The Leon reporter. (Leon, Iowa) 1887-1930, 1914-07-30
hon. Maurice ConnOlly'S Great Speech at the
Democratic State Convention.


not fall far short of victory, and l
periods of the campaign that success
would crown the efforts of Edwin T..
Meredith. There seemed to come
across the space between Des Moines
and Dubuque the hand Of one who
had given splendid demonstration
of the manly qualities of most mag
unanimous loser. 1t had been my
thought that the result of the nomin-
alton might place me in similar
situation and had determined that
the voice of the popular democracy
should be to me command that had
they chosen him their leader should
be the first to doff my coat and rem
der to the very limit of whatever abil-
ity, energy and means I possessed, to
bring about his election in November.
1t was my privilege recently to
work quietly but hopefully with the
president and distinguished cabinet
officer to advance his name for con-
sideration along lines for which his
work had peculiarly fitted him, and
l feel that he and his friends realize
that my efforts, while unOstentatious,
were earnest and sincere. The rela-
lions between us, and the magnani-
nous tones Of the letters that have
received from his chief lieutenants
give me great hopes in this campaign,
that with the principle and directing
generals of his organization coming
clear through in this spirit of COOP
Grafton that it will stimulate an en-
thusiasm that will touch every fibre
of the fabric of Iowa democracy and
will reach to every corner of our
great state, working for the success
of every man upon the democratic
ticket.
Let us not contemplate so much
the personal popularity of our can
didates. There is no man among us
who appeals in a personal way to the
various elements of our party, but
let us think him rather Us the repre-
sentative of the great basic principles
upon which our party rests, and ele-
vate those principles by electing our
candidates. In the evolution of poll
tics it is the sincerity of the man that
counts today 1t is his sense of honor
and integrity toward the people that
should impress this generation. Per-
sonal ambition and political oppor-
tunism have tendency to blind
many public men toward their duties
and toward their contract with the
electorate. We sometimes hear that
a man is congressional "size,' or
gubernatorial 'size," or has the pro-
portions for whatever Office he may
aspire to, and this standard has in
the past frequently been measured
by superficial ability; by brilliancy;
by lingual and oratorical accomplish
ments, but the great thinking and
progressive forces of the American
people today realize that gifts and
talents when directed toward person
al ambitions without regard to con-
sistency, comprise not forces for the
benefit of the people, but elements
that operate against the best interests
of the people. rT
< No matter what their talents may
be, work Of genuine labor is often
impeded by men, who, in the mirror
of self-contemplation, decide that
there is great political future be-
You'd The men who can serve the
people to the best advantage are not
those who have an over-weening ambi-
ton for personal Qualification; men
who keep constantly before them
their political possibilities and shape
their actions accordingly, backing
and filling, shifting from one foot to
the other, bowling at this moment in
one direction and at the smile of
promise turning again in another d.
rection. l believe the people of this
country want to decide themselves as
to the potentiality for good in their
public men and this so-called "size"
for office does not depend upon the
brilliancy of the ambitious men, but
rather upon the size of the soul, the
conscience and the heart, of men who
work sincerely, if quietly, to carry
out the programme of pledges to the
people who gave them office, and
herein lies the power and the force
for good in that quiet, dignified, ear
nest, sincere, modest and conscien-
tious servant of the people who now
occupies the White House.
Against the background of democ-
racy there loom large and illustrious
figures. In it's present hour and un-
der this administration we see the
face and figure of one who for many
years has blazed the way through
the wilderness of privilege and pro-
tected interests toward the promised
land of popular rule. Democracy
contemplates with affection the pio-
neer work of this great protector of
popular right and no ridicule, no
shafts of irony that come from the
bows of entrenched privilege can
spoil our estimate of his works for
mankind. The great moral forces
not only of this country, but of the
world, get inspiration from the purity
of his life; from the virile morality
and christian character of the great
commoner, William Jennings Bryan.
Again in this hour against this
background of democracy we see the
figure of a great party leader. A man
of splendid judgment; rare diplom-
acy, self-sacrificing qualities, who in
the preparation of great tariff bill
set an example for legislation of this
character by barring the breast of his
own district to the knife of tariff leg
islation. The history of this admins
tration cannot overlook the work Of
Oscar w. Underwood.
Once more in this hour of demo-