Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1900-06-06
The Michisan plotforu,.

That the Democracy is advancing in
the direction eof better government
than that offered by plutocracy Is evil
dent from the platform adopted by the
Michigan State Democratic convention.
Although the Democracy persists in
maintaining the principles upon which
our system Of government was based,
by the maintenance of which 1t alone
can be successfully perpetuated as a
government Of the people, yet 1t finds
the more we progress in the direction
of the solution of the human problem,
that the Ills to which all flesh is heir
can only be cured by close study Of
the wants, the demands and the neces-
sites of the whole people, and that
those necessities can only be supplied
by the people themselves.
Hence mupicipal ownership and di-
rect legislation, following in the lead
of Nebraska, the adoption of which is
in strict line with the most advanced
ideas of statesmen and economists
everywhere in the world. Because the
Democratic party insists upon the rigid
observance and the practical adapta-
ton of the principles specified In the
Declaration of independence, enacted
into the United States constitution as
the organic law, and always observed,
enforced and impressed upon the peo-
pie as their only salvation, until the
Mckinley administration cast it all
overheard, the Democratic party has
been charged with senility, old fogy-
ism, effeteness, and has been plainly
told that the government has outgrown
the principles which it has always
borne close to its heart, and is there
fore incompetent to handle the affairs
of the government as they have pro-
crossed. In the. light, however, of the
recent declarations and enunciations of
Its statesmen and leaders, no man can
say that this charge is true. The Demo-
cratic party does not carry its bag of
grain to mill with the wheat in one end
and big rock to balance it in the
other. 1t, in common with all Ameri-
can citizens except the Republican par
ty, has outgrown this old fogyism. The
main point after all is, how are we 60
ing to stop the increasing corruption,
extravaganza and wandering away
from the principles of government
which have made the nation great?
How are the people to be drawn out
from under the crushing weight of mo-
nopolists, trusts and plutocracy which
cannot live unless they are based upon
k1p i'm cd tn1
of the Republican party? Would the
government expend in three years over
one thousand millions in cash, sum
greater than the total of the much
Wanted balance of trade in our favor
for the same period if the people them
selves possessed any influence with the
law-making power? Could Mark Han
na, as the agent Of criminal combines,
stand behind the Presidential chair and
dictate laws, expenditures and policies
for the benefit of his own special class
If the people stood between him and
that Presidential chair? How could the
people of the country be annually drain
ed of sum of money in excess of the
entire circulating medium, gold, silver
and paper money, If they owned, con-
trolled or regulated the means by which
this money is diverted from their own
pockets for the special class already
alluded to?
The great Democratic party is draw
ing closer and closer to the people, as
is evidenced by the Michigan, Nebraska
and other platforms, and in the daily
enunciations from the Democratic
press.