Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1900-07-05
ANGER
Set Forth by Temporary Chairman
Hurst of the Illinois
Democracy.

In his opening address to the Illinois
state democratic convention at Spring
field June 81 Temporary Chairman E.
w. Hurst, of Rock Island county, said:
Since the representatives of our party
have assembled in national convention
new issues have -risen-issue involving
grave questions of right and wrong. great
questions of principle, questions AFFECT
ing, in my judgment, the permanency or
the republic. These new issues are, how
ever, but the natural outgrowth of the
old contest between man and the dollar.
between plutocracy and democracy. Our
forefathers thought when they abolished
entail and provided for the distribution
OF estates they had erected a bulwark
against the money power. They were
led by Jefferson and believed with him
that in a repGblic there should be no
aristocracy but that of virtue and talent
III Jefferson saw danger to republican
institutions in a landed aristocracy what,
think you. he would say If alive to-day
at the growing power of combinations of
capital in the form of trusts?
The greatest danger which threatens
our institutions to-day is to be found
in this incoming flood of incorporated
wealth. These vast and powerful inter-
ests fully realize that their safety lies
IN the continuation of a republican adj
ministration which has failed to enforce
NN 0"S ~ oh N&sC SldAdAC oooA III ~
enact more stringent laws against them,
and they will oppose with all their power
any change of administration, and un-
less the mass of the people Is aroused
TO the danger which confronts them the
time will soon come when no law will
| pass or honor be conferred without the
consent of these powerful and interested
combinations, which are speedily becom-
ing the government itself. to the utter
suoyersion of the authority of the peo-
! pie. III YOU think this an Oy6r0raWn
picture, look at the republican national
convention at Philadelphia last week.
where the representatives of these inter-
ests named the candidates and dictated
the policy, a convention to which the
great state of Illinois chose for two or
It's delegates the ruling spirits of the
parp wire trust, a trust which, 10 al
vance the interests of its officers, recent
ly closed down u of its factories and,
without any warning whatever, deprived
more than 5000 latoring men of employ
ment.
The democratic party wages no war on
property or property rights. The true
democrat glories in the opportunity for
individual advancement under a govern
ment such as ours, when rightfully ad-
ministered, and has only admiration for
the man who, asking nothing from MS
government but equal and exact justice,
caryes out his own success, be 1t fnan-
cial or otherwise. But the true demo-
crat demands that the blessing of govern
ment shall fall, like the rain from heaven.
on the rich and poor alike and demands
that his government shall not grant spe-
cial privileges to the few.
THE growth of trusts is largely due
to the protective tariff laws enacted b.
the republican party, but, not content
with the advantages afforded by con-
troll of home markets under republican
legislation and Influenced by the pros
pect of profitable trade with the islands
wrested from the domination of Spain.
these monopolists have inspired the i'm
perial policy of the present administra-
ton, the enforcement of which can only
be accomplished by re~volutionizing our
government and substituting the princi-
pies of our hereditary enemies for the
teachings OF Washington and his asso-
ciates. Five score and fourteen years
ago our fathers brought forth on this
continent a new nation, conceived in lib
erty and dedicated to the proposition that
all men are created equal Winning
their struggle for liberty, they estab-
lished here a great self-ruling nation
| the living embodiment of the gospel OF
democracy-'a government of the people,,
tor the people and by the people'-a gov
eminent which has been a beacon light
to the people of the world struggling
for liberty, and whose influence has lib
eralized monarchies and limited arbitrary
power all over the world.
There is great danger to the republic
in this policy of imperialism-this reach
NA@9 M ~ oAsAoAAb oAdAhNAo ~ 10 S0N
erned as subject provinces. Such a
colonial scheme destroyed all hopes of re-
p~ublicanism in olden times. 1t can exist
in no free country because 1t uprootS and
eliminates the basis of republican insti-
tutions. that governments derive their
just powers from the consent of the gov
erned.'
The question presented to the Ameri-
can people is not the question of ex-
pansion of the republic over contiguous
territory to which we extend the bless
ings of our institutions, a policy which
all would gladly welcome If accom-
plissed peaceably and honorably. No.
the question for your consideration is the
question between the republic and the
empire, between liberty and slavery, be-
tween the declaration of independence
and Imperialism, between the doctrines
of Washington and Jefferson and the
doctrines of George III. and Lord North,
and, with a firm reliance in the love
of liberty which God has planted in the
hearts of the American people. / firmly
believe the people will hurl aside those
who in the delirium for trade and con-
quest seek to destroy the character of our
institutions.
ct have every faith that, true to the
interests of the people whom you rep
resent, you will formulate a platform
reaffirming the great principles of de-
mocracy enunciated in the platform of
1896 and protesting against this new and
dangerous doctrine of Imperialism. 1 feel
sure, TOO, tnat IN choosing among the Q1I-
ferent candidates for state offices your
action will be prompted by a desire to
do that which is for the best interests
of the party and the state.
IN the national campaign upon which
we are about to enter the great common
people, who constitute the very bone and
sinew of the republic, turn their faces
with one accord toward one man and
ask that he lead them in the political
battle for the peoples rights. And how
wise their choicei
Some one has said that the story of
Napoleon should come from the lips of
a Frenchman. who knows 10 language
rich enough 10 paint the great captain
of the nineteenth entury, and that the
story of Washington should be taken
from the hearts of Americans, who think
no marble white enough on which to
carve the name of the father of their
country. So it seems to me that the task
of leading the democratic hosts, of plead
ing the peoples cause and of teaching
the gospel of true democracy should be
given to that greatest exponent of demo-
cratic principles since the day of Jefer-
on-william Jennings Bryan. of Me-
braska-"
Plum Tree Popularity.
Mr.. Hanna is respected and revered by
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