The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1900-08-09


ans address, in reply to the speech of
! Chairman Richardson. formally notifying
him of his nomination for the Presidency
| by the Democratic National Convention at
Kansas City, follows:
| ''Mr. Chairman and Members of the No
! tiication Committee: shall, at an ear
! iy day, and in a more formal manner, ac-
cept the nomination which you tender, and
| shall at that time discuss the various
| questions covered by the Democratic plat
! form. 1t may not be eyout OF place, howey-
| er, to submit a few observations at this
| time upon the generalcharacter of the con-
| test before US, and upon the question which
| is declared to be Of paramount Importance
| in this campaign.
When / say that the contest of 1900 is
contest between democracy on the one
| hand and plutocracy on the other. do not
mean to say that all our opponents have
! deliberately chosen to give to organized
wealth predominating influence In the
affairs of the Government. but do assert
| that on the important Issues of the day the
Republican party is dominated by those
| influences which constantly tend to elevate
pecuniary considerations and ignore hu-
man rights.
In 1859 Lincoln said that the Republic
can party believed in the man and the
| dollar, but that in case of conflict ii be-
/ lieved in the man before the dollar This
is the proper relation which should exist
I between the two. Man. the handiwork of
God, comes first; money. the handiwork of
I man. is OF inferior Importance. Man Is the
| master; money the servant. but upon all
| important questions today. Republican leg
isiation tends to make money the master
| and man the servant
THE maxim of Jefferson equal rights
to all and special privileges to none, and
the doctrine OF Lincoln that this should be
a government of the people. by the people.
and for the people. are being disregarded
and the instrumentalities OF government
are being used to advance the interests OF
those who are in position to secure ia
vors from the Government.
''The Democratic party Is not making
war upon the honest acquisition of wealth. ;.
it has no desire to discourage Industry,
economy and thrift. On the contrary. it
gives to every citizen the greatest possible
stimulus to honest toll, when 1t promises
him protection in the enjoyment Of the
proceeds of his labor. Property rights are
most secure when human rights are re-
spected. Democracy strives for civiliZa-
ton in which every member of society will
share according to his merits
.sThou Shalt Not,
mo one has a right to expect from So
the service, which he renders to society.
If he secures more, 1t is at the expense OF
some one else. 1t IS no injustice to him
to prevent his doing injustice to another
To him who would. either through class
legislation or in the, absence of necessary
legislation, trespass upon the rights of an
other, the Democratic party says: Thou
shalt not
Against us are arrayed a comparatively
small, but politically and financially power
full. number who really profit by Repub.i-
can policies; but with them are associated
a large rumDer who, because OF their at
tachment to their party name, are giving
their support to doctrines antagonistic to
the former teachings Of their own party.
Republicans who used to advocate bimet-
allism now try 20 convince themselves
that the gold standard is good; Republic
cans who we're formerly attached to the
greenback are now seeking an excuse for
giving national banks control Of the ma
tons paper money; Republicans who u ed
TO boast tbct the Republican party was
paying OH the national debt are now look
ing for reasons to support perpetual and
Increasing debt: Republicans who formerly
abhorred a trust. now beguile themselves
with the deiusion that there are coed
trusts and bad trusts. while. in their
minds. the line between the two is becom-
ing more and more Coscure; Republicans
who in times past- congratulated the coun-
try upon the small expense of our standing
army are now making light OF the obiee-
tions which are urged against large in
crease in the permanent military estab
lishment; Republicans who gloried in our
! Independence when the nation was less
powerful now look with favor upon a for
eign alliance; Republicans who three years
ago condemned 'forcible annexation as i'm
moral and even criminal are now sure
that it is both immoral AID criminal to
oppose forcible annexation. That parti-
sanship has already blinded many to pre-
sent dangers is certain; how large a por-
tion of the Republican party can be drawn
over to the new policies remains to be
seen.
For a time Republican leaders were in
clined to deny to opponents the right to
criticise the Philippine policy of the Ad-
ministration, but upon investigation they
found that both Lincoln and Clay asserted
and exercised the right to criticise a
President during the progress OF the Mexi-
can war.
Instead OF meeting the issue boldly and
submitting a clear and positive plan for
dealing with the Philippine question. the
Republican Convention adopted platform,
the larger part Of which was devoted to
boasting and INSTRUMENTATION.
I'm attempting to press economic uues-
tions upon the country.to the exclusion of
those which involve the very structure of
our Government. the Republican leaders
give new evidence OF their abandonment of
the earlier ideals OF the party and OF their
complete subserviency tc pecuniary con-
sideratioEs.
But thy shall not be permitted to evade
the stupendous and far-reachlng issue
which they have deliberately brought into
the arena OF politics. When the President.
supported by practically unanimous vote
of the House and Senate, entered upon a
war with Spain for the purpose of aiding
the struggling patriots OF Cuba, the coun-
try. without regard to party, applauded
Although the Democrats recognized that
the Administration would necessarily gain
a political advantage from the conduct OF
a war which in the very nature of the
ease must soon end in a complete victory
they We'd with the Republicans in the sup
port which they gave to the President
When the war was over and the Republican
leaders began to suggest the propriety of
colonial policy, opposition at once mani
tested Itself. When the President finally
laid before the Senate treaty which rec
ognized the independence of Cuba, but pro-
yided for the cessiDn of the Philippine ISL
ands to the United States, the menace of
iruperiaIism became so apparent that many
preferred TO reject the treaty and risk the
ills that might follow rather than take the
chance Of correcting the errors of the
treaty by the independent action of this
country.
az was among the number Of those who
believed IL better TO ratify the treaty and
end the war. release the volunteers, remove
tle excuse for war expenditures, and then
give to the Filipinos the independence
which might be forced from Spain by a