The Hocking sentinel. [volume] (Logan, Ohio) 1871-1906, 1899-04-20


nation no man will venture 10 dispute. Ii
all this broad land there is not a municipal
lty III which at some time Its citizens nav.
not been forced to grapple with the lust fol
gain of great corporations seeking to de
bauch the government established by the
people for their protection. Councils have
been corrupted and executives terroriZet
that the stockholders of great monopolie:
might receive greater dividends upon thell
watered stocks. State Legislatures have
proved traitors in this insidOus warfare up
on the peoples rights and have deliberately
bartered 10 few the property of those
they have been chosen TO represent. Even
the ermine has not been free from cOrrup
tion's polluting touch, and in instances
which, thank God, are but rare. the cankel
has attacked the last safeguard of popular
rights.
The great trusts of to-day, springing up
like mushrooms in n night. could not exist
but for the corrupt practices at work tO
save them from the peoples righteous
wrath. They feed and foster the corruption
upon which they fatten, without which they
cannot live. The people. recognizing that
unless the vast and increasing power OF
wealth is curbed, the nation will inevitably
be on the downward grade, are crying for
relief.
A republics first need is purity of the bal
lot. Its second need is the absolute incor-
ruptibiity of those intrusted by it with the
reinS of government. The trusts and mo-
nopolies, constituencies as they are, ,AOrrupt
the one and debauch the other. They are
the hotbeds that breed 4 mass of corruption
which is to-day the greatest danger threat
ening the permaneucy of our free instltu-
tions.
The sober second thought of the nation
will assert itself against the exotic theory
of imperialism. Even its warmest advocates
will not long hold out against the expressed
will OF the people. But there Is need to open
the nations eyes to the danger Of corruption
in political circles. 1t Is gangrene that
eats beneath the surface. Those who foster
it proceed stealthily in their work, with
voices never raised above a whisper, with
signals TO convey what their tongues dare
not express.
Where. then. shall the work of reform be-
gin? The answer is evident: At the very
foundation OF our political system. in the
village and municipal governments. Let
our young men, the hope and future bull
wark Of the republic, regard service in mu-
nicipal politics as the highest proof they can
give of their patriotism. Let them work In
the primary districts and in the wards, re-
membering that ward politics forms the
foundation upon which rests the entire
structure Of the national government. Ward
politics is ignobe only in so far as those
who labor In that field OF activity make 1t
ignoble.
1t lies in the power of the young Democ-
racy of the nation, If 1t VIII but set TO work
in the first trenches. to carry forward the
crusade for purity In politics until cOrrup-
tion shall have been driven from high
places, until honesty shall control in every
department of the municipal, the state and
national government.
Stalwart young Democracy need not look
far for an incentive. The example Is set
for 1t in the person OF our national leader.
Two years ago the party made Its fight un-
der leader with private life SO stainless.
with personal character so blameless. the
foil m IN ell
with as much zeal as the crusaders dis
played for the paladins of old.
Ours is the party of the people. Unless
we serve the people honestly and fairly We
are faithless to our trust. Duty requires us
to strike the first blow at corruption within
our party ranks. Let the word 90 forth
that the Democracy will not tolerate n man,
no matter how profuse his professed devO-
tion to the party creed. who does not place
obligation to the public above any and every
personal consideration. If Democracy means
anything it means the honest service of the
people No man can be a Democrat whose
Integrity Is not above suspicion. He who
seeks public office for private gain is a trait
or 10 everything for which Democracy
stands and for him there should be no place
within the party ranks. 1t should be the
duty OF every true Democrat to scOurge him
from the temple of the party faith.
In 1900 bitter struggle awaits us. The
old fight must be made again-a fight along
last Democratic convention for the rights of
the plain people: a fight against corruption
and all its awful menace to the republic:
fight against the trusts that seek to make
of this nation, founded upon the theory of
the absolute equality of all men. a serfdom
submissive to the power and the arrogance
OF wealth; a fight for everything that will
lift the people higher; fight against every
thing that will restrain the republic in the
onward march of Its triumphant destiny
II we remain true to the theory and the
practice OF what Democracy means and
stands fer, there Is no need to doubt the
successful issue of the combat.
Mr.. Bryan's Speech.
Mr.. Bryan's speech is given herewith
in part:
We are now near enough to the next cam
paign to be able to form some idea of the
lines along which the contest will be fought
and | am taking no risk when | say that
those who In 1896 gave their allegiance to
the Chicago platform are as united to-day in
the determination that no step taken in 1896
shall be retraced.
In 1888 Mr. Cleveland was defeated on the
tariff issue, and yet the tariff was made the
main issue in 1892. and Mr.. Cleveland was
elected. In 1892 Mr.. Harrison was defeated
largely on account of the Mckinley bill, and
four years later the author of the bill was
nominated upon platform reaffirming the
belief in protection and was successful. Thus
Ii is seen that in two Instances recently Il
losing issue in one campaign became u win
ming issue in the campaign following.
The test ought to be not whether the issue
has been presented before, but whether the
position taken is right If the gold standard
was unmerited in 1896 Ii is unmerited now.
II its maintenance was detriment to the
interests of the people of this country then,
Il is 4 detriment now.
Whiie it is unnecessary to discuss the ques-
ton of ratio until some other ratio Is pro-
posed il may not be out of place to suggest
that l6 10 |, being the ratio at which the
present gold and silver coin circulates, Is the
natural ratio 1T which the mints should be
To increase the ratio by increas-
ng the size of the silver dollar would neceS-
itate the recoinage of our present silver dol
ars into Il less number of dollars and the
Increase ot the ratio made throughout the
world would result in large decrease in
he volume of standard money, and since
he value Of a dollar depends upon the num-
Der of dollars such change would necessari-
Y increase the purchasing power Of a dollar
md increase the burden of debts. lt would
De equivalent TO a transfer by legislation Of
| vast amount Of wealth from the producing
;lasses to the money owning classes.
The trusts are now absorbing an increas-
ng share Of public attention because OF their
'apid growth during the last two years. We
iad 4 sugar trust and an oil trust some
TearS ago. We now have biscuit trust.
md Il match trust. and a meat trust-in
act. a trust in almost everything that is
lsed. The people are beginning TO see what
he principle of monopoly really means, and
yet the principle of monopoly, so plainly IL
ustrated by the Industrial trusts, does not
liffer at all from the principle OF monopoly
which underlies both the gold standard and
he paper money trusts.
The Democratic party is prepared to face
he future and meet new issues without
ABANDONING the old.
Upon the subject Of Imperialism ] need
,nly add word. The ideas of forcible con-
Iuest and of colonization after the plan
ldopted by European countries cannot re-
.eve the support of the people Of this coun-
ry when the principles involved are clearly
In 1859 Abraham LiucoIa Was