The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1898-03-03
JEFFERSON CLUB.
Its Membership Increasing at a
satisfactory Rate.
THE PRESIDENTS ADDRESS.
It Was Delivered at the Meeting Thurs
day Night and at the Request OF
the Club Is Printed In Its
Entirety.

Entirety.
The jefferson club of Stark County has
already attained to such membership that
its success as an organization cannot be
doubted At the last regular meeting,
Thursday night, the roster Of membership
was greatly increased, a number of those
who Joined having been heretofore
identified with the Populist and Silver
Republican organizations. To again
show the objects and aims of the club,
which is destined to be one Of the most
popular ever organized in the county, the
appended extracts from the preamble and
constitution are printed;
PREAMBLE.
We, the members of the Jefferson Club,
recognizing the wise doctrines taught by
jefferson and jackson, and nobly ad-
vooated and defended by that leader Of
modern statesmen, William Jennings
Bryan, and believing in the free coinage
of silver and gold at the ratio of 16 to 1,
without awaiting the aid or consent Of
any other nation, and affirming all the
principles set forth in the Chicago plat
form of 1885, and desiring to promote all
legislation that looks to the relief and
benefit of the toiling and producing mas
ses, do hereby ordain and establish this
constitution of the jefferson Club Of
Stark County, Ohio.
OBJECTS.
The object and purpose of this Club Is
to maintain and advance Democratic
principles, and to unity, harmonic and
promote the interests Of the Democratic
party, national, state county and muni-
oipal. To this end every good moral citi-
zen, regardless of race or creed, is invited
to membership and cooperation.
PARTY LOYALTY.
Club prohibited from participating in
primary elections:--The club shall not as
an organization participate in any pri-
mary election or for the nomination of
m unicipal, county or district tickets, but
1t shall be the privilege of each member
to exercise his own Judgment as an idivid-
ual at such elections. After a ticket is
nominated it shall be the duty of each
and every member to unite his best
efforts with that of the club to elect such
ticket in it's entirety.
PRESIDENTS ADDRESS.
At the meeting of the club on Thurs
day ni9ht, President John G. Harmony
made his annual address to the Club, as
provided for in the constitution. Accord
ing to the wishes of the members, it is
hereby printed in full:
Gentlemen of the Club:-In assuming
the duties and responsibilities of the
position to which you have so unanim-
ously chosen me, desire to express my
grateful thanks for the honor which it
confers, and for the confidence reposed in
me.
1 am sincerely conscious of my in
ability to meet the requirements which
the task imposes, but relying upon the
patronage of your good will, l look with
encouragement to you for that guidance
and support which will enable us to carry
to a successful end the purpose and objects
for which you are associated.
congratulate you and commend the
wisdom and patriotism displayed in the
selection Of the title by which your or
ganization shall be known. The memory
of jefferson should inspire rot only every
member of this club, but every lover of
human liberty. Thomas jefferson was
the author of that immortal document,
the Declaration of Independence, and the
founder of that party of which we are
proud to be members, and whose princi-
pies shall live until the Declaration of
American Independence shall be forgot
ten end until this government shall be
extinguished from the earth forever.
jefferson was Democrat, yet Lincoln
wrote of him in 1859: "All honor to
jefferson; to q man who, in the concrete
pressure of u struggle for national indie
pendence by a single people had the cool
ness, forecast and capacity to introduce
into a merely revolutionary document an
abstract truth, applicable to all men and
all times, and so to enbalm it there that
today and in all coming days it shall be
a rebuke and a stumbling block to the
harbingers of reappearing tyranny and
oppression"
The principles which you have so plain
ly and positively declared in the preamble
to your constitution, as the creed Of your
political faith, are in keeping with the
truths established and laid down at the
birth OF the Democratic party by Jeffer
son and his Democratic co-workers, and
are today the tests of true Democracy.
An attempt has been made at times, by
so-called leaders, to persuade the party to
forget it's early training, to forsake the
teachings of first principles and to divert
its course away from the great mass of
common people to whom it must always
look for aid and support, and whom it is
sworn to protect.
During his last administration, Mr..
Cleveland used the great powers of his
office to commit the country and his
party to a financial system inaugurated
by British bondholders, and the Republi-
can party, system which the Demo-
cratic party has always opposed. He
carried this power to the Chicago con-
vention. Then came the contest which
was to determine whether the Democratic
party should abide by the traditions Of
the fathers and adhere to its ancient faith
or whether it should abandon the prin-
ciples of true Democracy. The people
triumphsd, and today the old party stands
forth, stronger and better than ever, the
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