Daily capital journal. (Salem, Oregon) 1903-1919, 1916-09-02


! Democratic convention has again, i'll
such generous fashion, asked me to
accept without first expressing my
profound gratitude to the party for
the trust 1t reposes in me after four
years Of fiery trial in the midst OF
affairs Of unprecedented difficulty,
and the keen sense of added responsl-
bility with which this honor fills II
had almost said burdens me as l
think of the great issues of national
life and policy involved in the present
/ and immediate future conduct of our
government. l shall seek, as have
always sought, to justify the extraor-
ldinary confidence thus reposed in me
by striving to purge my heart and pur-
pose of every personal and of every
misleading party motive and devoting
every energy have to the service of
the nation as whole, praying that
may continue to have the counsel and
support of all forward looking men at
every turn OF the difficult business.
People With Democratic Party.
| 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 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
promise for those who have actually
rendered those very services.
=, alv huei-
ness, which pleases nobody but the
boaster, and 1 have no disposition to
boast of what the democratic party
has accomplished. 1t has merely done
its 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 reckon
ing and assessment. There is no means
of Judging the future except by as
sessing the past. Constructive action
must be weighed against destructive
comment and reaction. The demo-
Gratis either have or have not under
stood the varied interests of the
country. The test is contained in the
record.
Record is Long and Consistent.
What is that recordl What were the
democrats called into power to do9
What things had long waited to be
done, and how did the democrats do
them9 1t is record of extraordinary
length and variety, rich in elements of
many kinds, but consistent in princi-
pie 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 es-
tablished guides, of those who still
make its choices, it had lost touch
the nation. and was living in a past
age and under fixed illusion, the
: illusion of greatness. 1t had framed
tariff laws based upon fear of for
eign trade, Fundamental, doubt as to
American skill. enterprise, and ca
pacity. and very tender regard for
the profitable privileges of those who
had gained control of domestic mar
Lets and domestic credits; and yet
had enacted antitrust laws which
hampered the very things they meant
to foster. which were stiff and inelas-
tic, and in part unintelligible.
Banking Law Favored Panics.
1t had permitted the country
throughout the long period of its con
troll TO stagger from one financial
crisis to another under the operation
of national banking law of its own
9 framing which made stringency and
panic certain and the control of the
, larger business operations of the
country by the bankers of few re-
serve concerns inevitable; had made as
! il it meant to reform the law but had
faint -heartedly failed in the attempt
because it could not bring itself to dc
, the one thing necessary to make the
= reform genuine and effective. namely
i break up the control of small groups
of bankers. 1t had been oblivious. OF
, Indifferent, to the fact that the
= farmers, upon whom the country de
. pends for its food and in the last
analysis for its prosperity, were with
out standing in the matter of com
. mercial credit. without the protection
q of standards in their market trans
a actions, and without systematic knowl
edge of the markets themselves: thai
the laborers of the country. the grea
army of men who man the industries
it was protesting to father and pro
:, mote. carried their labor as mer,
q commodity to market, were subject t
. restraint by novel and drastic process
in the courts, were without assuranc,
= of compensation for industrial acci
dents, without federal assistance il
4 accommodating labor disputes. ant
:. without national aid or advice in find
: ing the places and the industries il
: which their labor was most needed.
g Army, Navy Disregarded.
o The country had no national system
4 of road construction and development
Little intelligent attention was pait
e to the army and not enough to tn
a navy. The other republics of Americ,
$ distrusted us, because they found tina
g we thought first of the profits o
/. American investors and only az al
afterthought of impartial justice an,