The San Francisco call., 1904-07-07

not keeping the gold redemption promise to
the ear. but breaking it to the hope?
The ex-Secretary then boasts that the Sec
retary OF the Treasury can and does contract
and expand the country's currency at his
/ which happened in 1902. which he quotes Re
member he boasts that this is fact. If So
what magnificent one. man power it is 1t
Is almost as great as that lately welded by
the eX Secretary himself. when he was ex-
ofiicio Emperor OF the Philippine archipelago
when as ne himself subsequently said in
public address, questions affecting the inter
ests and lives Of millions of people had to be
decided by him upon not much more than
moments notice and entirely within his own
Z discretion What do the men who believe
that the Government ought to go out of the
banking business and the who believe
that the banks ought to SO out Of the Gov
ernrnent business think Of this remarkable
( this bosstful assertion that one man in the
United States can and does contract and eX
pand the currency, which furnishes the life
and blood OF so many at his sweet VIII?
The temporary chairman told the country
/ that the act to expedite hearings OF the trust
was Republican legislation" He forgot to
say that every Democrat voted for 1t. and
that is nv recollection
l have never known a more ingenious mind
than that OF eX- Secretary Root His ingenuity
is never so marvellous as when its power is
illustrated by the things which he forgot to
mention. Verify ne is the Root of all evil
when it comes TO making the worse appear
the better side Of reason.
POLICY OF MCKINLEY.
The ex- Secretary then tells us in a burst
Of eloquence that 'the fatal 14th OF Septem-
Der, 1901. married no change OF policy" that
when the kindly frsternal soul of Mckinley
wended its way from the earth he left behind
him no break-his policy was continued
in spirit by his successor. Who IS there in
America Of common sense who does not know
better? The changed spirit Of the policy OF
I the administration with regard to reciprocity
with foreign nations. with regard TO local self
government in the South and in twenty
spects which 1t would take too much time to
particularize will suggest themselves to your
mind at once.
But to go on to the authoritative utterance
Of the Republican platform in convention
assembled. The platform, like the temporary
chairrnanship deals definitely in the boast
that the Republican party is responsible for
everything good which has happened. IL also
deals much in ancient history. 1t did we'll to
go back fifty years ago. The present Republi-
party needs a running start OF fully fifty
years to enable the Imagination OF the people
to jump its present obstructiveness and
its evasion of live issues which lie in the path
way. The platform in speaking Of the access
of the Republican party to power after Mr.
C1evelands second administration had expired,
uses this language:
I'VE then found the country. after four
years Of Democratic rule in evil plight op-
pressed with misfortunes and doubtful Of the
future. Public credit had been lowered rev.
declining, the debt was growing
the administrations attitude toward Spain was
feeble and mortifying, its standard of values
was threatened and uncertain. Labor was un-
employed. business was sunk in the depres-
sion which succeeded the panic of 1898 Hope
faint and confidence gone.
Suppose 1 paraphrase that utterance by
saying that when Mr.. Cleveland succeeded
years OF Republican administration under Mr..
Harrison. the Democratic party found the
l-country, after long period of public misrule
and extravaganza, in evil plight. oppressed
with misfortune and doubtful Of the future
Public credit had been lowered; the revenues
were declining"
The outgrowng administration was prepar-
ing to issue bonds. A Government deficit was
confessed. The panic which devastated the
world relentlessly approaching our shores
long saturnaIia of extravaganza public and
private and of reckless speculation had been
! already followed depression vva<
burned for fuel in Kansas and elsewhere In
the West in 1890 and after. Cotton was at
reaction which call panic was inevitably
| approaching even before Mr.. Cleveland was
| elected.
Business was sunk in the depression which
preceded the panic Of 1898 Labor was unem-
J field, especially the latter"
! Indeed, business depression especially in
agriculture. and the lack OF adequate remune-
! ration for labor, taken together with the high
! prices of manufactures under the MCKINLEY
! act. constituted the chief Industrial reason in
the Republicans out and putting Mr. Cleveland
and the Democrats in.
! To go on with the paraphrase under Harri-
sons administration for three years .'hona yva,
faint and confidence gone" The plight OF the
people was so desperate that like drowning
ransm and socialism In the shane cs suS
treasury and other schemes were rife from
The two old parties,' as they were called
were blamed for it all, but the one in mower
was piaineu inos'' hehce the outer power got in.
/ Men advocating these nostrums in the state
OF public desperton then existing counted
their audiences throughout the suffering yyest
and depressed South, no longer by numbers
but by the area. Who will deny the truth the
historical truth of single sentence Of
paraphrase? Why pretend to have forgotten
! all this? Why not be honest with the peonIe
as men ought to be?
II is true that after the election OF Mr.
Cleveland the chronic business depression con-
! tnued. 1t Is true that II became acuteWin
a word reached the banks: and then the fright
| panic of 1893 came, which not a local
| or American condition. but which had ex
listed from where Vienna nestles the Danube
| to where Buenos Ayres commands its bay:
| one whose foundations had been laid long he,
| fore 1t reached US. almost the last among the
nations
Then, with the panic upon US once more
nostrums OF a national character were suR-
| gested to cupe evil of world character One
! OF them, as you will all remember, was the