The Hartford herald. [volume] (Hartford, Ky.) 1875-1926, 1908-10-28
A GREAT DAY
FOR DEMOCRATS
Was Last Saturday in
Hartford
HON. D. h. SMITHS SPEECH
Dealt With the Issues of the
Campaign in a Master
full Manner.

Saturday was a great day for the
Democrats of Ohio county, it being
general rally day in Hartford and also
the date of the speaking of Hon. d. H
Smith here. Mr. Smith had spoken at
McHenry the night before and it was
arranged to have a procession escort
him to Hartford. The procession
reached here just at noon, and was a
long and imposing one, there being
many ladies in the crowd. There
were two bands in attendance, tie
Leitohfield cornet band and the Cen
tertown band. The music was excel
lent and was heartily cheered by
the large crowd. Mr.. Smith was warm
ly greeted by his many friends, and
after dinner all repaired to the court
house to hear the speaking.
The speaker was introduced Hon.
H. =. Taylor in a most convincing and
earnest manner. He outlined
the speech which was about
to come, and said the main
issue was whether or not we shall
live under constitutional government
Said the Constitution must govern
and not man.
MIR. Smith said at the outset that
no occasion Of recent years had given
him more pleasure than the present
one. He thanked the good ladies'
for their presence. He said the
women folks give distinction and
honor to any occasion, and inspire
men to patriotic deeds. The speaker
referred to the days of his young man
hood, when he was a school boy here
in Hartford, and paid a splendid tri-
butte to the old town and its people.
He said his speech, which would be
principally abou THE tariff, would quite
likely be dull, but his prediction was
not verified, for there was
not a minute of the time when he
did not hold the closest attention
of the large audience. He was fire.
quently applauded, and his hearers
showed that they were with him.
Mr.. Smith having been a member Of
Congress for several terms, is one
of the best informed speakers in the
country on the tariff and his speech
was replete with forceful logic and
apt illustrations. He fully exploded
the old Republican fallacy that the
foreigner pays hte tax, and explain
ed in a convincing manner how the
taritf-protected trusts sell their wares
cheaper to foreigners than to home
consumers. The tariff now levied
is not to protect American labor, but
to further enrich the already rich
'infant" industries.
Various quoted prices showed that
protected goods are sold at a lower
price 10 foreigners than toAmericans
There is something wrong with the
policy which protects the big indus
tries while 1t ignores the consuming
workingman.
The Democratic Platform is in
favor of just enough tax to pay the
expenses of the Governemnt economi-
cally administered. Any other sort
is unfair, unjust and dishonest.
The Democratic party stands by the
Constitution on all questions affect
ing the people. The citizen consti-
tutes the unit of all government prop
erly administered. The Democratic
party will never die so hong as the
belief exists that the people consti-
tute the great sovereign power. The
Republican party is essentially a party
of bosses and bcssism, practiced from
the President down to the most re-
mote districts. the Federal office-hcl-
ders being among the most prominent.
Mr.. Smith recalled how that a year
ago, Republican speakers were going
ND and down the land, screaming
Democratic maehine!" and now he
asked his Republican friends to- look
right into the ranks of their own
party and see If they could not dis
cover evidences of the ranlzest sort
of machine rule. Republicans Them
selves have been witnesses of the opeI-
ations of the steam roller as APP
piled by their leaders. No Repub-
can can OF will deny that Fairbanks
was mercilessly slaughtered 10 make
room for the Presidents choice. Ted
dy says he wants man who will car