The Leon reporter. (Leon, Iowa) 1887-1930, 1900-11-01

The fundamental principles Of the
| Democratic party are best expressed
in the Declaration of independence.
The Democracy stands for individual
| freedom, for equality Of rights and
opportunities. for political, religious
and industrial liberty. It's trend has
always been in the direction of popu-
lar government, 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 happen
ed before the great-re-birth Of the par
ty Of Thomas Jefferson in 1896. That
year witnessed a revolution in the par
ty and the beginning of a revolution
in the country. The Democracy again
took solid ground upon the great prin-
ciples of the Declaration and it has
since held that ground with courage,
with zeal and with lofty determine
ton.
The Democratic platform in 1896 de-
clared no new or strange doctrine. 1t
but rested and reaffirmed old truths for
which the party had stood in its best
days and under its greatest leader
ship. The spirit of it was long before
voiced in the philosophy of Thomas
Jefferson and in the heroic policy of
Andrew Jackson. 1t dealt with new
phases of old questions; and in es-
sence it marked the revolt of the trib-
ute-payers against the tribute takers.
In 1900 the Democracy stands again
upon the old foundations. 1t is still
the champion of equal rights. It is
still the evangel of liberty. It still
stands in solid phalanx against the
forces of privilege. In 1896 the appar-
emit issue involved the question of
coinage; but the real issue was wheth-
er this country should continue to be
governed by the people or whether it
should give up it's old ideals and be-
come the submissive appanage of a
grasping plutocracy.
The real issue is the same this year
that it was four years ago. New mani
festations have been developed, but it
Is still a question whether a 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 being fought again under the op-
posing standards of Mckinley and Bry-
an. The latter stands as Jefferson
stood for the principles Of the Declar-
alton of independence. The former
stands as Hamilton stood for govern
ment of class, by class, for class.
! The Democratic party believes that
!. governments were instituted among
men, not for the purpose of exploiting
the masses and the enrichment of ia
vorites. but for the purpose of securing
to all their inalienable right to life,
to liberty and to the pursuit Of happi-
ness. 1t believes that governments de-
rive their just powers from the consent
OF the governed. 1t therefore stands
In unalterable and infexible opposition
4 to imperialism, which is the denial OF
the right Of self-government. 1t holds
that we cannot hold subject colony
without violating the fundamental
principle of the republic; and it CON
dennis as wicked and wanton war
that Is being waged without legal au-
thority for tho overthrow of free gov
eminent in foreign land and the es-
Enlistment there of our sovereignty
against the wishes and in defiance of
the rights Of it's inhabitants.
II the United States have right to
overthrow the Filipino republic thew
have the right to overthrow any other
republic or any other government they
may select for a victim They may go
to Central America and to South Am
erica or to China or to Africa and un-
der pretext Of civilizing and Christian
izing the inhabitants they may destroy
their governments and institutions and
compel them to submit to American
rule. The pretense that we bought
from Spain the sovereignty of the Phil
ipp1nes in no sense saves us from the
inherent wickedness of our assault up-
on the liberties of a foreign peo-
pie. The latter had rights; and these
rights were not owned by Spain. Spain
therefore could not sell them. or
could we buy them. What Spain sold
was her outlawed claim to trample
upon those rights. What we purchased
was this claim; and the Republican
party is asserting it with brute force
in defiance Of morals and law and the
/ foundation principles of our own free
institutions.
But the Democratic party stands for
freedom at home as well as for free
dom abroad. 1t is therefore in favor of
trial by jury and against government
by injunction. Trial by jury for hun
dreds of years has been considered the
strongest defense of freemen. 1t is
now challenged by the Republican par
(. ty, and in the name of law and order
/ Its overthrow Is foreshadowed in iu-
dicial usurpation-the worst Of tyran-
MES. Thomas Jefferson feared the en-
croachments of the judiciary in his
time, and it was Marshall whose inter-
probation Of the constitution was the
first great triumph Of Imperialism over
democracy. In later years the federal
government has steadily encroached
upon the liberties Of the citizen; one
by one the safeguards Of freedom have
been overborne. and now the common
people must face the threat of ire
sponsible power exercised by the fed
eral bench through the subtle enginery
of the injunction.
II men have right to themselves