, 1908-07-07
The Keynote Address.

Denver, ~ July Hon. Theo-
dore A. Bell of California, who was
elected temporary chairman of the
democratic national convention which
assembled here al noon, delivered the
following address upon taking the
chair, which was received with ap-
plause at its conclusion, the speaker
being interrupted many times, and
particularly at the mention, in the
closing words, of the name of William
Jennings Bryan:
Temporary Chairman's Address.
Mr.. Chairman and Gentlemen of the
Convention:
Crises arise in the life of nations
which %endanger their Institutions, and,
at times, imperil the advance of civil
ization. Every people that has left its
impress upon history has faced such
crises. In most instances, where
grave dangers have threatened the
safety of the state, some great char
acter, some master mind, has been
found. produced, as it were, by the con
ditions themselves, with capacity TO
uiASSt b tAS Chti 6iCo VI Inc pCoplC.
This was true of the ancient world, it
has been tru of the modern world, it
1t true of this republic. We have such
a crisis tomeettoday. The favor seeking
corporations have gradually strength
ened this hold upon the government
until they now menace popular institu-
lions.
A Grave Question.
The question is whether this govern
ment shall be restored to the control
of the people and be administered in
the interest of all, or whether it shall
remain an instrument in the hands OF
the few for levying tribute upon all the
rest.
Rich Men Banded Together.
In his special message to congress
last winter, President Roosevelt de-
clared, substantially, that certain
wealthy men who have become enor-
mously rich by expressing the wage
Garner, defrauding the public and
practicing all forms of iniquity, have
banded together, and by the unlimited
use of money, endeavor to secure free.
dom from restraint and to overthrow
and discredit all who honestly admin
lister the law.
Their Only justification.
That the methods by which these
men have acquired their great for
tunes can only be justified by a system
of morality that would permit every
form of criminality, every form of VIC
lence, corruption and fraud.
Have Controlled G. o. p.
For many years, and especially dur
ing the last twelve years, these very
men have been in control of the repub-
lican party; they have financed every
campaign of that party for a quarter
ofacentury. These exploiters ofthe PEG
pie whom the president has SO scath-
ingly denounced, have given their en-
thusiastic support to the republican
candidates and policies. They laid
their hands upon the trust funds Of in
surance companies and other corpora
lions and turned the plumber over to
the republican committee. The
money thus flched from the innocent
and helpless, to purchase republican
victory, has not been repaid.
Where, Oh, Where?
And where do we find these men to
day? Where are the swollen for
tunes of which We have heard SC
much? Just where we would expect
to find them-supporting the republi
can ticket and furnishing the sinews
of wan for the republican committee as
usual.
Party Shown Up.
The platform adopted by the late
convention shows what the republican
party in truth represents. Although
controlled by the friends of Roosevelt
and Taft. in framing the platform
every genuine reform which Roose
welt has advocated was scorned and
trampled beneath the iron heel of the
predatory masters of the republican
party.
Stumbling Wisconsins.
The Wisconsin delegation, which
favored placing a few reform rlanks in
the platform, was denounced with
sneers as being socialistic and demo
cratic, and the convention, by a vote
of eight to one, repudiated the re
forms that the present administration
claims to favor.
Deprived of Masks.
The mask of hypocrisy and decep
ton has been tori from the face o.
those who pretend to favor the poll
cies of the president, and we now
know why the system admires Taft
tolerates Roosevelt, and hates the sena
tor from Wisconsin. When compelled
to choose between an appeal to the
manhood and conscience of the people
In defense of its platform and candi
date, on the one hand, and the million.
that the special interests" may BIZ
depended upon to contribute on the
other, the republican party rejected
the people and continued its alliance
with Mammon.
Meeting "Grave" Situation.
II the charges made by the presiden
are true-and they are true-we are in
deed face to face with a situation a
grave as any in our history. How
shall it be metz The good sense, pa
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