The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1916-01-11

u
/ 1lArkstan4 Eota fooirHk - ~
~. M chfsf skeyno,ks ~. N,
IS-p aseis1 NJ olleGNzleo ~ >l
pfseres1vs persy ~ GO - a.
InDent alonG win ~ o1&cn11c
lAn4 the pcpu1ista N theA iat&rno
Ifnto : sev&re axTalonnnent q ~
democratic administration. ana hand-
LED : few hot shots % the Nspubiicsn
headers
Text o. speech.
e0f late ws Amtr1cAnp have been
hearing . new and strange doctrine;
i 10 that men can be too proud to
light Thank God no one has been
party. We have made our light; Il
has been good light, Worthwhile
light, and We are gathering here 1t
this time with nothing 70 b ashamed
|of, much 20 be proud Of, and with one
and all eager to pledge themselves to
|a continuation OF the fxht until our
principles triumph.
"A man can have plenty Of moral
courage and yet hesitate To invite Z
moral conf1ict because he realizes tbs
trials Of such Tight but once ~ u
v sAS0u tttsS ~ VtA1E tn8nXs Avu~
orabie course Ii open. he snlists Tor
the struggle determined to see II
through. The latter has been the
situation Of the Progressive party. We
did not desire or provoke the con.
fiict It was forced on ~ against our
will be a series Of events beyond our
control
'srhe great Republican party. the
party OF Lincoln. Of Grant OK 6her-
man, OF Reed. Of Blaine. Of Mckinley,
OF acknowledgements Forward
looking. progrsssive suddenly found
itself In 1912 betrayed In this house Of
Its friends. looking backward, serving
ths Interests OF tho, few instead Of the
many, and following = policy Of de-
atrhcttons rather than one Or con-
structfon. The TAN adminiatrati on
brought shout this Mighty change.
Taft adopted what might Is called
general policy Of diAeOiution and sue
ceeded in putting It through. He dis
solved his pledge to the people to
carry out the platform on which 10
business units. to the advantage cf in-
side stockholders and the disadvantage
Of outside consumers. He dissolved
confidence in himself, confidence IN
his party. and finally dissolved his
party. But he could not in his four
years completely dissolve everything,
so the man whom his course made his
successor continued the policy, and
has dissolved our trade on the Pacific
Ocean, dissolved our prestige abroad.
dissolved our honor 1t home. dissolved
respect Tor cur nag.
Says WllsOm OutstFipped TAFT.
I'm his dissolution policy. wilson
has far Outstripped TAFT. This con-
tinuous policy Of dissolution hAs BEEN
consistently and persistentfy followed
up Tor seven years When the his
torian OF tho future gets 4 rood per-
spective Of these seven lean years. and
OF the seven years Of plenty that pre-
ceded thom--when he CONTRACTS the
seven years Of Taft and Wilson with
the seven pears Of Theodore Rooss-
welt. to whom viii be given crsdit for
vision ana courA&e7
For the nref time. Ia tina history
Of our country 4 national administer
ton Lofnts wits pride to Z prosperity
which Ii .blood-soak6d. For tho flrss
time In tho history Of our country our
men and women are allowed to be
murdered with impunity. For the flsst
tina in the history. OF our country,
name and flag are dishonored ana
dragged In the dust.
I'm tho midst Of this chaotic con-
dftion the Progressive party and 1T
leaders have tried 70 uphold the ira
ditions OF this country. the sAiic1ty Of
Its institutions the ideals ana moral
standards handed down by our fore
fathers. and at the same time have
triei to look into the future as ala
our forefathers. Our fight has heen
essentially q moral one: Il has been
against great odds. against men
strongly entrenched. who were think.
ing wholly Of personal gain ana pre-
ferment, Of the power Of ONCE, not for
public benefit. but for personal gain.
As Is always the case In great moral
struggles. va hare had many Dis
couragements, but now. on the eve of
the meeting OF our national commit
tee. / am sure voice the sentiment