Chicago eagle. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1889-19??, 1900-07-07
SAID BY RICHARDSON.
the PERMANENT CHAIRMAN RE.
VIEWS ISSUES.
Finance the Lcnder-Trusts aud I'm.
periaiism Are Warmly Denounced
Administrations Attitude in Cuba,

The speech Of j. n. Richardson of
Tennessee. permanent chairman of the
national Democratic convention, was us
follows:
am deeply sensible Of the great honor
you have bestowed upon me In calling me TO
preside over this great Democratic conven.
tlon. We have been clothed with the au.
thorlty 20 name formally the candidates who
Of the next election are to be chosen Prcsi.
dent and Vice President Of the United
states, aud TO lay down 4 platform of prin.
clples upon which the battle Is to be fought
and the victory won. With your permits
sion | will address myself to some of the
issues Of the impending campaign.
The last great national contest for su.
premacy was fought mainly upon one Issue;
that Is TO say. one issue was paramount
In the struggle. Tina, issue was Familiarity
the free coinage OF gold and silver at u ratio
OF sixteen parts OF silver 20 one part VI gold,
with which all Of Us are familiar
The momcntous issue this year Is again III
TO l, but the sixteen paris to the one part OF
this campaign. which | will briefly discuss,
are wholly different from these Of 1876.
VIII refer to the sixteen parts aud then to
the one part. These sixteen parts are:
l.. We have the issue fraught with indie
scribable Importance to our people native
born, and those who have for patriotic rea.
sous cast their fortunes with us-namely,
that OF the republic against the empire ON
this part alone Of the sixteen. IL there were
no other' we confidently expect to win Il
sweeping victory In November. The Re.
publican party stands for empire. The Dem.
ocratic party stands for the republic for
the declaration of independence, aud the
Constitution OF cur country.
Trusts a Leading lssuc.
.. The paternal and fostering care given
by those with whom we contend to the com.
binations Of corporations and companies into
powerful examinations Familiarity known as
rule, while they controlled the Presidency,
the Senate and the House of Representa-.
tives-that is. the law.makins power of the
government-trusts have been propagated
and fostered by legislation until they not
only dominate all markets, both the buying
and selling; but defy the very power Of the
forth by the Republican party In an alleged
attempt to restrain them In the dying hours
Of the late session OF Congress only excited
ridiculc and contempt and served to EN-.
phasize their Inability and disinclnation to
grapple with the monsters and regulate their
conduct and actions. No matter what their
have created them. and, though clothed with
all power, they refuse to enact legislation
TO control them.
3. Called to power March L. 1897. under a
pledge to reform the currency. they seized
the FIRST opportunity to fasten upon the land
the highest protective tariff law ever put
upon the statute books Of any country. This
law was enacted. not to raise revenue, but
to give protection to favored manufacturers.
II failed to raise sufficient revenue for the
government. but answered the purpose OF
enrichlng the favored few. while II robbed
the many, and at the same time brought
forth trusts to plague US as numerous as
the lice and locusts of Egypt. Their high
protective tariff Is the mother Of trusts.
4. This administration came Into power
with a solemn declaration In favor Of bi.
mctalllsm and u pledge to promote II. II
has failed TO keep that pledge. II has erect
ed In Its stead the single standard Of gold,
and has endeavored to destroy all hope OF 81.
mc;allism. In doing this It has built up a
powerful national bank trust and has given
Us a currency based upon the debts and la.
biiities OF the government. We stand for b!.
metallism and not for u monomctalllc stand.
ard OF either one or the other metal.
Attitude Toward Monroe Doctrine.
8. The dominant party has recently
made the fraudulent declaration that u ~.
and Secretary Sf state Sye aone
all In their power to nullify and abrogate
that famous and much.revered Democratic
doctrine. In the name Of Its Democratic au.
thor. James Monroe, denounce their vaunt.
ed advocacy Of this truly American doctrine
as false and hypocriticai. we stand for this
doctrine In Its essence and form, ana de-
mand Its rigid enforcement.
o. In order to obtain place and power they
pledged themselves, In the interest Of an
way TO connect the two great oceans. They
have repudlated this promise. They have
negotiated the Hay.Pauncefotc treaty
which, while II virtually abrogates the Mon.
roe doctrine. renders Il impossible to build
an American canal. Under the terms and
provisions Of this treaty, which " English
and not American, the canal can never be
constructed. We stand for an American
canal, owned, constructed, operated and
fortified by America.
Z They declared In their platform that
their party was responsible for the merit
system, that II was their creature and that
the civil service law should be protected and
Of this law has been such as the wolf gives
the lamb They did not dare openly repeal
the law or 20 modify Il BY an act OF Con
but thu ssef asxs an hn
TO aid them TO obtain and hold political
power. greatly impaired the efficiency Of the
and lucrative offices regularly covered by
the civil service law were taken from under
It's protection. and these places turned ovel
satisfy tn sheIr political greed. "
q. They declared in their platform In fayo,
OF the admission OF the territories Of Ari
coma, New Mexico and Oklahoma as States
OF the Union, yet, after nearly four years o.
full power, they are still Territories. unde
the wicked rule OF law as now applied BY thu
they may at an early date find erected be
tween themselves and the balance Of thu
Union a tariff wall which will serve TO pau
perize them while II enriches Others.
"Piain Duty" In Porto Rico.
o. When Congress last assembled In,
President, In his first Itterance addressed Z
the representatives fresh from the people
solemnly urged upon them that y was thei
plaln duty 10 give free tTuut 10 iOrtD hlco
His party leaders, quick to obey his injunc
ton, made ready TO comply with his recon
mendations. But In night--almost In tn
twinkllng OF an eye-the mighty magnates o
the trusts swept down upon Washington an,
interposed their strong arm and plain dut
vanished like mist before the rising sun. tn
President wheeled into line, the Republican
party reversed its policy, and set up q tarii
wall betweei the Island 81 Porto Rico an
the remainder Of the United States, II
Rot at all surprising that In the recent some
what lengthy declarations Of principle
enuncated by the party. In convention as
sembled, while they enlarge upon almos
every political question they could not nm
the space 10 point with pride TO the achieve
ments OF their party In It's dealings with tina
unhappy Island. The Democratic part
stands for equal taxation, equal rights an
opportunities 10 all who come under III
folds OF the nag.
10 They wholly failed by their leglsat!o
and by the cheaper method Of platform DEF
laration 10 tell the country what their pole
Is In respect 10 the Philippine Islands. Fo
two years, by their equlyOcating policy, an
no policy at oil, they have continued In this
Archipelago a war, expensive In huma
blood, as well as In money. Incompetent
deal with this question, and too coward
70 ayow their real purpose Of imper!alisl
and miitarlsm In dealing with these an
kindred colonial questions, they should
retiresl from power and the control shoul