The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1886-10-28

mental principles on which the Government
rests. 1t has constantly sought to secure the
the largest number. 1t has ever recognized
that the Government was instituted for the
protection of the many rather than the eleva-
tion of the few.
When party lines were drawn in 1900 and
the apostle OF Democracy, Thomas jefferson,
made his annunciatiOn of the theory and OBJ
jects Of government, the people of the young
republic were not slow or undecided as to
their choice. There was no mist0kng the
objects of the Federalsts. With the gifted
Alexander Hamilton at their head. they de.
clared that "All men were not born free and
equal" that some were born to rule and that
others were born to serve; that the few were
born TO enjoy the honors and emolumentS
and powers of authority, whilst the many
were born to be "hewers OF wood and draw,
ers OF water The Federalists represented
caste and ease and power; the ID mocrucy
represented equality, labor and justice. The
poor of the earth, those who had to strug-
gle and toll; those who endured the hard
ships which are inseparable from poverty
were with Mr. jefferson in his mighty strug-
giles. The same class are with the Democ-
racy to-day, struggling and fighting for the
Democracy all along since the year 1900,
and every point which has been gained by
labor with its struggle with corporate powers
in these eight and half decades has been
single instance can be shown where the
Federal, the Whig the know Nothing or the
Republican parties exhibited any sympathy
with labor. On the contrary, the history OF
these four political organizations which have
been the opponents of Democracy during
the nineteenth century, shows that they
tions and every scheme which looked to the
enthralment of the many for the benefit of
the few.
Should it be matter of wonder that tho
labor of the country is welded TO the Demo-
cratic party? Do people seek their destroy
ers or fall in love with their enemies? Can
men who love liberty and justice find sympa-
thy in those who would enslave and wrong
them? 1t has been charged that ! am an agi-
tator and disturber and that ! represent u
sentiment foreign to the peace and prosper
ity of my country. Is this true? If to seek 8
Just and equitable relation between capital
and labor is to be an agitator, then am one.
If to stand forth as an exponent of the great
principles OF truth and justice as between
they who toll and they who sell, is to be an
agitator, then | am one. If to labor for Just
recognition OF the legitimate fruits of toll
and at the same time acknowledge the 1u-t
and full right of capital, be an agitator, then
/ am one.
But my fellow citizens, it is not in these
lights my opponents display me. They would
have you look upon me as an anarchist, as
one who seeks the destruction of social order,
as one who would welcome chaos. This Is
false. Never for one moment have l enter
tanned a sentiment that had not for its object
the perpetuity of my country, the prosperity
of her people and the protection of all prop
erty. With a singleness of purpose that
turns neither to the right nor left, with a
sincerity unmiXed with guilt, with devo-
ton pure and simple, have sought nothing
but Justice for the two great forces capital
and labor, the amicable relations of which
gives us every blessing which arises from the
efforts of men. My felOwCitizens, because
| entertain these sentiments | am a Demo-
crat. Entertaining them could be nothing
else. find in the history of the Democratic
party every thing which tends to a confrma-
ton of these sentiments and convictions.
ia a fn 10 n NV
tachment to it has increased with the evil
dence which it is constantly giving of its de-
votion to the eternal principles of right and
Justice. Within its folds is the home of every
man who tolls. There he can find recogni-
ton, though he is in humbleness and power
ty. There he will find the largest liberty,
consistent with law and the greatest protec-
tOn which justice can insure. These, my
fellOw-citizens, are not vain words l chal-
lenge a comparison between the actions OF
the Democratic party and the Republican
party.
Who is here to point out a single instance
in national legislation wherein the interests
of labor have received fostering care from
the Republican party? 1t is not a difficult
matter to find legislation for which they
alone are responsible which greatly wrOnged
labor and placed it at the mercy of capital.
1t was a Republican Congress which passed
the law creating that arch enemy of free la
Dor, the commission OF Immigration, a law
which enabled the American capitalist to go
to foreign countries and contract for pauper
lahOrcrs and bring them to this country to
compete with honest free labor. A Repub-
Icap Congress not only passed this law but
year after year they appropriated 100000 to
carry on this slave trade. This law was
passed, too, at a time when the duties
on all manufactured articles were
raised TO protect capital. John Sherman,
who is now making the greatest effort o. his
life to placate labor, gave this bill his hearty,
earnest support and was instrumentalin i'm Sc
curing its passage The RepubhCans,w who were
not satisfied with the immense profits which
engaged largely in manufacturing interests
were secured to them by the high duties, de-
termned to make the knife cut both ways
They determined to oppress labor and to that
end imported pauper labor from Europe to
reduce the wages of honest, faithful home
l8bOrers, many of whom were thrown out of
employment and their families into misery
and want. The Democratic party, true to
the principles bright and justice, no sooner
secured the lower house of Congress than it
commenced to correct the evils which the
Republican party had forced upon labor.
They gave us a law TO prevent the importa-
tiOn OF foreign pauper labor under contracts
made abroad, a law, creating the bureau of
labor statistics law to allow
trades unions to incorporate as
organized bodies. They formed the first
committee on labor" and gave for
the first time hearing to the complaints of
labor in the halls of Congress. 1t was a
Democratic Congress which formed the COM
mission to listen to the petitions of suffering
wage workers throughout the land. Every
ameliOration Of labOrhas had its origin in
Democratic house. In this State particularly
the Democratic party can point with
Allen in 1874 and 1855, under Bishop
in ISIS and 1879 and under Hoadly in 1884
and 1888, Democratic Legislators gave
to labor more laws to protect its interest than
have been given during all of our existence
Gs i Stnte. The blessings and benefits of those
laws are felt in every mine, workshop and
factory in Ohio. Why should not every labor
ing man be Democrat when he has staring
him in his face the naked truth that it is
through the Democratic party and through
it alone that the rights of labor can be and
are protected? Why should any aboring man
hesitate as to where he should go in this con-
test? If he is true to himself true to every
interest which protects property and nsures
to every citizen of this land he
must act with the Democratic party.
With a 'holier than thou" expression upon
their faces the Republican speakers, assisted
by the Republican press of the State, are
raising cry of "exfraYagance" against the
last Democratic State administration, and by
the presentation and aid OF mass of per.
verted evidence, proclaiming their own vtr-
tues and economies. 70 establish the falsity
of their claims, we need simply compare
notes. The tifty-sixth General Assembly
(Repubican) appropriated out OF the general
revenue $5689,G.3. The sixth-sixth General
Assembly Democratic appropriated $6,4
S5S. .95. This shows that the Democratic
administration appropriated S53 1850 in
excess of their Republican predecessors
Why this increase? 1t was made to
assist the sufferers from the floods;
to defray the expense of Cincin-
natl and Hooking valley riots to pay the
salaries of circuit judges; positions and sal
aries created by a constitutional amend.
ment proposed by the Republican Legisla-
ture; to defray the expense Of Ohio's ex-
hibit at the Centennial Cotton and Indus
trial Exhibition" held in New Orleans; to
pay for the loss sustained by the emploies
of the imbecile asylum through fire; to build
an addition TO the Athens asylum; to repair
been almost ruined by the floods; to pay the
salaries of additional mine inspectors and
salaries and expenses of the inspectors OF
shops and factories; to build the irtermedi'
ate peniten iary and to carry out the reforms
commenced in the penit entiary, made neces-
sary through our having abolished the system
Of selling convicts into slavery.
NV fellow-citiZeus all these were eXtraOrdi.