The Forrest City times., 1894-04-06

.ue sherman act which shook our credit md intensified the panic of last summer
 Let partisan critics look back into the his tory or our Government from the beginning and see II at any time there has been more ranid response to the will of the people, or more fear iess nno vigorous action upon the part of an ad mlnlstration Ii is matter of deep regret. oouot not to every man here, that there has been opposition in the senate, which has ex posed our party to censure, and which has been resented py the country. The house. coming directly from the people and responsible to them, has acted promptly, but the senate has sorely tried the patience of the country.
 "l am not here to impeach the loyalty of any democrat to our administration, but faithful support of party, when charged with the re. sponsibility of government is true patriotism: 1t Is loyalty to our country.
 Tn this view do not understand the opposi tion to legislation In the senate, when we are under the imperative orders of the people to act in thelr behalf
 Failure to act, or half hearted action may be dictated by local interests or may accomplish Individual revenge, but 1t will be punished bv the voters.
 'lt is the peculiar character of the demo- cratic party that it is not sectional-not divided by geographical lines, not dependent for exist enee upon success, not party led by placemen. but thoroughly national party It has had it's dark days, it's long wan1erings in the wilder. ness, us aoASem snt5 and trials, but its un- quenchaoie vitalitY proves 1t the party of the American people the same here in Illinois that 1t is in Georgia or Texas or New Jersey or Con- necticut, sprnging from the warm heart of the people and invunerable to the weapons of polit- icaI warfare IL took its rise with the birth of American liberty, and It will perish when that liberty is no more.
 our administration is thoroughly demo. cratic in the sense that it came into power without sectional appeal: it had the consent of every par. of the country. It was triumph Of the people over politicians and classes pro- test against privilege.
 ''The Jefer5onian idea Is reliance upon the people and confidence in them
 'The founders of the republic were not all in agreement with democratic ideas; many of them, nursed under the cold shadow of arist cratic forms Gistrusted the people; they looked to Europe for instruction and models, they deferred to wealth, education and we'll born position It was then that party rose under the guidance of the brain that prod uced the cha Ter of American liberty; it came into being to save the fruits of the revolution, to curb the tendency to revert 10 the government of cass, and to raise the poor man to al equality in the state and fit him for the public serylce
 "lt taught that government is the creation of the people, instrument for their use, aad
 
 developed the idea that 1t IS the pest govern ment tnat governs the least, that preserves do- mes tic order and is strong for defense, but which does not interfere with the pursuits of tue people. In such government the delegated power to tax i5 limited to the needs of govern ment economically administered It cannot confer favors upon individuals or classes nor assist them in their business by legislation. nor can it create systems of agriculture. manufac- 1 ture or trade.
 "Gentemen, the administration and the men who stand with il in congress are trying to re. store our government to the principles from which it has so far drifted The great body of the privileged class and the representatives of the protected interests oppose and denounce 1t becarse 1t is striving to carry out Jeffersonian principles as his tory states them and as we un- derstand their application to the present time. The concentrated efforts of enormous wealth and organized selfish interests are working | against us.
 When our opponents refer to the founders of l the republic 1t is only to claim that they ap proved of the system of indirect taxation They never approved of taxes for protection. | Taxation was for revenue, and all protec ton | was incidental to 1t. In their time there was nc | accumulated wealth and the only way to raise | revenue was upon mportS; 1t was equal taxl- | tion, Lecause there was then a nearer equality | of condition than the world had ever before l seen and the chief pursuits of the people were | agriculture and commerce. How Jefferson and Madison would act now may be judged from the maxims of their policy They took the best methods at the time under the circumstances | 10 serve the people, but class legislation was l abhorrent to their democracy, and in that opin- l ion we follow them. They would advocate | | system under which wealth would bear its | burden of taxation Our great master, whose i birthday we now celebrate, says it all in Ian. | guage no one can improve
 "'With all these blessings what more Is neces | sary to make us a happy and prosperous peo | ples Still one thing-a wise and frugal gov | ernment which shall restrain men from inlur | ing one another shall leave them free to regu late their own pursuits of industry and improve | ment and shall not take from the mouth oi | labor the bread it has earned This is the sum | of good government, and this is necessary to | close the circle of our felicities."