The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1906-10-18
Nh. SPESSARD.S LETTER.

Mr. Harvey r. Spessard's letter ac-
cepting the Democratic nomination for
Congress in the Sixth District of Mary
land, is strictly in line with usage. To
neglect this important duty would hard
~ be pardoned. The letter, however.
cuts no particular figure beyond pub
lie recognition of the honor conferred
and the announcement of set of an
Gent tenets that have been tested to
their last truism. 1t was expected that
Mr.. Spessard would declare his uncom-
promising allegiance to the principles of
the Democratic party which have
stood for more than a century, It
was expected that he would denounce
the principles of the Republican party
from the hour Of its birth until the pres
ent time. The Republican party, "
says ne, is rapidly placing power in
the hands Of a few who use it to further
their own sordid interests. regardless
Of the welfare Of the people. Does Mr..
Spessard in so many words declare that
the people Of the United States have
been dupes all these years? He seems
to have forgotten or is not frank enough
to admit, that for over forty years with
the exception Of the two terms of Dem
ocratic rule under Cleveland the people
have regularly every four years elected
a Republican President, and vet they
have not discovered that the Republi-
can party is a party of perfdy, or that
1t is using the trust reposed in it for its
Gown sordid interests" If Mr.. SPECS
sard will review history he will find
that the Republican party is today up
holding the very principles that gave it
50 firm footing in the hearts of the
hearts Of the people at its very incip-
iency. The national platform adopted
by the. Republican party in 1860 declared
against the extension of slavery, main
tanning that the rights of the states
should be held inviolate, especially the
right of each state to order and control
its own domestic institutions ACCORDING
to its best judgment There were also
resolutions favoring a protective tariff.
river and harbor improvements, a Pa
citic railway, and a denunciation of the
Democratic threats Of disunion. Since
that time, on down to the Democratic
administrations under Cleveland. which
nearly sent the country into bankrupt
cy, the nation has under the benign in
fiuence and wise policy of the Republi-
can party gone upward and onward until
today we are second to no nation on
earth in commercial Importance and ma
val powers. But, Mr.. Spessard says
that Legislation has nothing to do"
with the prosperity of a country. He
says: The holiness of the Republican
party, that our present period of pros
perlty is due to Republican policies is
amazing when we consider thatthey are
addressing these claims to a people
whose intelligence is not surpassed by
that Of any people on the globe" He
does not deny the unprecedented pros
perity of the country upon sea and land.
He says legislation has nothing to do
with this, and yet in the next breath
he says, tariff reform Is one of the
cardinal doctrines of the Democratic
party and the need of a revision of
the tariff was never greater than at
the present time" If the country is
prosperous, and it certainly is, why
the need of tariff revision? Tariff
revision cannot be accomplished without
legislation and legislation, according to
Mr.. Spessard cannot and does not eff
feet prosperity. 1t is ''the natural con-