The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1912-09-14

through? We have had samples of
the confusion already. We already
have very queerly assorted senate
or the United States. There are
some Democrats in it, some near
Democrats and Republicans, and
some ex-Republicans, and it has been
a gamblers chance whether they
would get together on anything or
not.
| 1T has been difficult to guess after q
bilr passed the house Of representa-
tives exactly what was going to hap
pen to 1t when it got into the senate,
and the roll call in several votes
has seldom shown the same list of
names.
| Now, suppose you had the house
of representatives mixed like the
present senate? / think it would all
go fishing for the next two years. And
If at the same time you had a leader
insistent upon certain policies 1
think the air would be full of
clamorous voices, but the statute book
would be very empty Of fulfilled
promises--not because. it may be,
nobody was trying to fulfill the pro-
misses. but because each member Was
trying to fulfill different promise.
But the most certain impediment
to the progress l have not yet spoken
of. The new party does not even
propose to clear the docks and set the
government free to act. The central
proposal of it's actual programme is
to legalize monopoly. Instead Of de-
! feating. instead of reversing and rem
edying, the evil things that have
been done under the mistaken leader
ship of the regular Republican lead
ers. II proposes that the results of
their mistakes shall be legalized and
made regular by being taken under
the direct supervision of the govern
ment of the United States. Whatever
may be the philanthropic purpose of
certain parts of its programme, tae
inevitable result Of that particular
proposal will be to confirm by law the
partnership between great trusts and
the federal government. do not
say that this is what the leaders OF
the new party expect to propose, but
merely that is what will happen, what
must happen under such plar..
There has been a history Of the hu-
man race. you know, and a history OF
government; it is recorded; and the
kind Of thing they propose has always
led to the results which l have pre-
dicted.
| Then you have only the Demo
cratic party left; and you will ask
me how i can set up a claim for the
Democratic party. Well, in the first
place. 1t Is rather fine discipline to
have been on the outside for 16 years.
You have not trusted the government
of the United State to the Demo
cratic party because the Democratic
party has been opposed all these years
to the things that the Republican
leaders were doing. Is not that a
statement Of mere fact Haven't we
been attacking them and opposing
them all these years and proposing
programmes that once looked radical
and now look reasonable? We haven't
just begun being progressive. We
have been progressive for 16 years,
and we saw the year 1912 half a gene
ration before 1t came. Are you
going to give us no credit for vision ?
Do you not think 1t counts for some
thing to stay out in the cold on a
conviction for 16 years?
'The Democratic party is now, per-
haps for the first time In a genera :
tion. united, solid and enthusiastic.
And the Democratic party is the only
organized force by which you can set
your government free. / was bred
In football college. / know that
what wins is team work. and want
to tell you that we have now got d
Democratic team. schooled in years
OF advers!ty. that can hold together
against any team that can BE- put in
the field. and as compared with which
some teams recently organized are
only scrub teams"
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