The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1896-10-31

attic rheater last night to hear the mas
nifscent address by Hon. C.. E. D Ncous
the national Democratic committeeman
for Oregon II was a defense of the Dem
ocrats who have stood true TO the prin-
ciples fathered by Thomas JEFFERSON anu
expounded by men equally eminent ana
able. He prefaced his speech by remark
ing that his discourse would be dry Inc
audience did not find it so. Possibly IL
was the manner OF delivery, or. more
probably, the apt and beautiful ngures Oh
speech. iaterlaced with his history Wnicn
gave living interest TO his subject The
listener could not but be impressed py the
evident pride taken by Mr.. Wood IN ms
Democracy. and in the stand he. in COM
mon with a majority of the audience. had
taken against absorption by the Popu-
lists.
cred in the theater. AS Josiah Collins
said in his Introductory remarke.
it was magnificent audience rather
because of its quality than its quantity.
He promised for those who had braved
the storm an Intellectual treat which
would repay them well. After few more
remarks he introduced the speaker
Mr. Wood. as he stepped forward. was
received with applause. There were
few ladies in the audience, and his open
ing sentence was especially well received
by them.
Ladies and gentlemen and fellow citi-
zens." he said, II wish could include the
ladies as fellow citizens He. too. re-
ferred TO the smallness Of the audience.
saying: You must remember. as ! do.
that on that rainy night when Noah went
into the ark the company was mighty
few. but mighty select" He then went
at once to his subject. taking the position
that the Democrats who went with the
Chicago platform were boilers. and not
those who were following the standard or
sound money
II believe in the sincerity of my political
opponents he said, las / should exact
from them belief in my sincerity A
sman may change his mind and be honest
in the change. 1t was suggested to me
that I should show what true Democracy
was that ii might enable us to answer the
question as TO whether we are boilers. or
whether those who have adopted the Chi
cago platform are boilers. was born
Democrat. / have often been subjected TO
the sneer that Democrats are always born
and never converted. To understand
Democracy We must take into considera-
ton the personality of its founders. We
must come to this fact, that the men who
founded the Democratic party believed
absolutely in the rights of the common
man. They believed that just as little
government as possible is the best govern
ment: that the individual man must be
left free. unhampered and unaided by the
government in his work and pleasures.
They believed the purpose of the govern
ment was simply to maintain order and
enforce the law. that nothing must be
hereditary and there must be no life ten
ure Those were the principles of Thorn
as jefferson, whose name is regarded as
a synonym for Democracy. Alexander
Hamilton. on the other hand. believed in
a specially privileged class; in an inherited
presidency with life tenure of the Office.
and when that family was extinct he
thought a new family should be named by
election.
What is a Democrat? How far does
the Chicago Democratic convention de-
clare Democracy, and how far can a DEM
ocrat accept the principles of the Repub-
liam party? One thing is certain, when
you become a Populist you cease to be a
Democrat. We may cry after those who
have gone under that banner: Come
back come back, You are lost in the
wilderness-you are the bolters!'
Mr.. Wood then read from copy of JEFF
ferson's first inaugural address. The last
sentence declared for 1.-The honest payment
of our debts and the sacred preservation
of the public faith" 1t also spoke for the
support of the general government in all
its constitutional vigor.
How does the Chicago platform COM
port with that?" asked the speaker. rs
the general government to be supported
in all its constitutional vigor? What Is
a party? What is a name of party as
compared to the great fundamental prin-
ciples of party: what is the name COM
pared with the blood, bone and sinew of a
partys There is no doubht that the Chi
cago convention was perfectly lawful and
had the power to bind the Democratic
party. 1t was regular
But there are many things which are
regular. Mr.. Wood showed, which are not
right. The action of the priests who
pressed the crown of thorns on the head
of Jesus Christ and raised his bleeding
form on the cross were regular, he said.
as was the cross and crown of the Chi
cago convention.
1T is not by names we live" he said.
I'VE have the kernel can they take the
name from us?''
Mr.. Wood then took up the section OF
the Chicago platform which threatens TO
change the supreme court so the income
tax could be passed, and asked what
Thomas jefferson would think OF such a
movement. II Is settled fact, he said,
that the decisions OF the supreme court
of the United States are binding. The
Chicago platform says they shall be bind
ing only SO far as the president shall
sfsck his juries.
Next he spoke Of that portion OF the
Chicago platform that denounces govern
n,ent by Injunction. He said that Thomas
Jefferson and the other founders of the
government held that the states must be
held together by hoop. Does the
United States not have the right to try
offenders against the postal laws2 Does
It not irnprison men for life for tamper>
ing with the United States mailsg Then
when mob OF men interfere with the
ia n
mails and railroads. and commit all sorts
OF acts OF violence, is Ii a Federal question
or not? tApplause) IL Democrats follow
the lead OF Aitgeid and Bryan they must
turn their backs on Thomas Jefferson and
the great and immortal principles that he
advocated. Bryan and Alleged are not
Democrats.
Mr.. Wood held that the expression OF
sympathy with Cuba in the Chicago plat
form was un-Democratic. because in a
sense the convention usurped A right
which only belonged 10 congress and the
president. He did not deny the right OF
the private citizen to sympathize with
the Cueans In their struggle for liberty.
The speaker was sorry for the poor. but
he did not believe with the Chicago plat
form that one OF the functions of the gov
eminent Is TO furnish citizens with eni-
ployment- He believed with Martin Van
Buren,. who said in 1857. when asked TO
furnish the people with employment dur
ing the prevalence of panic that pre-
vailed during that year: Nc, the citizen
OF this republic must take care OF him.
self. We viii protect him from war with
out and riot within the country. IL you
must live of the nation IL viii surely
perish" He asked how IL was possible
for Democrat 70 vote for such a man
as Bryan. standing on such platform as
that annnciated al Chicago IF YOU are