The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1916-09-05


destructive comment and reaction.
The democrats either have or have
not understood 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? It is a record of extraordinary
length and variety, rich in elements
of many kinds, but consistent in prin-
ciple throughout and susceptible of
brief recital.
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
established guides, of those who still
make its choices, it had lost touch
with the thoughts and the needs of
the nation and was living in past
age and under a fixed Illusion, the
| illusion of greatness. 1t had framed
tariff laws based upon a fear of for
egn trade, a fundamental doubt as to
American skill, enterprise, and capac-
| ity, and very tender regard for the
profitable privileges of those who had
gained control of domestic markets
and domestic credits; and yet had
enacted antitrust laws which hamper
ed the very things they meant to fos-
ter, which were stiff and inelastic, and
in part unntelligible. 1t had permit
ted the country throughout the long
period of its 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 larger business opera
tions of the country by the bankers OF
a few reserve centres inevitable; had
made as if it meant to reform the
law but had faint-heartedly failed in
the attempt, because it could not
bring itself to do the one thing neces-
! sary 10 make the reform genuine and
effectual, namely, break up the con-
troll of small groups OF bankers. it
had been oblivious, or indifferent, %
the fact that the farmers. upon wnom
the country depends for its food and
in the last analysis for its prosperity,
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 processing to father
and promote, carried their labor as
mere commodity to market, were sub
iect to restraint by novel and drastic
process in the courts, were without
assurance Of compensation for indus
trial accidents. without federal assist
ance in accommodating labor dis
putes, and without national aid or ad-
vice in finding the places and the
industries in which their labor was
most needed. The country had no
national system OF road construction
and development. Little intelligent
attention was paid TO the army, and
not enough to the navy. The other
republics of America distrusted US,
because they found that we thought
first of the profits of American In
vestors and only as an afterthought OF
impartial justice and helpful friend
! ship. It's policy was provincial in all
things; its purposes were out Of har-
mony with the temper and purpose OF
the people and the timely develop
ment OF the nations interests.
So things stood when the democratic
party came into power. How do they
stand now? Alike in the domestic
field and in the wide field of the COM
merce of the world. American business
and life and industry have been set
free 10 move as they never moved
before.
The tariff has been revised, not on
the principle OF repelling foreign trade
but upon the principle OF encouraging !
IL, upon something like a footing Of
equality with our own in respect TO
the terms of competition. and a tariff