The Portland daily press., 1899-04-28

ious persecution. any refusal OF fee dis
cussion, any Intimidation nc the polls IL q
crime against American aemncracy
whether in Boston, Chicago or New
Orleans Such is liberty, such 10 justice.
And liberty without justice is anarchy, ,
and justice is only just ~ IL secures liber-
Universal suffrage Is the basis Of pure
democracy. II is the test Of humanity.
1t Is the most fearful experiment nation
over tried. Ii Is the challenge OF the
people to the kings. IL Is tie lesson OF
the gospel going TO the bottom OF society.
1t Is humanity coming to the throne OF
the world. Hitherto the kings have fed
upon the people, now the people are to
feed upon the kings When dis1iking
some Of his plans, the Queen said to Mr.
Gladstone: do you know am the
Queenr" Mr.. Gladstone answered
Your Majesty must remember 1 nm the
people, The great man expressed the
onward march OF democracy.
KEEP THE BALLOT BOX PURE.
Democracy will be failure as 1t was
in Greece and Home, unless the ballot
box is Kept open, pure, honest, free and
fair, every Tins and everywhere. As
long as in any part of our land, at any
time, any man cannot vote as he pleases
without fear of any other man. just 80
long our democracy is not pure and our
nation is In peril. Parties may laugh at
it aud refuse to see 1t, but our political
sly is not cloudless.
THE CoLoRED RACE.
There is part Of our nation whom we
lifted out of bondage-to whom we. prom
Used political liberty. A rice who have
suffered more than any other people. a
race who since their emancipation have
grown more In intelligence and wealth
than any other in the history OF the
world; race who fought our battles to
the last drop of their blood; race who
by every right of sacrifice, of:wrong done
| to them and of loyal manhood have a
claim TO the ballot. But they have IL
not. They are being robbed OF IT.
The question Is not settled They are
| increasing in number In wealth and In
telligence, and as sure ms human nature
| is human nature and justice Is justice
democracy, they will have the ballot II
not by the calm firm hand OF truth and
justice then by the red hand Of blood.
NlOlOOO JLG0lChA AAOA'.
Wrong legislation must be repealed by
the ballot, or 1t will be repealed by the
sword. The onward march of civilization
is on their side. God is on their side.
This question of rights goes into all de-
partments of life The people are coming,
| seventy millions of them. some of them
fanatic, many of them ignorant. but the
most Of them sensisls. and they press on.
God is behind them The death.knell of
kings Is sounding. Empires are tremb-
| ling, the people are coming. Money kings
| ana trusts and politicians may block the
way but.like river formed by the rivu-
let's which roll down the mountain sides,
nothing can stop them, they Will ind
way or make way. They are in the
line Of Gods providences, and our land Is
only safe and strong as every mans rights
are respected and secured. Kings may
govern by the iron rule. Republics can
only live by the Golden Rule.
STRONG DEMOCRACY DEFINED.
A strong democracy must cultivate a
sense of individual responsibility. This is
the logical result from common rights.
This is the dignitylof democracy. 1t not
only recognizes but honors all men. AS
soon as young man passes from his
minority into his majority he is partner
| in the government. In monarchial gov
eminent the private citizen may have nc
sense of responsibility in the government
under which he lives, for he is not the
| sovereign, he is not q ruler, he is not
| even an elector, but In republic every
man is q sovereign; every man ruler
every man an elector; every man mem
| Der of the government MI public ques-
| tions are of private concern. The ballot
| transforms every man from subject tc
| a prince. Every American citizen ID
born q politician. 1t is his birth right.
He cannot avoid It, Every voting place
| Is a part Of the government and any man
who stays away Is recreant TO himself and
his state as truly as the senator who al
lows private interests to keep him from
his place in the nations Senate.
VOTING A SACRED RESPONSE
BILITY.
Voting is o sacred responsibility; sol
emn trnst:a religious duty. 1t makes
every man sovereign. But you say the
election at the polls is decided by the pre-
vious caucus Not unless the private
voter CONSENTS The citizen sovereign
| has the rlgnt 10 veto AT tne Udilou po& the
nomination of any party. and no man is
| a sovereign unless he has courage to do
1t. When any ruler is not superior to any
party then he is not ruler, but the party
| is ruler. When any man is not superior
to any party, then he Is not longer free
man, but when the voter is superior to
the party then he commences to rule the
party.
PARTIES ARE ESSENTIAL.
Parties in democracy are essential.
They are educators. They are safe guards
They represent ideas, and the caucus do
cides what they shall represent but
when they represent no idea but only an
old name, then the sooner they are bur
led the better. A man is good for moth
ing only MS he represents an idea. Thus
with party. The good man should bit
in his party caucus and help decide
what idea, his party represents. IL Is
sometimes said bad men hold the baiance
of power between the parties. OF course
they do when good men stay at home.
Why not good men hold the balance OF