The Chesterfield advertiser. [volume] (Chesterfield C.H., S.C.) 1884-1978, 1916-09-07
Wilson Criticizes
The Republican Party

President Wilson to-day formally op-
ened his campaign for reelection
with a speech accepting the Demo-
cratic nomination in which he char
acterized the Republican party as "a
practical and moral failure" defend
ed the Mexican and European poll
cles, recited the legislative achieve
ments of his administration and de-
clared for "big America"
\ln his speech President Wilson was
unsparing in his criticism of the Re-
publican party as party of "mas-
terly inactivity and cunning resource
fulness in standing pat to resist
change, and said that old leaders still
select its candidates, but he did not
mention Charles E. Hughes, the Re-
publican candidate, by name.
The president spoke from the We
randa of his summer home to a
crowd which filled eight thousand
chairs and overfowed the lawn.
Once when he said>"I neither seek
the favor nor fear the displeasure of
that small alien element among us
which puts loyalty to any foreign
power before loyalty to the United
States the crowd stood and chcered.
The notification ceremonies were
brought to a dramatic close when
more than score of Amrican flags
attached to parachutes were fired
into the air by mortars and unfold
ed over the Presidents head as n
band played "America."
Afterward Mr.. Wilson stood more
than an hour on the veranda and
shook hands with several thousand
men, women and children.
Senator James, of Kentucky. chair
man of the notification committee. in
troduced the President When he de-
ciared that Mr.. Wilson had kept
America at peace the crowds re-
sponded instantly and applauded sew
eral minutes. He continued by hand
ing the President a copy of the St.
Louis platform.
The Democratic Platform.
Reading slow but distinctly from
printed copy of his speech and fire.
fucntly looking up to emphasize par
Iicular points, Mr.. Wilson spoke of
the Democratic platform as a "de6-
mite pledge"
Reviewing the achievements of the
administration he said "alike in the
domestic field and in the wide field Of
the commerce of the world, American
buslnes and life and industry have
been set free to move as thew never
moved before"
He said: eve have provided for
national defense upon scale never
before seriously proposed upon the re-
sponsibility of an entire political
party"
Concluding his list of measures
passed by Congress in the last three
years, the President declared: "Tbis
extraordinary recital must sound like
platform, list of sanguine prom
ises, but it is not. 1t is a record of
promise made four years ago and now
actually redeemed in constructive
legislation"
The President made bid for the
progressive vote by saying that 1--WE
nave in four years come very near
TO carrying out the platform of the
Progressive Party as we'll as our own,
for we are also progressives."
An American Citizen.
Further along, rebuking foreign
born Americans who are not loyal to
the United States, he said 81 am the
candidate of a party, but am above
all things an American citizen"
When Mr.. Wilson declared that the
revolution in Mexico is right and that
so long as it's leaders represent, how
ever imperfectly a struggle for free
dom, he Is ready to serve their ends,
the crowd applauded. Applause also
greeted his declaration that An,ar;,o