The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1916-09-02

in the habit of rejecting those who
have actually served them for those
who are making doubtful and conjec
tural promises of service. Least of all
are they likely to substitute those who
promised to render them particular
services and proved false to that prom
Use for those who have actually rem
dered those very services.
ssHas Done Its Duty
Boosting is always an empty BUSH
ness, which pleases nobody but the
boaster and | have no disposition to
boast of what the Democratic party
has accomplished. 1t has merely done
it's duty. 1t has merely fulfilled its
explicit promises. But there can be
no violation of good taste in calling at
tentiOn to the manner In which those
promises have been carried out or in
adverting to the interesting fact that
many of the things accomplished were
what the opposition party had again
and again promised to do but had left
undone. Indeed that is manifestly
part of the business of this year of
reckoning and assessment. There is
no means of judging the future except
by assessing the past. Constructive
action must be weighed against de-
structive comment and reaction. The
Democrats either have or have not I'M
derstood the varied interests of the
country. The test is contained in the
record.
What is that record? What were
the Democrats called into power to
do? What things had long waited to
be done. and how did the Democrats
do them? 1t is a record of extraordi-
nary length and variety, rich in ele-
ments of many kinds, but consistent
in principle thruout and susceptible
of brief recital.
Lose Nations Heartbeat.
The Republican party was put out
of power because of failure, practical
failure and moral failure; because it
had served special interests and not
the country at large; because, under
the leadership of its preferred and eS-
tablished guides, of those who still
make it's choices, it had lost touch with
the thoughts and the needs of the ma
ton and was living in a past age and
under fixed illusion, the illusion of
greatness. 1t had framed tariff laws
based upon a fear of foreign trade,
fundamental doubt as to American
skill, enterprise, and capacity, and a
very tender regard for the profitable
privileges of those who had gained
control of domestic markets and do
nestle credits; and yet had enacted
antitrust laws which hampered the
very things they meant to foster,
which were stiff and inelastic, and in
part unintelligible. 1t had permitted
the country turnout the long period
Of it's control to stagGer from one
financial crisis to another under the
operation of a national banking law
of its own framing which made
stringency and panic certain and the
control of the largest business opera
lions of the country by the bankers OF
q few reserve centers inevitable; had
made as if it meant to reform the law
but had fundamentally failed in the
attempt. because it could not bring It
self to do the one thing necessary TO
make the reform genuine and e11ec-
tual namely, break up the control of
Of INuV IT
oblivious or Indifferent, to the fact
that the farmers, upon whom the
country depends for its food and IN
the last analysis for us prospeI...ly,
were without standing in the matter
of commercial credit, without the pro
lection of standards in their market
transactions, and without systematic
knowledge of the markets themselves
that the laborers of the country, the
great army of men who man the IN
dustries it was protesting to 1athef
and promote, carried their lapor as
mere commodity to market, were sup
iect to restraint by novel ana orasuc
process in the courts, were without as
surance of compensation for industrial
accidents. without federal asslsttIlcs
in accommodating labor disputes anu
without national aid or advice in md
ing tn. places and the industries IN
which their labor was most neeoeo:
The country had no national system OF
road construction and development
I III
the army, and not enough to the navy
The other republics of America o1S-
trusted us, because they found that we
thought first of the profits OF AMIR
can Investors and only as an aIter
thought of impartial justice and help-
ful friendship. It's policy was proVln-
cial in all things; its purposes were out
of harmony with the temper anu PuI
pose of the people and the timely de-
velopment of the nations interests.
+
cratic marty came into power. How
! do they stand now? Alike IN tne
domestic field and in the wide field OF
I the commerce of the world. American
business and life and industry nave
been set free to move as lhey heNei
| moved before.
| Democratic Achievements.
! The tariff has been revised, not on
the Drinciple of repelling foreign
| trade. but upon tine principle of en-
couraging it, upon something ike
footing of equality with our own In
respect of the terms of competition;
and a tariff board has been created
whose function it will be to keep the
! relations of American with foreign
/ business and industry under constant
/ observation, for the guidance alike OF
/ our business men and of our congress:
| American energies are now directed
/ towards the markets of the world.
The laws against trusts have peen
/ clarified by definition, with view to
making it plain that they were NOT
directed against big business but only
against unfair business and the pre-
tense of competition where there was
none; and a trade commission has been
| created with powers of guidance and
1 accommodation which have relieved
business men of unfounded fears and
set them upon the road of hopeful
and confident enterprise.
By the federal reserve act the sup
ply of currency at the disposal OF
/ active business has been rendered
elastic. taking it's volume, not from
fixed body of investment securities,
but from the liquid assets of daily
trade: and these assets are assessed
Il Il i-fcl of