The Caucasian. (Clinton, N.C.) 188?-1913, 1910-12-22

cause they are too respectable but
It is because they are themselves too
much wanting in respectahllity.'
At this point the speaker was
greeted with great burst OF prolong-
ed applause.
The Platforms Briefly Contrasted.
At this point the speaker held up
the Republican State platform, and
said that here was a Straightforward
and honest platform, containing
great promises. expressed in plain
and simple terms. He called attention
TO the fact that any party or any indi-
vidual who believed in anything never
had any trouble in making the public
understand what they meant He said
that when a party intended to keep
its promises that it was willing TO
make these promises clear and en-
phatic and couch them in language
so simple that a child or a way-far-
ing man could understand them.
! Continuing, he said: .The Repub-
jt1can party believes I'm something. Il
stands for great and progressive prin-
ciples of government for both State
and Nation. The Republican party
never fears to make promises and to
make them in clear terms, because
1t is party that does things and
keeps its promises. This platform
contains number of great promises,
every one of them for the welfare of
the State and Nation, and every one
OF them stated so simply, clearly and
concisely that there can be hereafter
no controversy as to whether or not
the party has kept it's promises. In
deed, the platform is so clear and ex-
plicit that every Democrat in the
State admits that he understands
every plank in it except one, and in
asmuch as they claim that there is
one plank that they do not fully un-
derstand, will take up that plank
first.
Local Self Government.
THE plank which they claim not
to understand is the one declaring in
plain and simple. but in broad, clear
and concise terms for the restoration
of local self government to the peo-
pie OF this State. 1t is a declaration
for local self government without any
ifs or 'ands' or conditions Our
Democratic friends who claim that
they do not understand this plank
simply succeed In making themselves
ridiculous.
The Democratic party, six years
| ago, had this same plank in its plat
form, and at that. time every Demo
erat in the State claimed that he un-
derstood what local self government
meant IL there is a Democrat in
this audience who now claims that
he does not understand what local
self government means, I say to him
his only trouble is that he does not
want to understand. / say to such a
Democrat that IL he does not under
stand what local self government
means, then am ready to wager that
for the same reason he win claim
that he does not understand what the
| Ten Commandments mean.
BY way or illustration, VIII read
the Eighth Commandment for the
benefit of such Democrats, il there
be any here. 1t In as follows: Thou
shalt not steal Is there any Demo
crat In this audience who will claim
that he does not understand what
that Commandment means? When
the Lord handed down these ten
great rules OF action to guide our feet
day by day to make us better citi-
zens, he eouched them In the plainest
and simplest language possible
am aware Of the fact, however, thai
] there are certain Democratic machine
leaders in North Carolina, headed By
one T. NJ. Simmons. who claims thaa
they do not understand the Eighth
i Commandment Mr.. Simmons and
his machine OF ballot box stuffers
IcIaim that that Commandment should
be amended or construed TO read al
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