The Irish standard., 1908-06-20

|
of the past few years. The present
financial condition Of the country is
deftly passed over Nothing is said
about the record of the "do-nothing''
Congress. The accomplishments of
President Roosevelt are praised, but
naturally nothing is said about the rec
ord of the Republican Congress in re-
fusing to carry out the recommends
tons Of the Republican President.
1t is assumed by the Republican
convention that the people Of the coun-
try must and will accept the Repub-
lican party in preference Of the Demo-
cratic party, no matter what the faults
of the Republican party The Minne-
apolis Journal has taken the cue and
says that the Republican party. with all
Its faults, should be entrusted with
power. The Democratic party is called
the party Of secession. fiat money, free
trade, the party of hesitation, doubt
and obstruction, while the Republican
party Is hailed as the party Of the
Union. Of honest men, protection of
American labor, the party Of convic-
tons, Of work, and of construction. In
nicely worded phrases the Democratic
party Is called the party that finds
fault, while the Republican party is
the party that finds work.
The resolutions committee could do
nothing else at the present time. They
were obliged to conf1ne themselves to
generalities. It is far better for the
Republicans in this year to refer to
ancient history, Of which the people
naturally know less. than to refer TO
the recent performances Of the party,
with which the people are familiar. Hut
it may be hard for Republican orators
to convince the people that the Demo-
cratic party was the party of secession
In November, 1850, 1,s75.ooo votes were
cast for Stephen A. Douglas of Illinois.
against 1,s6e,o0o for Abraham Lincoln
Of Illinois. The former were all DEM
ocrats, the latter were Wings, Repub-
licans, Free-soil Democrats, ana War
Democrats. On the same day $4,000
southerners voted for J. c. Brecken-
ridge Of Kentucky. The men who voted
for Douglas voted for and supported
the Union.
Are the Republicans going to try to
elect another President on the bloody
shirt" issue? Are they going to try to
blind the people to the issues of the
present day by holding up before their
eyes the battles ~ the Civil War? We
think the people will be ready to meet
the issue. 1t will be q little Bit hard,
almost a half CENTURY after the Civil
War, to convince the people that the
party which furnished Mcclellan,
Thomas, Hancock. sickles and scores
Of other leaders In the Union cause.
was a party Of session - q
So far as we are.able to learn from Al,
examination of political platforms, the
Democratic party never advocated free
trade. The Democratic party has, and
does still advocate tariff for revenue
only, and. not 10 ctaniff for protection.
but we think that the Democratic par
ty. even If charged with being free
trade party. would be more acceptable
to the American people. than a party
which takes pride in its record in ref
erence to our protective tariff.
In carefully framed sentences. this
14th convention OF the Republican
party takes unto itself the credit for
being the party Of construction. the
party that does things, while it charges
the opposition party. which has ex-
listed since the beginning Of the Repuh-
lie, with being a party of obstruction,
the party that does nothing. If ancient
history is to be appealed to, Demo-
Gratis should not hesitate to join in the
issue. For the first half century OF
the Republics existence the Democrat
ic party almost continuously carried
on the government. The Republican
party was not in existence, and yet the
Republic was formed and managed to
survive. Certainly the Republican
convention is altogether too general in
its contrasts. If the Democrats II
Denver saw At to be equally general
they might point to the Constitution Of
the United States as the work Of the
fathers Of the party: they might poin,
to the fact that every foot Of territory
belonging to the United States was
acquired by the Democratic party
Alaska, the Philippines. and Porte
Rico. alone excepted. But we do no,
believe that either party will be
allowed to carry on this campaign or
generalities. The people will be look
Ing toward the future this fall, not
toward the past We think the last
man has been placed in the presidents
chair on the record Of the "bloody