF rev.
enue deficits. socal disorder and wide
4 i .tob ~
American people had only dreamed under
the spell Of Democratic demagogy.
The restoration of Safety and Sanity
in the administration of American af-
fairs came with the election of William
Mcninley in 1876. Since tnen the nation
has experienced Il period Of prosperity
unexampled in the history of the world.
1t has waged a successful war resulting
in establishing liberty and a popular
government in Cuba, in extending Ameri-
can freedom. justice and protection in
Porto Rico and the Philippines and in
advancing the United States TO a power
full. almost commanding place, in the
poity of nations.
Nothing like the national development
of these eight years has been known in
the past OF the republic, and with it
have come worldwide responsibilities
and duties, as well as problems of in
ternal government.
The Republican party within the Con-
stitution, without straining any OF the
powers rcposed in the Executive or Con-
gress. has met the demands OF the hour
with courage, wisdom and success. to
which the chorus Of Democratic declama-
ton. denunciation and demands pays the
highest tribute.
SO to-day in its history. its policies
and its candidates, the Republican party
appeals to the American people as the
party OF achievement, of resources and
OF the courage to grappe with every
new phase of national life. 1t is the
party of sound principles, safe finance and
sane execution Of the laws. The proof
of its capacity to govern is written in the
healthy progress Of the United States
during the past forty years. The guar
anty of its fitness to continue in the
execution of that great trust is in the
character and experience of its leaders.