The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1895-04-28
LABOR AND DEMOCRACY.

Men change, but principles do not. 1t
I pointed toward many Democratic lead
ers of today as bright and SHINING e1-
emplars of Democracy, 1 would advance
no reason whatever why the worhngmen
of America should sustain the Democratic
party. There are in this country too
many men wearing Democratic clothing
and speaking Republican thoughts. These
men have too often been successful in
controlling conventions and party policy,
and in shaping party action in accord
ance with Republican ideas. They must
he forced to take the bits from the
Democratic mouth and be shaken from
Democracy's back. AS is stated in the
proposed constitution of Utah, Democrats
must "recur to first principles Unless
this be done our political tendencies will
shortly pull out the underpinning of our
party structure.
Democracy pure and simple, is the rule
of the people. 1t does not believe that
any man in the race of life should be
given an advantage over his neighbor by
means of legislation. 1t believes in the
sacred personal rights Of the individual
as against the concrete power of combs
nations. either Of men or money. Boiled
down to few words, the creed of Dem
oeracv. is equal rights to all, and un-
lust privileges to none This being true
il is manifest that labor's interests are
naturally with the Democratic party. All
the capital that a workingman has when
he starts out in life is the hope born OF
an industrious nature. He has not the
advantages of birth, station or inherit
ance. He is then, placed at disadvant-
age with those who are this favored, and
consequently does not start upon an
equality with the children born with
golden spoons In their mouths. This be-
ing so. if you add to the things which he
must overcome in order to furnish his
children with food, clothes and education,
statutory enactments the direct result OF
which are to add to his burdens and to
create classes in a land where there
Should be none, he soon finds that life Is
a weary treadmiu, the machinery OF
which in the end brushes out all hope.
And this is the result of the Republic
can idea, whether it be crystallized into
law by the votes of Republicans wearing
Democratic woolens, or by their CO.
laborers of the Republican faith who
openly advocate Capitalization Of power
and wealth and who create laws which
robs labor in capitals interest, under the
pretence, that capital will thereby be the
more willing to hand back to labor
bone or two. that it may continue
through the chemistry of unjust laws to
transmit its sweat and muscle into gold
and be heaped into the Golfers of its
master.
The protective tariff is a Republican
creation. The single gold standard Is a
Republican idea. The so-called trust is
a Republican child. The three gilt balls
Of the usurer, should be the Republican
badge. On the other hand, the free pub
lie school is a Democratic agency. In
dependence of the pernicious tyranny OF
Lombard street is a Democratic tenet
Individual liberty and opportunity is
part of the true Democratic faith. So
that, Democracy stands for manhood.
while Republicanism is the agency of
money. If this is true, and. a careful
study Of the underlying principles of the
two great parties has convinced me that
It is. then labor should not hesitate
which party it will espouse. Naturally. |
a workingnan should be a Democrat. |
and when this becomes clearly apparent |
as J believe it Will in time, the Demo-