The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1916-09-18

TN EMOCRATIC campaign speakers
W have lots of good materlai W
,,rassn+ tn the voters without exag-
oerat;ne facts or being personally
abusive in referring to their oppe-
nents. The republican party Is the
sam e reac-
Republican Orators in tionary or
stereotyped Speeches ganlzation "
was W h n
Roosevelt bolted and led the progress
sives four years ago. The public should
not be allowed to lose sight OF that
fact; but when it comes to argument
in behalf of the democratic admins
tration one has only to look at us
splendid achievements.
No party has ever accomplished as
much in legislation OF tar-reacnlhg
benefit in period of three and hall
wears as the democratic party since
March, 1918.
The republican orators now on the
hastings continue to make stereo-
typed speeches. They advance no con-
structive ideas. Their talk is mostly
of the negative sort. And still many
of those who followed Roosevelt IN
1912 are now following blindly the
standpat leader.
The democratic campaign is not yet
fully under way; but it soon will be
and many an independent voter now
undecided will become enlightened and
cast his ballot for the ticket that
stands for true progressive principles
and straightforward methods.
VNTHILE thousands of the most
Wv successful business men in the
industrial centers of the east and the
middle west have always voted the
democratic ticket some recent ac-
quisitions to the party are distinctly
significant. Among the manufactur-
ers of wide
Many of the Greatest fame who
Business Men for Wilson have hith-
erto b e n
republicans but who have declared
themselves for Wilson are Thomas A.
Edison and Henry Ford.
Mr.. Edison is not only a great cleo
trician and mighty inventor but I'M
like most geniuses he has keen in
sight into economic problems and is
an exceptionally able business man.
Early in the presidential contest he
came out for the democratic ticket,
and as the campaign progresses he is
evincing more and more interest in
the political situation and eagerness
to help the democratic cause.
Mr.. Ford's announcement that he
would vote for Wilson caused even
greater surprise than Edison's an
nouncement. While Edison had always
been a republican he had never been
conspicuous as a party man. The De-
troit manufacturer, on the other hand,
had been known at home for the ardor
4 with which he adhered to the G. o. P.
But in the brief statement explaining
why he had become a partisan of the
democratic standard bearer he made
it plain that the practical achieve
ments of the democratic party under
the leadership of President Wilson
caused him to change his political al
legiancs.
Although Mr.. Ford has been re-
garded as an -pacificist, he has
modified his views materially, so far
as preparedness for America is con-
cerned, for he indorses the administra-
tion's preparedness programme unre-
servedly, considering it, as well any
one might, peace measure.
As . manufacturer and philan-
thropist and lover of that social JUS
tice which the progressives clamored
for, Mr.. Ford is among the foremost
citizens of the United States. Any
man who could found a manufacturing
company that now employs an army
of skilled workmen and that shows
net earnings at the rate of 100000