The Progress. (Shreveport, La.) 1892-1900, 1896-08-20
"Mr Chairman, Gentlemen Of the

committee and Fellow CITIZENS. !
shall at Il future day and in a formal
letter. accept the nomination which Is
now rendered by the notification com
mittee and | shall at that time touch
UpOn the Issues presented by the pIat-
form 1t is fitting. however. at this
time. in the presence Of those here as
sembed. speak at some length in re
Sard to the campaign upon which we
are now entering. We do not under
estimate the forces arrayed against us,
neither are we unmindful Of the i'm
I..rtance Of the struggle in which we
arc engaged but, relying Tor success
upon the Righteousness Of our cause,
we shall defend with all possible visor
The positions taken by our party.
1t has been charged by men stand
Ing high in business and political cir
Cles that our platform Is a menace to
private security and public safety; and
il has been asserted that those whom
have the honor, for the time being, to
represent, not only mediate an attack
upon the rights Of property, but are the
foes Of social order and national honor.
Those who stand upon the Chicago
platform are prepared to make known
and to defend every motion which in
fusnces them. every purpose which an
imates them and every nope which In
spires them Andrew Jackson said:
Distinctions in society will always eX-
lat under every just government.
Equality of talents, Of education, or Of
wealth, cannot be produced by human
institutions. In the full enjoyment of
the gifts of heaven and the fruits Of
superior industry, economy and virtue
every man is equally entitled to pro-
lection by law We yield to none in
our devotion to the doctrine just enun-
Ciated
The object OF the Campaign
Our campaign has not for its object
tho reconstruction of society. We can
not insure to the vicious the fruits of
yirtuous life; we would not invade
the home of the provident in order to
supply the wants Of the spendthrift;
wo do not propose to transfer the re
wards OF Industry to the lap Of indO-
lence. Property Is and Will remain
the stimulus of endcavor and the com
pensaton for toll.
II assert that property rights. as well
as the rights of persons. are safe in the
hands of the common people, Abra-
ham Lincoln, in his message sent to
congress in December, 1861 said: mo
men living are more worthy TO be
trusted than those who toll up from
poverty, none less inclined to take
or touch aught which they have not
honestly earned.
II repeat his language with unqual-
flied approval and join with him in the
warning which he added, namely: Let
them beware Of surrendering a polite
al power which they already possess.
and which power, IL surren-
dered, will surely be used to
close the doors of advance
nent against such as they, and to fix
new disabilities and burdens upon
them, till all Of liberty shall be lost.
Those who daily follow the Injunction
In the sweat Of thy face shalt thou
cat bread. are now, as they ever have
been the bulwark of law and order,
the source Of our nations greatness in
time Of peace. and It's surest defenders
In time Of war.
I'VE are not surprised to find arrayed
against those who are the bcnefciaries
of government favoritism-they have
read our platform. Nor are We sur
prised to learn that we must In this
campaign face the hostility of those
who find pecunlary advantage In ed.
vocating the doctrine of nou-interfer.
enoe when great aggregations OF
wealth are trespassing upon the rights
of individuals. We welcome such Oh.
position-it is the highest Endorsement
which could be bestowed upon u.s. We
are content TO have the cooperation OF
those who desire to have the govern
meut administered without fear or IA
yor
Existence Of Trusts.
ut Is not the wish OF the general
public that trusts should spring into
existence and override the weaker
members of society; 1t is not the wish
of the general public that these trusts
should destroy competition and then
collect such tax as they will from
those who are at their mercy. Those
who stand upon the Chicago platform
believe that the government should moi
only avoid wrong-doing, but that II
should also prevent wrong doing; and
they believe that the law should be
enforced alike against all enemies OF
the public veal. The commandment
Thou shalt not steal, Numbered from
Sinai and reiterated in the legislation
of all nations. is no respecter of per-
sons. IL must be applied to the great
as well as to the small; to the strong
as well as to the weak; to the corporate
person created by low 40 wpIl oS 90 tbo