The Waterbury Democrat., 1934-05-04

ocrutic party came 70 the Ior9 mere
last night when DR. Edward s. Wal,
lace Of Washington, Conn, declared
10 the Young Democratic club that
the democratic party has q ira.
dltlon, a record OF achievement, q
prestige, and a continuous history,
which are decidedly greater and
older than It's rivals and that IL has
outlived two rival major parties
and has an excellent chance OF re.
peating this performance"
Smith ALSO Speaks
DR. Wallace was preceded 10 the
speakers platform BY J. Franci..
Smith OF waterbury, secretary Of
the democratic state central com.
mittee, and DR. John Sati OF New
London, vice. president OF the
Young Democratic clubs OF Con-
nectlcut. Both stressed the need Of
harmony within the ranks X the
democrats are TO repeat their sue
cess at the polls this fall.
Mr. smith outlined Ave questions
for republican critics Of the Roose-
welt administration TO answer stat
ing that ''ft is not our right TO de.
eide that the republican party has
no lust grounds for their opposi-
ton 20 the administration, but II Il
our right TO demand that thohe
critics state clearly their attitude
towards the principle az well ~
the items which 90 TO make up the
wv Wallace stlrs Audience
II remained for DIR Wallace TO
stir the audience that gathered for
the meeting, presided over by Louis
w, johnson, president OF the Mid.
dletown Young Democratic CLUB.
His statement that the democratic
party has boon responsible for. the
acquisition Of every square foot 81
land In the continental United
States beyond the limits Of the or.
iginal thirteen states, II has pro.
dueed the most colorful and pies
turesque characters. brought
mingled cheers and applause from
his hearers.
DR. Wallace 10 an authority on
historical research and holds de-
grees from both Yale and Harvard.
He received his A. B. degree at the
former and an M. A. from Har'
ward.
The full contents Of his speech
follow:
Republican Island
Politically speaking. Connecticut
presents the spectacle to-day OF u
small island OF wavaring republi,
canism surrounded BY sea OF
democracy. BY this I mean that
Connecticut, while II may elect
democrats TO state and national Of.
| Aces, cannot by any means be
called a normally democratic state
either locally or nationally; where-
as the neighboring statos Of New
York, Massachusetts,, and Rhode
Island, especially the latter two
sister New England states may be
said to have become, during the
last decade, normally democratic.
These same neighboring states
were, not 30 long ago, as republi.
can as Connecticut and their
change Ia undoubtedly due to tho
independent and younger voters,
voters, who for various reasons,
but chiefly on account OF prohibi-
ton, entered the democratic ranks,
liked what they found there, and
to date have remained.
Independents Hesitant
On the other hand In Connecti-
cut this same class OF voters does
not seem to have made up It's mind
Just exactly what II does want. Ma.
tural inclination would seem to lead
IL into the democratic ranks, but
Il hesitates because OF some tnde-
Unable social prejudice against be-
Ing a democrat, and II appears TO
nourish o belief that the demo.
cratic party In some vague way
springs from q lot OF crazy, long.
haired wild jackasses ranting and
raving about free silver; whereas
the republican party traces back
to q brilliant, handsome, young
leader named Alexander Hamilton,
comes down through Abraham
Lincoln and the saving OF the
universe, continues on through
Theodore Roosevelt, and finally,
does fizzle out to some extent IN
recent years. But just the same II
is the X. o. p.-the grand old party
which made America what she IL
today.
Hamilton Debunked
Well, all ! can say is that any
such idea In about the most colos-
sal piece of bunk ever dished up!
Let me take time out to say just
a few words about this Alexander
Hamilton business. In the first
place Hamilton was no more re-
publican than was william the
Conqueror, for he had been dead
some fifty years before that party
was founded. He was a federalist
and a rabid one! What happened
to fix him In the populaf mind ~
being In some way connected with
the RI ,ul lean party was exactly
this. After the Civil War, the re.
publican powers decided that they
would have to create some party
hero connected with founding o!
the republic so as to match the
prestige and tradition enjoyed BY
the democrats through Thomas
Jefferson, and II was natural for
them TO decide upon Jefferson's
bitterest enemy, Alexander Hannil.
ton. Unfortunately for them. Ham.
iiton had relapsed. at the time,
into q position Of relative obscur.
ity and was no better known by
the average citizen than. let u
say. Charles Pinckney Ii today
This was something OF q handicap
but the republican publicity men
did not dare steal more prom.
inent man for their hero because
II would have been too ridiculous
| SO they look hhmitton ana Whot
a Job they did! BY well organized
propaganda and continuous bally.
hoo they managed to elevate him
In the popular mind to the stature
OF q superman! But recently a
little matter has turned up which
promises to create no small amount
OF embarrassment to the worship.
pers Of Hamilton. Certain docu-
ments have been unearthed from
the archives of the British foreign
office which prove that Hamilton
was making reports to the British
minister concerning the confiden.
tial meetings of President Wash
ington's cabinet In which Hamilton
had q seat as secretary Of the
treasury. Both George Washington
and his secretary OF state. Thomas
Jefferson, were confused and
handicapped because important
and secret decisions were leaking
through to the British govern
ment. This leak remained q mys-
terry for years until the recent dis