Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1892-04-28


OF the government judiciously administered A
| tariff for revenue is tax, but it is a fair tax,
| paid by every citizen according to the benefits
received by him, for the support OF the govern
| ment whose flag protects him in every land and
on every sea- while q tariff for protection is an
unequal and unjust tax, is a burden laid upon
the weak for the benefit of the strong; upon the
| poor for the benefit of the rich; upon the un-
| fortunate for the benefit of the favored; upon
| labor for the benefit of wealth; protective
tariff is a stigma upon American manhood, re-
proach to our civilizations; it is the devils re-
/ ward to the sir knights of public plumber.
In it's heroic contention for just laws, the
/ democratic party welcomes TO its fold the tens
of thousands Of honest, determined young men
/ who people the colleges and universities OF
| America; with the force OF such mighty en-
ergy and dauntless courage, cast in the cause Of
honest, pure and stable government, the demo
| cratic party will take up its majestic march to
victory.
For every advance in its civilization, for every
4 movement that has elevated human ambition,
| the world is indebted to the efforts OF young
| men Young men laid the foundations OF Amer
| lean character and American manhood; young
| men asserted the independence OF the American
| colonies and maintained that independence in
| every struggle from Lexington to Yorktown;
| young men framed our constitution and have
preserved our liberties, and in the long struggle
| from 1851 to 1855, by the sublimest herolsm ever
! known, young men demonstrated our national-
| ty and the oneness of the American union;
and as recall to memory the achievements
| OF Thomas JEFFERSON II Is Wen 10 remember bQaI
| what he did to make this nation free ana h1nl-
| self immortal, accomplished in his youth
| He was called to the bar at the age Of twenty
| three, was member of the house OF burgesses
at the age of twenty-six, was member of the
| con tinental congress at the age OF th1rty-tWO,
and at the age of thirty three reached flames
dizzy height as the authors the declaration OF
| American independence. And thus the young
democracy of this young democratic state in
| celebrating the anniversary of the birth of
| Thomas Jefferson but invokes for its inspira-
| ton the spirit of the young democracy of the
time that tried mems souls.
! We can form correct appreciation of the
| character of Mr.. Jefferson and make a proper
duplication of his political doctrine only by
| learning, the prompting motive OF his whole
| political life. He was man Of the people; he
believedin the people; he associated with the
| people; he sympathized with the people: he
| loved the people; he believed in the equality of
all men, ard in equal and exact justice to all
men, he believed in the dignity and majesty of
| labor: he appreciated the fact that all the
| wealth of the universe is but the product of
! labor; That if labor should be respected, re-
warded, educated, the country would become
| rich and prosperous and remain free; and
hence the significance of his political trueism:
| Economy in the public expenses that labor
| may be lightly burdened.' There is no PROPOSE
ton that strikes the universal sense of man
kind more forcibly than this, and it's practical
application is found in the position of the demo-
cratic party to-day upon the question OF tariff
reform.
There is and should be no conflict between
capital and labor Capital is the child, the first
born of labor, and labor is the chief beneficiary
OF capital; the vital interests OF each depend
upon the success of the other capital opens an
avenue to labor and labor augments capital:
each is adapted to the other; each is assisted by
the other; each is the natural protector of the
other; and he who would antagonize these
friendly and reciprocal elements in the economy
of government and the economy of existence is
foe to the interests of humanity.
The democratic party9is friend to labor; it
believes in Identifying labor; magnifying labor;
protecting labor but you cannot ennoble labor
by destroying its Independence; you cannot pro-
tect labor by taxing it; whatever adds to the
cost OF living adds to hours of toll The shame
less hypocrisy of the protectioniSt, who sswith
one hand puts penny in the of poverty,
while with the other he steals shilling OUT is
| appreciated to-day, as never before, by the man
who tolls. He now sees, thanks to the campaign
OF education, that 20 per cent tariff tax, added to
the cost of the clothing his children wear, is not
compensated by placing acorns on the free list;
that 55 per cent. burden on the tools of his
trade is not lightened by the reflection that
"dr1ed blood" and 'sgreen-headed fieS'' are re-
morselessly left to the competition of the world.
Labor is not mendicant q beggar; labor
does not ask for ''the crumbs that fall from the
rich mans table, does not ask for aims or
bounties; it demands justice. The only protect
ion that labor asks is to be unfettered; to have
the protection that the Almighty gave it-un-
taxed food to eat, untaxed clothing to wear, I'M
taxed tools to work with and untaXed material
to work upon. Unbind the winds of the ocean;
unlock the ports of the world, and with its re-
stored freedom and manhood labor will lose its
rags, throttle the power of monopoly and dwell
in palaces.
If the democratic party with the sublime
courage of conviction, will adhere fearlessly and
faithfully to the great, overshadowing political
demand of the hOur-sEarif reform-and will
have the wisdom to choose as it's leader that
marvellous man who has demonstrated his pref
GrencP fhap
and success we will go forth to battle thrice
armed. and move with reSiStleSS might to a
great victory under the great Cleveland.
Mr. Chairman, cannot terminate my associa-
ton with this suspicious occasion without in
pride and gratitude, reminding the young men
of this university-this great American intel
lectual workShop-who are going forth to i'm
press their own characters upon the institutions
OF the country and the world that in joining the
great army of the disciples of Jefferson they
espouSe cause whose traditions are worthy of
their emulation, and that by making party
honesty party policy"-by remembering that
what is morally wrong cannot be politically
rightly asserting their high manhood in every
political action they will become participants in
the glory Of breaking the shackles of trade and
broadening the friendship of nations into the
brotherhood of man.
Mr.. Jefferson was not mere dreamer-not
mere political theorist-he was the worlds
great practical politician-he reduced politics
to moral science and organized party whose
political organization in all the range of all the
yearS-a party whose triumphS are blaZoned on
the mile-poStS OF the republic as inestimable
contributions to human rights and human
hopes. Let me point to some of the stars in
this party's diadem of glory.
Do you know that the deed of cession of this
great northwestern territory to the United
States was drafted by the father of democracy?
Do you know that it was by the wisdom and
forecast of democratic administration under
the leadership of the patron saint whose mem
ory you this night hallow that the Louisiana
purchase, comprising the great states of Louis
lana, Arkansas, Missouri, Kansas and Nebras-
ka was won to freedom from the empire of the
First Napoleon, and the Mississippi river dedi-
Gated forever as free highway for the COM
merce of its great valley? Do you know that it
was under democratic administration that the
infamous African slave trade was de-
clared crime and prohibited by law? Do you
know that under democratic administration the
second war with Great Britain was fought, and
| the rights of American commerce-the protec-
| ton of American Seamen established on a
basis of national dignity and honor that for
| three generations no power on earth has dared
| TO question? Do you know that, when nullifica-
| ton lifted its hydra head in South Carolina and
| threatened the disruption of this government,
| the old hero of New Orleans, at the head of a
democratic administration, enriched the itera-
| ture of patriotism with the lofty sentiment:
| "By the eternal, the federal union must and
shall be preserved?"
| tration the great empire of Texas was made
Arranr coil