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,
Porto Rico and Philippines Criticised.

The speech OF J. II. Richardson of
Tennessee, permanent chairman of the
national Democratic convention, was as
follows:
l 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.
thority 90 name formally the candidates who
Of the next election are TO be chosen presi.
dent and Vice President Of the United
states. and to lay down a platform of prin.
clples upon which the battle Is 10 bc fought
and the victory won. With your permits.
slon VIII 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
called iG 10 IL It u ,nvoiyed the s' question q
the free coinage OF gold and silver at ratio
OF sixteen parts Of silver 20 one part " gold,
with which all Of Us are familiar.
The momeutous Issue this year IL again III
TO i, but the sixteen parts to the one part OF
this campaign. which | will briefly discuss,
are wholly different frotu those " 1876. l
Will refer to the sixteen parts and then to
the one part. These sixteen parts are:
1. We have the issue fraught with indie
scribable importance to our people native
born. and those who have for patriotic rea.
sons cast their fortunes with us-namely.
that Of the republic against the empire. On
this part alone of the sixteen. II there were
"
sweeping victory In November. The Re
publican party stands for empire. The Dem.
oeratic party stands for the republic. for
the declaration of Independence. and the
Constitution Of our country.
Trusts n Leading 1ssuc.
2. The paternal and fostering care given
by those with whom we contend to the com.
binations Of corporations and companies into
powerful organizations Familiarity known as
trusts. Under three years of Republican
rule, while they controlled the Presidency.
the Senate. and the House of Representa-.
tives-that Is, the law-maklng power Of the
government--trusts have been propagateG
and foSered by lcgisl atlon 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
ridicule and contempt and served to EN-.
phasize their inability and Discrimination to
grappe with the monsters and regulate their
conduct and actions. No matter what their
excuses may he, the fact Is their policies
have created them. and. though clothed with
all power. they refuse to enact legislation
to control them.
pledge to reform the currency. they seized
the first opportunity to fasten upon the land
the highest protective tarin 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.
IL failed to raise sufficient revenue for the
government. but answered the purpose OF
enriching 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 b.
mctalllsm and pledge to promote II. II
has failed TO keep that pledge. 1t has erect
ed In Its stead the single standard Of gold.
metaiiIsm. In doing this ii has built up a
US a currency based upon the debts and la.
bilities Of the government. We stand for bl.
metallism and not for nononetallic stand.
ard Of either one or the other metal.
Attitude Toward Monroe Doctrine.
made the fraudulent declaration that Il III.
vored the Monroe doctrine. and yet their
President and Secretary q state have done
all In their power to nullify and abrogate
that famous and much.revered Democratic
doctrine. In the name OF Its Democratic au'
as false and hypocriticai. We stand for this
doctrine In Its essence and form, ana de.
mand its rigid enforcement.
pledged themselves, In the interest Of an
expanding commerce. TO construct water
way TO connect the two great oceans. They
have repudiated this promise. They have
which. while 1t virtual ~ abrogates the Mon:
roe doctrine, renders u Impossible TO build
an American canal. Under the terms and
and not American, the canal can never be
constructed. We stand for an American
canal, owned. constructed, operated ana
They declared In their platform that
their party was responsible for the merit
system, that II was their creature and that
It's operations extended. Their protection
Of this law has been such as the wolf gives
the lamb. They did not dare openly repeal
gress. but they have insidiously, ~ an or.
der from the President, extorted from him
70 aid them 10 obtain and hold political
Sreahy ph .n Srsr nanny o. ih sa
and lucrative offices regularly covered by
the civil service law were taken from nnde!
u Irotss.ion and these places turned nd. svsI
g. They declared in their platform In fayo,
Of the admission OF the territories Of Ari
Of the Union, yet, after nearly four years Of
full power, they are still Territories. Undel
the wicked rule OF law as now applied by th'
Republican party 20 some o. our Tcrritorici
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 tn,
President, In his frst utterance addressed q
the representatives fresh from the people
solemniy urged upon them that II was thei
plain duty 10 give free trade To Porto Rico
His party leaders, quick 10 obey his injunc
ton, made ready TO comply with his recon
mendat!ons. But In night-almost In tn
twinkllng Of an eye-the mighty magnates o
the trusts swept down upon Washington AM
interposed their strong arm, and plain dut.
vanished like mist before the rising sun. tn
President wheeled Into line, the Republican
party reversed It's policy, and set up a tarlf
wall betweeh the Island of Porto Rico AM
the remainder Of the United States. II
MOI at all surprising that In the recent some
what lengthy declarations Of principle
enunclated BY the party In convention as
every political question, they could not I'm,
the space 20 point with pride To the achieve
ments % their party IN It's dealing, with tina
unhappy Island. The Democratic part,
stands Tor elua! taxation, equal rights AM
opportunities 10 all who come under tn
10. They wholly failed by their Legislation
and by the cheaper method Of platform dec
laratiOn 20 tell the country what their polio
IL In respect TO the Philippine Islands. Fo
no policy at all, they have continued In tina
Archipelago a war expensive In huma
blood, a. well as In money. Incompetent I
deal with this question, and too coward
20 ayOv thelr real purpose 81 imperiaiisI
and ulttArism In dealing with these an
kindred colonial questions. they should b
retired from power, and the control shout
be given 10 party honest, bold and patr
Otic enough % apply American theories an
precepts % existing conditions, and thereb
solve them - harmony with the UIderlyln
principles 81 the declaration Of indepeDC
elce and the Constitution " our country.
IL. Another part NJ the Issue Il the can
paIgn this year u the scanda!Ops dealings 9
high cabinet officer with private banks q
the country. These scandals are notorious
M asa haa NJ. GaF l-f IA