The Hartford herald. [volume] (Hartford, Ky.) 1875-1926, 1916-09-13
PROMISES kept,
) SAYS PRESIDENT
MI. Wilson Reviews His Work
as Chief Magistrate.
PARTY HAS DONE ITS DUTY.

Farmers ana WofklngTen 6enentee
by Remedial Measures, American
Merchant Marine Revived, Nations
: Defense Provided For.
In his address at Shadow Lawn
Long Branch, n. j.. accepting the
Democratic nomination for president
Woodrow Wilson said:
Senator James, Gentlemen of the Mott
jcation Committee, Fellow Citizens
cannot accept the leadership and re-
spOnsibility which the national Dem.
ocratic convention has again In such
generous fashion asked me to accept
without first expressing my profound
gratitude to the party for the trust II
repOScs In me after four years of fiery
trial in the midst of affairs of unpre-
cedented difficulty. and the keen sense
Of added responsibility with which this
honor fills Il had almost said burdensD
me as | think of the great issues of
national life and policy involved In the
present and immediate future conduct
Of our government. | shall seek. as
have always sought, to justify the ex-
traordinary confidence thus reposed in
me by striving TO purge my heart and
purpose of every personal and of every
misleading party motive and devotinS
every energy | have to the service Of
the nation as a whole. praying that |
may continue to have the counsel and
support OF all forward looking men
at every turn Of the difficult business
For ] do not doubt that the people
Of the United States will wish the
Democratic party to continue In con-
troll of the government. They are not
in the habit of rejecting those who
have actually served them for those
who are making doubtful and con-
iectural promises Of service. Least Of
all are they likely to substitute those
who promised to render them particu-
lar services and proved false to that
promise for those who have actually
rendered those very services.
BOastinE is always an empty bust
ness, which pleases nobody but the
boaster, and I have no disposition to
boast of what the Democratic party
has accomplished. 1t has merely done
its duty. 1t has merely fulfilled its ex-
plicit 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
gdverting 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 he weighed against de-
comment and reaction. The
Democrats either have or have not I'M
derstood the varied interests OF the
country. The test IL contained In the
record.
What is that record? What were
the Democrats called into power to do?
What things had long waited to he
thcmf 1t is a record of extraordinary
,cagth aud variety, rich In elements
Of many kinds. but consistent In prin-
ciplc throughout and susceptible of
brief recital.
4 Record Of Failure.
The Republican party was put out
of power because of failure, practical
failure aud moral failure; because it
had served special interests ANA not
the country at large; because under
the leadership OF its preferred and es-
iahlishcd guides, Of those who still
make its choices. II had lost touch
with the thoughts and needs Of the
nation and was living in past age
gul under a fixed Illusion, the illusion
Of greatness. II had framed tarilf
laws based upon fear OF foreign
trade, n fundamental doubt rs 10
American skin. enterprise and capac-
fly, ana very tender regard for the
profitable privileges of those who had
gained control of domestic markets
ana domestic credits, and yet had en-
Noted antitrust laws which hamDcrcd
the very things. they meant TO foster
" hich were stiff aud inclastic and in
part unintclligibc. IL had permitted
the country throughout the long period
Of It's control to stagger from one lnan-
cial crisis 10 another under the opera
ton Of "A national banking law of its
own framing which made stringcncy
md panic certain and the control OF
the larger business operations of the
by the bankers Of few re-
serve centas inevitable; had made as
II il meant to reform the law. but had
faint heartedly failed In the attempt,
because IL could not bring itself TO do
the one thing necessary TO make the
reform genuine and Overwhelmingly,
break up the control OF small groups OF
bankers. II had been oblivlous or In
different TO the fact that the farmers.
upon whom the country depends for
lis food and In the last analysis for
It's prosperity. were without standing
In the matter OF commercial credit,
without protection Of standards In
heir market transactions and without
systematic knowledge Of the markets
that the lsborers Of the