The Lakeland evening telegram. (Lakeland, Fla.) 1911-1922, 1916-09-07
Monmouth (Ill.) Atlas

1eStpfudN Was a DiS uhs Aoi 49,
Democratic party at the Monmouth
Cliautauqua and members and friends
of the party from this city and vi.
cinity gathered in the big tent to the
number of almost thousand people.
They heard the achievements OF VIII
son and the administration praised to
the skies and they listened to some
bitter denunciation of the so-caiied
tissue paper issues which the oppos-
ing brethren have chosen as the de-
Gliding point in the coming campaign.
The principal speaker of the after
noon was Edwin Spencer, Jr., speaker
of the Florida house of representative,
who came to Monmouth laden with
volumes OF facts and figures TO prove
the claim of the administration and
the party for consideration at the
hands OF the voters in the November
election. Solicitor General John w.
Davis, of West Virginia, who was
scheduled to address the gathering.
was unable TO reach Monmouth and
Mr. Spencer was called upon to fill
his place,
Real Southern Orator
II must he said of the gentleman
from the South that he is fully capable
OF the task which the campaign man.
ayers have given him He is an or
ator Of the true Dixie type and for
almost an hour yesterday afternoon he
held his hearers spellbound by his
forceful and brilliant answers TO the
charges of the rival party. Reviewing
in rapid succession the measures en-.
acted by the present Congress and the
one preceding he challenged the sup.
porters of the standard bearer of Re.
publicanism to come forth with their
claims for recognition and to show
wherein the present administration
had failed TO meet the obligations i'm.
posed upon it.
Some Constructive Legislation
'They attack us on the ground that
we have failed to pass constructive
measures" said Mr. Spencer land
they say we have failed in our effort
to meet the demands OF cruciable
period in our history, Do they stop
to consider the income tax law, which
will annually pour into the treasury OF
the United States millions of dollars
OF revenue taken from those who can
best afford to give it? Do they re
member the Alaskan railroads bill,
which opened to the pioneer thousands
OF square miles of new and fertile ter
ritory in that land of riches? Ffape
they forgotten the Child Labor bill,
which Woodrow Wilson recently
signed and which will free from the
dark age Of civilized slavery thous.
ands of sons and daughters of poorer
people in the South and North? What
have they to say regarding the Fen.
eral reserve banking laws, which they
boasted so much about while they
were in office, but which they failed
to pass in their sixteen years OF
power? | believe the Federal reserve
act ia the greatest single piece of con
structiVe legislation that has evel
been passed in the halls Of Congress,
for a half a century and believe this
act saved the country the creates
panic the world could possibly hav'
imagined Let ME say to you today
friends in the North, that I believ
that when the history of this nation i
written impartially fifty years from
now, that the past four years will b
recorded "a the crucial point in Anne,
lean history and time when govern
rnent taken from the classes an
placed back in the hands of the mass
es where it rightfully belongs.
Preparedness Only Issue
Finding they cannot answer thes
arguments and cannot refute on
claims to prosperity, they have take
the only issue left to them. This i
sue is preparedness and they hay
harped and cried for more army an
a larger navy until their throats al
hoarse. I am here TO tell you n
friends, that no other nation in tt
world, with the exception of Gree
Britain, has appropriated so mut
money for preparedness than has hes
set aside under the guidance OF q
Democratic administration within q
past two years. Tell me. If you ca
what Republican administration ev
appropriated $3.50 900. 600 for militia
measures as the Democratic admin
tration has?
They attack as on our foreign
lations and cry that we have lost {