The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1908-09-29
HIS OPENING ADDRESS.
James s. sherman Begins His Western
Campaign in Chicago.

/ A1iiNi man, 1NCpuDiiCdn CdnOiQdAC ACi
vice president. spoke as follows:
1T seems to be appropriate that a
citizen of Alexander Hamilton's state
and a graduate of Hamilton college
1 should make his first speech in this
campaign under the auspices of the
| Hamilton club. AS this club is con-
| spicuous for its devotion to Repub-
| lican principle and its interest in pre-
| noting American ideas and ideals. !
! feel especially honored in being accord
| ed the privileges of speaking under its
| auspices at its opening of this most
| important campaign.
| Our task, as Republicans in this
| campaign, our duty as Americans. is TO
convince a majority of the voters that
Republican policies, Republican enact
ments. Republican administration will
produce the greatest degree of pros
| perity. of progress. of contentment, the
| fullest measure of the neceSSarieS, the
comforts, the Injuries of life. the best
plane of living, of education. of civil
| ization, the surest prospect of the high
est attainment.
Our task is easier than that of our
adversaries because we have a premise
on which to base our argument. We
have a past to which we exultantly
point; past on which we rightfully
base predictions for the future. The
only past to which our Democratic
brethren care to refer is three-quarters
VI Il century gone. To the HlSlOIH VI
Jefferson and Jackson; they appeal to
| history rather than to memory. De-
mocracy's recent past they either hide,
decry. repudiate or attempt to excuse.
Democracy's peerless leaders lOftiesL
periods deal wholly with the expected.
His roseate pictures are of the future;
are attempted X-rays. Ours are of the
past. are of things accomplished, deeds
done. results attained.
When Democracy does explore a
past more recent than Jackson's time,
it is to criticise and condemn the Re-
publican party for alleged failure to do
that which Democracy never attempt
ed to do when the opportunity was
hers.
principles and great national poll
cies may change from time to time for
one of two reasons. Either an issue or
question may be solved and perma-
nently settled, such as the slavery
question; such as resumption of specie
payments: such as the establishment
of the gold standard; such as the
building of the Panama canal, or it ca II
be abandoned temporarily or per-
manently because it is not at the time
expedient or because it seems impossi-
BILE of final accomplishment. OF the
latter 1 might mention the free coinage
of silver at a ratio of 16 to 1, govern
ment ownership of railroads, the in
itiative and referendum and similar
policies that Mr.. Bryan has advocated,
but for the time. at least. has omitted
from the Democratic platform, which
he framed. because their further adj
vocacy at present would be fatal to his
party's chances of success, if chance 1t
has.
These characteristics of the two
great parties the parties which have
appealed to the American electorate
for 50 years. are not only worthy of at
tention. but of analysis Men are
and thpir worth iS Q3nOph not
alone by character but generally by a
life long record of accomplishments.
Parties should be gagged the same
way. Mr. Bryan is bound to the tradi~
lions and blunders of the Democratic
party. He has seized it's. name cap
tured its organization. has written its
platforms, and by force, made himself
it's candidate. He has fathered and
advocated one unwise, dangerous and
destroying policy after another; each
one dying the campaign OF its birth
and thousands of Democrats refuse to
yield to his dictation or be bound to
his chariot wheels.
1.-THE Democratic party, not only has
a very small record since the birth OF
the Republican party, but of the rec
ord il has as to legislation and ac-
complishments, the one great law
which it put upon our statute books
when it had the opportunity. was, a
measure described by a Democratic
president az one 'of perfidy and dis
honor and brought harm to our coun-
try and disaster to our people.
Comparing the various platforms
of the Democratic party for the last
half century, we find that it has chung
to but one policy or principle, and
that is free trade. The policy has liv-
ed through all the varying years as
the one issue that has been taken up
and not abandoned. / think it was
Henry Watterson who said that the
Democratic party is a free trade party
or it is nothing and certainly in the
light of history no one can dispute
that statement. 1t is as strongly the
one as it is apparently the other.
'Analyzing briefly what the Demo-
cratic party has stood for during the
past thirty years. and what it has done
or attempted to do. we find that it has
preserved only one doctrine. viz: a,
tariff for revenue only, or free trade,
and that it has put on our statute
books only one law. and that as near
a free trade law as it was possible to
get through both houses of congress.
That in a nutshell is the Democratic
record and the Democratic characte
no need to analyze the various
platforms adopted by the Republican
marty during these same years to as
certain for what it has stood. We can
take up the record of accomplish
ments. We learn not only what has
been advocated, but what has been
done We find that as consistently as
the Democratic party has advocated
free trade, just so consistently and
persistently has the Republican party
advocated protection.
Mr. Sherman here enumerated re-
sumption of specie payments the gold
standard, free rural delivery the
railroad rate law. the depart
ment of agriculture, the pure
lou ha In
law and many other accomplishments
of the Republicans as constituting a
great record. and then promised his
hearers that in coming years the Re
publican party Will inaugurate a pos
tai savings bank system.
I'm every department of our gov
ernment." lie added. "the waJchword
of Rennhlican statesmen in lePislat tive