The weekly Thibodaux sentinel and journal of the 8th Senatorial District. [volume] (Thibodaux, Lna. [i.e. La.]) 1875-1898, 1896-10-03
BRYAN DEPENDS THE PLAT
FORM AND CALLS LINCOLN
TO ITS DEFENCE

UlNucN uuCSttVuy L rot w Spy N"'
thing in regard t" these platforms "f
our party which have been assailed by
the enemy. l only speak Of them
because persons, high in the Republi-
can party. have called attention to
them and sought to twist them
imtO meanings not to be given
them and an INTERPRETATION which
they will not bear. Let me read to
you the plank Of the Chicago platform
against which 60 much abuse has
been leveled we denonnce arbrltra-
ry interference by Federal authorities
in local affairs as u violation of the
constitution Of the United States ; as Il
crime against free Institutions
THAT is the part which they say is
bad. Let me read 4 plank Of another
platform and see how this plank which
l am about to read compares with the
n which / have read:
"'That the maintenance i~nviolate
of the rights of the States. and espe-
cially the right Of each State, TO order
and control it's domestic
affairs, according to its own judg-
ment exclusively. is essential to that
balance of power upon which the
operation and endurance of our po-
litical fabric depends and we denounce
the lawless invasion by armed force ;nf
of the soil of any State or Territory,
no matter under what pretext, as
among the greatest of crimes
"DO you know from what platform
that plank is taken? Yes, from
Abraham Lincoln's. That is a plank
IN the platform Of the Republican
party of 1860. and when you compare
our plank with that you will find that
ours is mild in language compared to
this one Abraham Lincoln ran for
President on that platform. He was
elected President on that platform.
Aud in his inaugural address he quo
ted that plank in full and reiterated !
his approval.
"NOw, my friends. if our platform
is wrong, III want these III publlcans
to repudiate Abraham Lincoln. Be-
cause if you take Abraham Linculn
tlom the Republican party you have
ken from it its most sacred memo
~.
THE INCOME TAX DECISION.
"Now, let me call Your attention to
another thing which they complain Of.
They say we criticize the Supreme
Court"
Mr.. Bryan then read the plank of
the Chicago platform in regard TO the
income tax decision, and continued:
81 call attention to the fact that the
court Overruled the decision of one
hundred years. 1t is a fact. Have
we not the right tn state a fact? We
declare that Congress ought to use all
constitutional powers which remain.
Will they insist that. having taken
part, We dare not nse what they left 2
"Has no court hereafter a right to
the decision OF this court If
not. then what right had this court to
eyeTs the courts of one hundred
years before it. The court changes
from time to time the judges resign
die, and new judges take their
place: Is it not possible. my friends
that future judges may adhere to the
presidents of one hundred ear in
stead ut adhering to a decision req
dered by a majority Of one, and that
one changed his mind 2 When did our
find that a decision OF the
Supreme Court was so sacred. WHY
this decision would not have been
regarded but for the fact that the men
who had to pay the income tax at
tackled the decision Of the Supreme
Court and asked this court to overturn
former decision. Every TINS a
goes into court and asks for a
of the decisiOn-anl 1t ia not
an infrequent thing-every time a
lawyer does it he attacks the correct
ness of the decision which he desires
to have reversed. Let me read YOU
what the Republican platform said
about decisions of the Supreme Court
1860.
THAT we condemn the recent re-
opening of the African slave trade
under the cover of our national fag.
aided by perversions of judicial pow
er.'
THAT ia what that platform said.
It declared that the decision OF the
court was q pcrversiOn Of judicial
power. There is no language in orr
platform that is as harsh on the
Supreme Court as that Repnblican
platform. And they call upon Con-
sress in that platform to take prompt
Ind efficient measures for the total
md final suppression of that execrable'l
My friends, GU the two ques
ions where We are assaiied by the
party to-day we have not
AIKEN as emphatic a stand as the Re-
publican party took in the first
upon which it elected a
of the United States.
LINCOLN AND THE coIrRr.
Let ME read you what Abraham
lincoln cold of tho C.-