The commonwealth. (Greenwood, Miss.) 1896-1923, 1897-09-30
The Future OF the Democratic Party---A Reply.
lIR DAVID ~OyERHITR.

seem that the ,d a,nglt s the grat mage Of np dri,pramr nemlr n4t mng
emily drnrniu" the future Of the organization.
Too""cnan the r"nr~ likely to b." taken by tn" drmocatc party it wilt h
necessary to consider the condition.. economic and 1~nI which exist IN this
country how such conditions are regarded and how they will be- treated by the
r"rI" And yet if W" except slight reference ,.nmpuan hw- senator Hi
utterly ignores the "stt"nc" t any condition in this country requiring the at
'nn'n q" Wiz" stat"nor~hip or even ~ag"ion- political leadership
Within tn" nttim" Of tn" ~notor himself: vah cnmn~ have taken place in
sam" duration He hs seen tn" population in"ra~. from @Hom"to o@o0o
"f~oI- The oasre"t" wealth Of III" ""tD" hs n""r"t"mo"o" three
t"1h-" which is owned by h- than 'oo"" persons AUbo4m~ trait" rom
mrr in short MI mtnrn" has been Incorporated
He has seen th" independent self respecting mechanic pma AWAY in This
place is the operative Of machinery Of mar~loupI power propelled By steam and
electricity and owned and operated by npihl without other bomo" oan@ than
that Of d1"'n "n He Inns H'nt tn" n'linc take tn" rDrr Of the man, and
money take the place Of mohomJ He ha. seen the production Of every staple
mo"p"1"d and he profits arising from the united cndoNorm ALL ronrurmt
ed year by year in fewer and fewer hand. while transportation pool~I and com
nmo1 plumbers IN" pn1Ir battles the laws and nocAs at Justice and department
stores a'N"or romI"'o" Mining manufacturing indeed all staple proIo r~n
save that OF tn" fields l'in@ absolutely controlled by trusts Il handful of mu|
"e mail"d I" limit tn" output and tins to control til" supply and dictate the
price to the consumer tt'inE inIo~ttl" for farmers to combine by reason Of
fhlr n'"'"t7 md via" dispersion, the amount Of their production is II" su7ep
th"" arbitrary limitation T" band pirates hnyr therefore 4i1"1 The mmts
t" (which tn" farmers products must go md thus monoI,uzing the avenues
,"'" N"" "S P''r "'+t r'"'h II" "n"n rrn"r'E opportunity
fencing in III" fountain, and l~tri1i"g the stream, they dismiss the I~w1h.nd
farm"r with a pHtonc" and with the bland assurance that al things go by the
1T" ~ ""r ana "'"'"" ana proceed l." "p such profit" rs tn" wants I" 4
III" land is II" owned largely by the landlords aud titled by tenants while tic
""'""", take" "" ''" "p"" labor and co""""pio"
Aside from the fact that or vAta acreage and relatively sparse population
afford an opportunity to live ont Of proportion to the relation between numbers
and property values or condition i" worse as n people than that Of the French
Tn" absolute silence Of senator ln concerning these most grave and m,rnc
not 'h"" things n~s the distinguished senator really smoe that a party Of
the people can shut it's eyes to tm~e things?
This article in the main lisa repetition of the senator's argnuirrt ,anuat
tn" platform in The ponocrnc national convention of 1896 All that he say.r +,
Hl"F'hR me hohnfnhl'n ANA patriotic action Of the democratic, party and its he
role sacrifices and services during the civil war is intrepid and glorious drfou.a
of constitutional rights md of The writ of hnrro. corpus nu that he sa,s Against
protection" and in f'Hor of civil religious and personal liberty aud against sump
'oty legislation viii receive II" hearty concurrence of every democrat Bat
t" senator utterly ignore" that there is in this country nm ,ooouoc 4<poHan
which Il" crushing the Independence the mnnhorI the very life ot Of the ro
ollionc tyranny Of '4n1o nTr,mDnn %m " "ma' IT," ANA III, ","'''"",I" ''
"d "h'n*1" n'rneldIng is to be compared with highway robbery
Tn" fundamental inhrndy of Senator Hills argument is hat it ignores the
burning Issue of the day that is '~iah&h ,o"D"vr"d oovoDuc nuo,rip,Hn
tie assumes to direct III" future on" Vt the democratic organization without
",'''S,"E It's 't''tn'" respecting the most gigantic and dangerous wills TINT ever
Shall wc rail Mt tbos" who would prscrI" Our diet and our apparel and shall
"'"S nothing OF tho" who 'nIov'rnh degrade, and dhnrcrt as Shalt we
h"P eo'f'S "pon ignorant and narrow hgms who strive 10 co~rc ~ 10 their
conception Of morals while we are dumb a death Respecting , toI,tn1 ,,,na
IT," r'"'''' and efficient DEVILS VIII" m" preparing for r"@~ty the bitter and
np''@" BONDAGE ' ''' md the" lnnEs o want poverty and sorrow2 senator
nl grounds his contention "r"" til" rrincip"S" Of coon~" and seeks to con
'rT' these with what h" ia pleased to term popnhsm Irans
The len"rrat" creed was enumerated in Jcnu>ons first inaugural address
The "ni",r"'D"" Of w witch he " "@"%'I '"1r """i1 t% ,h "' n G%ff TrI"%%f the !& . !" All
tcaI 1 hhaa n'" aI i + w w"r, nny, of e.. am,s study u by ,ey student Of A""rt%" r1
r ~ rn" ,MT ~r "T d% as n "r@%, , today t." o"r national prosperity and norIjys as
Strangely enough Senator Hill does not set forth II single one If these mhf
principles Possibly he realized that II t M of them could he, invoke
7" support hS assault upon the Chicago democratic convention mud platform, Of
1896 For however much either ma be open ITO criticism, FRONT c lI,n,l,ontan
~, n"" .' OF rom '' standpoint {" campaign expectancy (Which latter dcv
III" act remains tina. the convention did no act and the platform contains M
wore which is not strictly in accordance with the principles of jefferson ,tY.
red to History may indeed b, challenged to rrnlrrr tho nron1, r ,, " "m
ito" ora som'oge +" men SO completely lcnonanian in sentiment and in arttn,
wa tn" democratic convention {" $50" IT, as senator hin contends its plat
form Ssn"h that it cannot be maintained in the great forum Of American public
it is tot because the platform is mi Icacrsonian but because American
"reanti J"hersonian The ID principles announced by Jefferson -
in his first inaugural re rs follow.
'' Equal and exact justice toa all mn of whatever state or persuasion re
lEi"u@ or political
md Pence" 'o"""'"" and honest friendship with alt nations ytaneing
3d TIL" support of the state governments in all their rights os the most,
gainA anti republican tendencies
igor as the 0r"t anchor of our r"ac" Mt home and safety abroad
9Th jealous coreof the rights of election by the people \ mild and ,,tn
t''''N' I" ahnN's which are Topped by the Awol of revolution whore pcano
lie remedies are unpruviicd. "'
9th Absolute acp"escrnco N the decision of the majority IN, vita, rrn
'Pr " republics from which there ia no appeal hut to force the vital rrforip,
nd imm"liat" parent Vt dcroimL
eth Awen disciplined militia NJ best reliance in peace. and for the first w.
'on'htS Of wor till regulars may relieve them
S1h The supremacy of the civil over the military authority L
Nth Economy in the pnhic expense, that labor n he light, Inr1,r,d Il
wv" !" "'"'' payment /" onr publ" debts and sacred preservation ufthrI