The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1891-09-24
THE DEMOCRATIC
Proceedings of the State Con-
venti0n at Spokane.
A MESSAGE FROM CLEVELAND.
Nebraska Republicans Not Likely to
IndOrse Free Silver.
Georgia Legislature Refuses to Approve
Farmers Alliance Platform-4Estee
Again Mentioned for a Cabinet Place
Mckinley Campbell Debate.

SPOKANE, Sept. 23.-The city is filled
with delegates to the state convention of
Democratic clubs. Leading men are here
from all parts of the state. A visiting
party from the East, composed of Senator
Faulkner, of West Virginia; Representa-
tive Bynum, of Indiana; Chauncey +.
Black, president of the National Demo-
cratic Clubs, and others, arrived this
morning, and were met at the depot by
local Democrats. During the forenoon
they were driven about the city.
About o'clock the convention met at
the auditorium. An immense audience
was in attendance, and much enthusiasm
was displayed. Senator Drum, of Tacoma,
made an address of welcome.
Mr.. Drum said. in part:
Let us not initiate the folly of those who think
that no danger can come TO the republic. The
republics of the past have all dissolved and per-
ished. and ours needs ever to be guarded.
While Jefferson himself was minister to
France the federalists of his day inaugurated
policy that endangered the constitution; they
aimed to strengthen the federal government at
the expense OF the state, and when the fearless
Mathew Lyon denounced and condemned their
policy and grasping power as leading to an
fined him 81 900 and sent him to prison for one
year.
When the news reached Jefferson in France
he flung up his portfolio, crossed the Atlantic,
sounded cry of alarm that the republic was
IN danger; he appealed to the heroes of the Rev
oiution, to the men whose blood was shed upon
thousand battlefelds to end tyranny and ere
ate nation of free men. Nor did he appeal in
vain, and the Federalists were hurled from
power; and by the casting vote OF Mathew Lyon
Thomas Jefferson became president of the
United States. Wings and know-Nothings have
followed in the wake of the Federalists, and the
Republicans of today in their worst moods are
but clumsy imitatorsof the Federalists whom
Jefferson and the heroes of the Revolution con-
signed to oblivion.
Capitalization is the tendency of all the policy
and legislation OF the Republican party to look
to government to cure all human ills in the
body polite, forgetting that government is it.
self but the creature of the people, and in the
words of Wendell Phillips necessary nui-
sance."
Such policy, If carried to its logical conclu-
sion, would lead to irresponsible power, and
finally to ruin, and against this it is the sacred
duty of Democratic clubs to direct the fire of
their batteries.
Three years ago, masquerading as the friends
OF labor, the Republican party succeeded
in deluding the nation into entrusting
them once more with its destinies
On their accession to power they
found the treasury filed with a magnificent sur
plus OF $l50,000.000, which the great and honest
administration of Grover Cleveland had accumu-
lated there. In two short years they have looted
the treasury, squandered that magnificent sur
plus, and imposed millions of new taxes on the
people. They have injured the credit of the
nation at home and abroad; precipitated fnan-
cial crisis, and would have brought disaster on
the nation were it not saved by mighty har-
vest and the wonderful resources of our glori-
country. And to add to the shame and
scandal of their proceedings, this party raised
to power by fraud and bribery, reckessly at
tempted to perpetuate its grasp upon the nation
by enactng force bill that aimed at the yery
yitals of the constitution.
When things have reached such a pass our
duty is clear. We must bring these evil men to
an evil end. We need an organization of fear
less and determined men TO recall the people to
the principles of good government.
As Americans we are proud of our country
and justly boast OF its noble institutions But
it is the sacred duty of every true American to
preserve these institutions intact, and to hand
them down TO posterity strengthened and not
impaired. The brain that conceived and the
hand that wrote the Declaration OF Independ-
ence laid down the principles of Democracy, and
So long as we follow in the footsteps of Thomas
Jefferson and live up to his principles, SO long
shall we uphold the solemn temple of this great
republic, which the fathers of the Revolution
created and reared alo IT,
The constitution of our organization ia
fashio oned after the principles of Jefferson. II
breathes his spirit. And citizens of this
great state of Washington, and as Democrats
we cannot perform our duty better than by
faithful adherence to the principles laid down
in that constitution. We cannot show our
patriotism better than by sharing in the form
alton OF societies that will propagate these nrin-
irIo md no lipht nf
How many men there are who exercise their
rights as citizens and east their ballots vet who
are ignorant of the very spirit of the institu-
tions of the country. 1t is through Democratic
societies that such men must be reached and
instructed. Whence comes the frightful nIapue
SPOT of bribery at our elections save from the
ignorance of too many of those that exercise
the franchise? Inoculate all such with Demo-
cratic principles, and bribery will disappear
and with it a fatal blotch in Americans fair
name.
Every Democrat should be active and earnest
in the support of his local club. Let him have
faith in the principles set forth in its constitu
ton as fundamental and necessary to the per-
petuation of a republican form OF government,
and he cannot but be Jealous for that copstitu-
ton. Through il a government productive of
the greatest good to the greatest number ia pro-
duced. Through acting according to those
principles we shall hand down TO generations
yet 10 come the glorious lOefles which we en-
Joy. The organization of such clubs where nat.
riotsm and principles of liberty are fostered
sounds the death knell OF that political party
whose sole creed is TO continue itself in power
for the benef: of the officeholders. Il will nut
an end 10 that party that has traded on senti-
ment and prejudice and that has pIundered the
many for the benefit of the few.
For tive nty years the Republican party has
maligned and misstated the position ana pur-
poses OF the Democratic party. Some one has
said that fasehood oft repeated grows into
strength and exerts the influence of fact And
il Is time that falsehood should be exposed and
the nob.e principles of true Democracy be cir
ulsted among the people that they might know
that these principles are the safest and surest
preservatiye OF the liberty of the United State.
Party or individual success is not the aim of
Democracy. We're il so. we should long ago
have gone TO pieces. The happiness aad pros
petity of the masses of the people is our main
object The Democratic party has survived all
Others, because it is the party of the people, and
therefore indestructi BILE Our principles are
fundamental doctrines, Interchangeable as fate.
and far beyond the varying results of personal
or party success.
Chauncey +. Black, president of the
National Association of Democratic Clubs,
followed President Drums address of well
come in the afternoon. He assailed the
Republican party for its tendencies toward
Capitalization, declaring that the war
could never have been successfully fought
by a centralized government lie also de-
nounced the Republicans for the enact
ment of the Mckinley bill, and declared