The Sauk Centre herald. (Sauk Centre, Stearns County, Minn.) 1886-current, 1892-06-23
WILLIAM L. WILSON.

chairman called for the reports of the
various committees. The committee on
permanent organization then presented
the name of Hon. W. L. Wilson for per-
manent chairman. The report was
agreed to and Mr.. Wilson on taking the
gavel spoke as follows:
Gentlemen of the Convention: thank
you most heartily for this honor. shall
endeavor to meet the duties of the high
position to which you have called me
with the spirit Of fairness and equality
that is DeInOerat:c.
This convention has high and patr-
etic work to perform. We owe much to
our country. The mission of the Demo-
cratic party Is to fight for the under dog.
When that party is out Of power we may
be sure there is an under dog to fight for
and the under dog is the American people.
When the party is ont of power we may
be sure that some party IS il control Of
our government that represents a section
and not the whole country, that stands
for class and not the hole people.
Never was this truth brought home to
us more defiantly than by The Republican
convention at Minneapolis. We are
not deceived rs "a tho temper If the
Republican party; see are not in doubt as
to its purposes. Having taxed lis for
years without ilitscy, - now proposes to
disarm us OF all powers of resistance. Re-
publican success in this CAMPAIGN,
whether we look 10 the party pitsforIa,
the party candidates, or TO thu utterances
OF party leaders, means that the people are
to be stripped of their franchise through
force bill in order that they may he
stripped of their substance through tariff
bills. Free government is self govern
ment. There is no self government where
the people do not control their own cleo
tion aud levy their own taxes When
either of these rights is taken away or di-
minished, a breach is made, not ia tho
outer defeuses, but iii the citadel of our
freedom. For years We have hcan strugg-
ling to recover the lest right of taxing
ourselves, and low we are threatened
with the loss OF the greater right of gov
erning ourselves. The loss of one follows
necessarily in succession the loss of others.
When you confer upon the government
the power of dealing out wealth you I'M
chain every evil that can Prey upon and
eventually destroy free institutions-ex-
cessive taxation, class taxation, billion
dollar congresses, a corrupt civil service, a
debauched ballot box and purchased cleo
tions In every campaign the privilege Of
taxing the people will be bartered for con-
tributions to corrupt them at the polls.
After every victory new Mckinley bill
to repay these contributions with usury
out of taxes wruug from the people. For
every self governing people there can be
no more momentous question than the
question of taxation. 1t is the question
as Mr.. Burke truly said around which all
the great battles of freedom have been
fought. It is tbs question out of which
grew all the Issues of government Until
we settle this question, wisely, perma-
nently, justly, we build all other reforms
on foundation of sand,
We and tho great party we represent
are today for tariff reform because it is
the only gateway to genuine Democratic
government
The distinguished leader who presided
oyer the Republican convention boastcd
that he does not know what tariff reform