The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1920-08-11


Democratic mecca of the east. The
rank and file of the party began pour
ing in at daybreak to attend the
Roosevelt notification and ten thou
sand are expected to attend the cere-
monies which begin at the Roosevelt
home at three o'clock.
Fol mer navy men, regardless of
party affiliation, were out in full force
as were local lodges of Masons, Odd
Fellows. The weather is ideal
In accepting the nomination Mr..
Roosevelt Joined with MIR. Cox in ac-
cepting the challenge ofSthe Republi-
cans to make the league OF nations one
of the principal issues of the cam
paign. He said even as the nation en-
tered the war for ideal SO it has
emerged from the war with the de-
termination that the ideal should
not die.
The following. are extracts from the
speech of acceptance Of Vice Presi-
Dental Nominee Franklin d.. Roose-
welt:
Mr.. Cummings and Ladies and Gen
| tlemen of the Committee: Z.
accept the nomination for the office
Of vice president with humbleness and
with deep wish to give our beloved
country the best that is in nae. No one
could receive higher privilege or op-
portunity than to be thus associated
with men and ideals which 1 am con-
fident will son receive the support of
the majority OF our citizens.
| In fact could not conscientious
| ly accept it, if | had not come to know
by the closest intimacy that he who is
| our selection for the presidency, and
who is my chief and yours, is man
possessed of ideals which are also
mine. He will give to America that
kind Of leadership which will make
| us respect him and bring further
greatness to eur land. In James NJ
Cox I recognize one who can lead this
nation forward in an unhaltfng march
of progress.
Two great problems will confront
the next administration; our relations
with the world and the pressing need
| OF organized progress at home. The
latter includes systematized and in
tensified development of our resources
and a progressive betterment Of our
citizenship. These matters will re-
| Quire the guiding hand of a president
who can see mis- country above his
party, and who, having clear vision
of things as they are. has also the
| Independence, courage and skill to
guide us along the road to things as
! they should be- without swerving one
footstep at the dictation of narrow
partisans who whisper Party" or of
selfish interests that murmur Prof
it's"
In our world problems we must
either shut our eyes, sell our newly
built merchant marine to more. far
seeing powers, crush utterly by en-
barge and harassing legislation our
foreign trade, close our ports ard
build an impregnable wall of costly
armaments and live, as the orient used
to live. hermit nation, dreaming of
the past; or. we must open >our eyes
and see that modern civilization has
become SO complex and the lives of
civilized men so interwoven with the
lives OF other men in other countries
to make 1t impossible to be in this
world and not of It. We must see
that 1t is impossible to avoid except by
monastic seclusion those honora Bile
and intimate foreign relations which
the fearful-hearted shudderingly mis-
call by that devils catchword Inter
national Complications"
AS for our home problem. we have
been awakened by this war into :;
startled realization of the archaic
shortcomings of our governmental
machinery and of the, need for the
Kind OF reorganization which only a
clear thinking business man, expert
enced in the technicalities of govern
mental procedure can carry out Such
a man we have. One who has so sue
cessfully reformed the business man.
agement OF his own great state is OBJ
viously capable of doing greater
things. This is no time to experiment.
with men who believe that their party
can do no wrong and that what is
good Tor the selfish interests of po-
iltical party is of necessity good for
the nation as well. | as a citizen be-
lieve that this year we should choose
as president g. proved executive. We
|
them.
Much has been said of late about
good Americanism. 1t is right that it
should have been said, and it is right
that every chance should be seized to
repeat the basic truths underlying our
prosperity and our national existence
itself. But il would be an unusual
and much TO he wished for thing If in
the coming presentation of the issues
new irote Of fairness and generosity
could be struck. Littleness. meanness
falebood, extreme partisansliip--these
are not i'm accord with American spir-
it. | like to think that i'm this re-
spect also we are moving forward.
The coming years are laden with
| significance, and much will depend on
the immediate decision Of America.