Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1900-07-06

Nored few-CorruptionistS Enriched at the
Expense OF American labor-A Record Of
lnfamv.
l.x-'."yerncr .'oi:! p. Altg, ID, in his
spepch lcfore the Illinois ID, mocratic
convention, among other things said:
The American people nave been pay
Ing at the national debt which the war
created for 33 wears. and Yet, such have
leen the industrial and financial poll
cics of the Republican party that today
it will take nearly twice as much Of
American products, nearly twice as
much of American labor, To pay what
Is left of that debt as would have been
necessary to pay it all at the conclusion
Of the war This is only sample of all
of the acts Of that party. Although we
were mighty producing as well as
debtor nation, and We're therefore inter
csted in keeping up the price of proper
ty and in keeping steady the exchange
value of money, this Republican party,
controlled By foreign influence, legislat-
ed in the interests of the few and struck
down the value of American property
and American products by nearly one
half thus practically doubling the
amount of labor and sweat that was
required to pay n dollar Of debt. 1t is
the great mortgaging party of the cen
fury. 1t mortgages the property made
by the toll of others. 1t mortgages the
inheritance of the American people, and,
not content with this, it has reached
out and mortgaged the generations yet
to come-generations whose fathers are
yet unborn, generations whose bread
will be shortened to pay mortgages
created by this political party, and the
vast sums Of money thus raised at the
expense of the coming toilers of the earth
have been spent in riotous living and
Ill the enrichment of manipulators and
corruptionists.
The civil war brought not only an
eclipse for the Democratic party, but it
brought a change Of character. From
being the powerful champion Of the hu-
man race it was reduced to the humili-
ating condition of being a convenience
for men who knew not Jefferson, who
cared not for humanity and who used
government for personal enrichment.
Owing to invention, there took place
after the war great concentration Of
capital, and there were first formed
great corporations, but subsequently
these combined and formed trusts and
wiped out competition. These corpora
lions soon discovered that by controlling
the government and its policies vast
fortunes could be rapidly drawn from
the pockets of the American people,
and there came forth in the east shrewd
manipulators who controlled both of
the great political parties and prostitut-
ed both to their base purposes. These
mon got control of the Democratic party
end made it spoilsman's convenience.
Cur party was robbed Of it's mission
it was robbed of voice in human af-
fairs; it straddled everything and con-
centrated on nothing. Although the
spirit of Democracy had founded this
republic and the Democratic party had
shaped its destiny for more than half a
century. there followed a period Of
about 80 years upon which no Democrat
can look with pride. Having no definite
purpose to serve. our people devoted
themselves to compromising and trad
ing, and instead Of carrying out great
mission we spent our energies in the
lowlands and played tricks in the un-
derbrush.
But new time was dawning, new
century was approaching, and the AL
mighty decided to make preparation for
its advent The human family was
again to move forward An aggressive
army was needed. He looked upon the
party Of Lincoln and found that it stood
for exactly the opposite Of all the prin-
ciples for which that great man had
stood. He found that the men who now
control the conventions and the coun-
sells of that party had won their posi-
tion by bribing legislatures, by pollut-
ing the stream Of justice, by undermin-
ing free institutions and by debauching
everything which they touched with
their soiled fingers. They formed an as
ISOLATION of banditti, operating in the
name of law and giving to the children
Of toll stone whenever they called for
bread
Then the Almighty turned to the
Democratic party. He was familiar
with its great achievements, familiar
with the great purpose for which it had
been organized. He found that a ma
jority Of this party were earnest, pa
triotic men and as ready as ever to
make sacrifices. He found that it had
for years been ridden and weakened by
parasites. He found that tho poison of
corruption had also to some extent enter.
ed its veins, but he also saw that if the
parasites were drawn off and if the
trimmers and deadheads were cast aside
the poison could be cast out and that
the party would then be capable of
moving forward and fighting greater
battles than had before been witnessed.
Then there spread over the land de-
mand for reorganization, and, although
the party had been betrayed and its fu-
ture looked hopeless, there was q de-
mand by the masses that it should be
taken up out Of the swamps in which it
had wandered and come up again on to
the high lands.
In 1896 tnere was new Dattlecry,
and the scattered and discouraged De-
mocracy rallied and held the greatest
assembly of freemen that ever met ON
this continent. The party cast off the
parasites. It cast off the deadheads,
which had long ridden it and fed it
only on false pretenses 1t flung new
banners to the breeze. Then it went
forth and fought the most gigantic bat
tie ever waged. Its great leader lifted
the issue ON to high intellectual and
moral planes, and made a campaign
that was without a parallel in all his.
tory, and the party which only few
months before was considered dead
polled 1000, 900 more votes for presi.
dent than ever before cast for Demo,
cratic candidate. When that conven-
ton adjourned, we suddenly discovered
that all Of the corporations Of this
country had combined against the peo-
pie, and, what was remarkable, all Of
those men who had established reputa-
tions as corruptionists and debauchers
Of public morals suddenly appeared as
great high priests of national honor.