The Aberdeen Democrat. (Aberdeen, South Dakota) 1???-1909, 1904-07-15
WILLIAMS A TALK,
Temporary Chairman Of ST. Louis Conven-
ton Makes Special Point Of Exposing
Republican, Claims That PARTY
Makes Prosperity

A1AASSt q GASt II
terests which are often conflicting. If
necessary fol-. our welfare, then of course
congress must consider the question OF
changing the law as a whole or changing
any given rates Of duty, but we must re-
member that whenever even a single
schedule is considered some interests
will appear to demand a change in al
most every schedule in the law; and
when 1t comes to upsetting the schedules
generally the effect upon the country
would be r%uinous." Verify, two souls
with but a single thought; two speeches
that read like one.
And that single thought So harmoni-
ously expressed is not to force a sim
gle special interest to take it's lips from
the public breast for fear the public
finding them unnecessary might shake
them all off.
But to go on to the authoritative ut
terance Of the republican party in con-
vention assembled. The platform, like
the temporary chairman's speech, deals
chiefly in the boast that the republican
party is responsible for everything good
which has happened. It also deals
much in ancient history. It did we'll to
go back SO years ago. The present re-
publican party needs a running start of
fully SO years to enable the imagination
of the American people to jump over its
present obstructiveness and it's evasion
OF live issues which lie in its pathway
to success in this year of 1904. The plat
form in speaking of the access of the
republican party to power after Mr..
Cleveland's second administration had
expired, uses this language: We then
found the country, after four years Of
democratic rule, in eyilplight, oppressed
with misfortune and doubtful of the flu
ture. Public credit had been lowered,
revenues were declining, the debt was
growing, the Administrations attitude
towards Spain was feeble and mortify-
ing, its standard of values was threat
ened and uncertain. Labor was unem-
ployed. Business was sunk in the de-
preston which succeeded the panic of
1893. Hope was faint and confidence
was gone" Suppose | paraphrase that
utterance by saying that when Mr..
Cleveland succeeded to the presidency
in March, 1893, after four years of re-
publican administration under Mr.. Har-
rison. the democratic party found the
country, after a long period of public
misrule and extravaganza, in evilplight,
oppressed with misfortune and doubtful
of the future. Public. credit had been
lowered, the revenues were declining Z
The outgoing administration was pre-;
pairing and had prepared to issue bonds.
A government deficit was confessed.
The panic which had devastated the
world was relentlessly approaching our
shores. A long %saturnalia of extrava-
gance, public and private. and Of reck-
less speculation had been already fol-
lowed by depression. Corn was burned
for fuel in Kansas and elsewhere in the
west in 1890 and after. Cotton was ator
below the price of production. The.
acute reaction which we call panic was
inevitably approaching, even before Mr..
Cleveland vas elected. Business was
sunk in the depression" which preced-
ed the panic Of 1898. Labor was unem-
ployed," or poorly remunerated in fac
tory or field, especially in the latter
Indeed, business depression, especially
in agriculture and the lack of adequate
remuneration for labor, taken together
with the high prices of manufactures
under the Mckinley act (high prices
especially accumulated to public realiza-.
ton by the contrasting starvation prices.
of oOTialY1frro Il nr1 ,,o%1 ryLs,1E 49, 49,
gun to prevail in 1890 and had contin-
ued nor OF less persfstently since),
these constituted the chief industrial
reasons in the public mind for turning
Mr.. Harrison and the republicans out
and putting Mr.. Cleveland and the dem
gocrats in. To go on with the para
phrase: Under Harrison's administra-
ton for three years hope was faint and
confidence gone" The plight Of the
people" was SO desperate that, like
drowning men, they were catching at
straws. Many nostrums were being
suggested. A~grarianism and state So
cialism in the shape of subtreasury and
other schemes were rife from 1890 and.
thence on. The two old parties as
they were called, were blamed for it all,
but the one in power was blamed most,
hence the out OF power got in. Men adj
yocating these nostrums, In the state
of public desperation then existing,
counted their audience throughout the
suffering west AID depressedssouth. no
longer by numbers but by the acre.
Who will deny the historical truth OF