The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 18??-1935, 1896-08-14
THOU SHALT NOT.


this great republic on cross of gold"
The edict has gone forth-the era
of privilege and prescription must
pass. No more shall it be proclaimed
in the high places of this nation
that to him that hath shall be given,
while from him that hath not shall
be taken cen that which he hath.
The people must not be pauperiZed
for the benefit of the plutOcrat, nor
will the many consent to want that
the few may waste. The toiling
millions refuse to longer suffer the
oppressOr's wrongs, the proud mans
cOntumely. Thou shalt not" says
the dauntless young tribune of the
people, and "ThOu shalt not" comes
ringing back in thunder tones from
forest, and field, and factory. 'Tis
the Titan of Toll who speaks, and
/ his voice is as the voice of many
waters. 1t is proclamation that
even he and no other is lord of this
land, which the strength of his
hands hath transformed from a
wilderness and desert waste into a
fruitful garden-that no longer will
| he bow as low as Caesars feet and
ask in humble tones 1.-THE of that
his Drawn hath wrung from the
earth's unwilling bosom, or his cum
ming fashioned at the forge. No
more shall the high-priests and
myrmidOns of MammOn press the
crown of thorns to his beaded brow,
nor cruelty him, on an industrial
alvary-"Thou shalt not"
n 4
Bryan was not candidate before
the convention. Had he offered for
that high honor, all the political pie
grafters and buncO steerers for New
York, and London boodlers, would
have declared him unavailable"
Why? Because he had been guilty
of the heinous crime of presuming
to think for himself. He had looked
at public questions from the stand
point of a patriot rather than poll
tician-from that of the man who
produces wealth in the sweat of his
brow, rather than of the impudent
parasite who consumes it in idle
ness. He had sought to promote the
welfare of the whole people, rather
than the selfish interests of party.
He had dared offend those who fat
ten on their country's misfOrtunes,
and who are expected to provide the
"sinews of war" for political cam
paigns. He was regarded by the
politicians with exactly the same
suspicion that nest of thieves con-
templates a policeman. But the
emissaries of Dives were not strong
enough at Chicago to dominate the
convention. Having tired of being
hOodooed and humbugged by those
who make politics paying profess
sion, the people had exercised more
than usual caution in selecting their
representatives. The result was a
platform of principles containing no
slippery-elm planks. Each declara-
ton is clean cut, and cannot be in
terpreted one way in the East, an
other in the West, one way by the
people and another by the president.
1t says what it means and means
what it says. 1t contains no "cow-
ardly compromise" The man who
stands upon the Chicago platform
: does not have to swear out search
warrant to determine where he is
lat" There IS not an ambiguous
phrase from preamble to conclusion,
from Alpha to Omega-not the faint
, est suggestion of deception OF
| double-dealing. Right or wrong
wise or unwise, the trainers of that
instrument dealt honestly by the
people. 1t is the first time in five
and-twenty years that a national
convention of either of the old polit-
ical parties has neither trimmed mol
tergiversated, begged question mol
lodged an issue, and its manly can
, dor will sink like incense from Gods
own altar into the soul of every hon.
est American sovereign. With such
, a platform, Bryan of Nebraska was
the logical candidate, for its senti'
ments echo his convictions and its
honesty mirrors his manhood. He
did not have to stultify himself-as
I did McKinley-to accept the plat
, form upon which he was nominated
He took no foundlings to rear in be-
coming chief exponent of the princI'
pies enunciated at ChicagO-they
terminated in his own heart anC
1 were born of his own brain. Nc
| Kinley takes the field with the SIMS
| ter bastard-bar on his political bear
! ings; but on the argent shield o
: Bryan there's but honorable blaz
onry.
Under which flag, BenzOnian p
, Under that of man who boldly ut
tiers his convictions and battles fol
the people, or that of one willing t.
accept any platform TO reach thu
presidency? Is your chief in thi
struggle an American sovereign or 1
\ political slave?
\
This is not battle of the Eas
with the West, of the North will
the South; it is struggle between
the patriots of every section will
those who, in the pride of thei
wealth and power, have adopted tn,
Vanderbiltian motto, 1.-The people
be damned" 1t is an attempt to de
: eide an "irrepressible conflict" with
, out the shedding of one drop o
e blood or the disturbance of any
y mans title to wealth which he ha
+ honestly earned-to adjust peacea
= bly, by virtue of the ballot what ma,
n otherwise result in an appeal to the
4 bullet.
! Labor has been bamboozled by
!. politicians and sandbagged by pluto
v Gratis until it is losing faith il