Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1900-10-31

Declaration of Indepen ience Expresses
What Democracy Stands For.
The fundamental principles Of the
Democratic party are best expressed in
the Declaration of Independence. The
Democracy stands for individual free
dom, for equality of rights and oppor-
tunities, for political, religious and in
dustrial liberty. Its trend has always
been in the direction of popular gov
eminent, although more than once its
machinery has fallen into the hands
of the enemies of the people and has
been devoted to the interests of special
classes. This had happened before the
great re-birth of the party of Thomas
Jefferson in 1896. That year witness
ed a revolution in the party and the
beginning of a revolution in the coun-
try. The Democracy again took solid
ground upon the great principles of the
Declaration and 1t has since held that
ground with courage, with zeal and
with lofty determination.
The Democratic platform in 1896 de-
clared no new or strange doctrine. 1t
but rested and reafiirmed old truths
for which the party had stood in its
best days and under its greatest lead
ership. The spirit of it was long be-
fore voiced in the philosophy of Thorn
as Jefferson and in the heroic policy Of
Andrew Jackson. II dealt with new
phases of old questions; and in essence
1T marked the revolt of the tribute-pay-
ers against the tribute-takers.
In 1900 the Democracy stands again
upon tue old foundations. 1t is still
the champion of equal rights. 1t is still
the evangel of liberty, 1t still stands
in solid plialanX against the forces of
privilege. In 1896 the apparent issue
involved the question of coinage; but
the real issue was whether this coun-
| try should continue TO be governed by
the people or whether it should give up
its old ideals and become the submits
sive appanage of grasping plutoc-
/ racy.
The real issue is the same this year
that 1t was four years ago. New mani
T, festations have been developed, but 1t
/ is still a question whether class for a
class shall control the country or
whether 1t shall be controlled by the
people for the people. The ancient war
between Hamilton and Jefferson is be-
ing fought again under the opposing
standards of Mckinley and Bryan.
| The latter stands as Jefferson stood for
| tho princiuloc of tho lonlo vo t;o,, nf I >,
dependence. The former stands as
Hamilton stood for government of a
class, by class, for class.
The Democratic party believes that
governments We're instituted among
men, not for the purpose of exploiting
the masses and the enrichment of fav-
orites, but for the purpose of securing
| to all their inalienable right to life, to
| liberty and to the pursuit of happiness.
1t believes that governments derive
their just powers from the consent of
the governed. 1t therefore stands In
unalterable and infeXible opposition to
| imperialism, which is the denial of the
right of self-government. 1t holds that
we cannot hold a subject colony with.
out violating the fundamental princi.
pie of the republic; and 1t condemns as
| wicked and wanton war that is being
waged without legal authority for the
overthrow of free government in for
ieign land and the establishment there
Of sovereignty against the wishes and
in defiance of the rights of its inhab
| itants.
| If the United States have right tc
overthrow the Filipino republic they
have the right to overthrow any other
republic or any other government they
may select for a victim. They may &C
TO Central America and to South Ameri
ca or to China or to Africa and under
preteXt of ciyilizing and christianzing
| the Inhabitants they may destroy theii
governments and institutions and com
| pei them to submit to American rule
The pretense that we bought from
Spain the sovereignty of the Philip
| pines in no sense saves us from the in
herent wickedness of our assault upon
the liberties of a foreign people. The
| latter had rights; and these rights were
not owned by Spain. Spain therefore
could not sell them. Nor could we buy
them. What Spain sold was her out.
lawed claim to trample upon those
rights. What we purchased was this
claim; and the Republican party is as.
sorting it with brute force in defiance
Of morals and law and the foundation
1 principles of our own free institutions.
But the Democratic party stands for
tteedom at home as veil as for freedom