The Banner-Democrat., 1900-10-20


rights, strict observance of public faith.
On the other is denagogue ranting
about the tyranny Of capitalists and
usurists, and asking why anybody |
should be permitted to drink cham
paign and to ride in a carriage while
of honest folks are, in want !
of necessities. Which of the two cam
didates is likely to be prsferred by a |
workingman who hears his children !
cry for bread? ----..-..s-
Il seriously apprend that you will
in some such season of adversely as l
have described do things which will
prevent prosperity from returning; that
you will act like people who should ID
year of scarcity devour all the seed
corn, and thus make the next year
not of scarcity, but of absolute famine
There will bes fear, spoliation.. The
spoliatlon will increase the distress.
The distress will produce fresh spolla-
tion There is nothing to stop You. Your
constitution is all sail and no anchor.
"As [ said before. when society has
entered on this downward progress
either civilization or liberty must per-
ish. Either some Cesar or Napoleon
will seize the reigns of government
with strong hand or your republic
will be as fearfully plundered and ia'd
Waste by barbarians in the twentieth
century as the Roman empire was IN
the fifth. with this difference. that the
Huns and Vandals who ravished the
Roman empire came from without. ana
that YOUR Huns and Vandals will bave
been engendered within your own
country by your own institutions.
Thinking thus. of course l cannot
reckon jefferson among the benefact-
ors of mankind"
| What American can read these
words now and look soberly about him
without recognizing the sinister signs
of the times? A cruel and almost IT.
resistible concentration of wealth-with
every attendant circumstance OF delib-
crate oppression-closing the gates OF
opportunity in life to poor men ana
arraved against this heartless and cor
rupt industrial aristocracy the fierce
resistance of organized labor. with the
growing spirit of socialism filling up
the distant back ground.
4 Isjt possible that Macaulay's solemn
prophecy is to be fulflied? Is it really
true that liberty and civilization are
incompatible? Must democracy al
wavs end 10 anarchy or C@sarism?
And if the enemies of the republic
have already risen within our borders
the progeny of our own American in
stitutions-will they be strong enough
to destroy free government on this
continentp
The leaders of the two great currents
of political thought and action in the
United States are Mr.. Mckinley and
Mr. BRYAN. Each is supreme in his
own party.
Mr.. Mckinley has already repudiateo
Jefferson's doctrine that call men arr
created equal" and has established col
onies under the American fiag-the hrs
| step toward an imperial system. H'
has used his power as president to Sc
, cure large permanent standing army
He has permitted the overgrown trusts
intrenched in government favoritism
to defy the laws. overawe or corrup
the executive. legislative and judicia
offices of the nation. and to oppres
the people by destroying competition
He has relied, and still relies. upon
. vast political corruption fund contri
: buted by criminal corporate combina
, lonesome say to the extent of $25,
, 900, ,OOO-to keep himself and his part.
3 IN power. And he has placed thieves il
office. knowing them TO be thieves.
, 1t is not evident that the spirit o
4 Macaulay's prophecy is shared by mel
2 high in power on this continent, ant
that what we are now witnessing ar
: really preparations for the "govern
ment with strong hand" which Ma
| caulay said would bring democratic in
f stitutions to an end in America?
[ Mr.. Bryan and the Democratic part
{: stand for individual liberty as oppose
| to the tyranny of a military empire o
: the one hand or the tyranny of stat
: socialism on the other hand. He
e trying to bring the rich and the poo
/, closer together. He calls upon homes
s wealth. honest corporations. homes
t combinations to assist the wealth pre-
: ducers of the country to bring the di:
: honest, rapaclous criminal trusts unde
d the firm and reasonable control of tn
e law. He protests against crimins
It system in Porto Rico and the Philip
] pines because it is not consistent wit
+ free institutions to have one part {
r the nation citizens and the other pal
+ subjects. lie opposes huge permar
ent standing army as the corollary {
y IL colonial empire. He demands ths
J. each citizen shall contribute to the SUI
# port of the governments in exact pre-
| portion to the amount of protection b
: receives from the government.
g Surely there is nothing of the dem;
: gogue in this. 1t Is the middle course
g the path between the appalling e1
e tremes pictured by Macaulay.
d But if the cause represented by MI
e BRYAN is to be crushed. if the trus
: and Imperialism and mililarlsm and il
?. crcasingly unequal taxation are to b
" indorsed at the polls this year, wis
IS then? Will not the forces of socialism
" overwhelm and engulf the moderat
u and tlme-tried policy of the Democra
l. ic party27 Is it not probable that til
n struggle of to-day will be succeeded b
IS the struggle foretold by MacaulayP
II My own observations 10 various par
3. of the country this year convince N
y that the Democratic party, under tt
= leadership of Mr. Bryan, is the or
d great barrier against the rising tide I
s. socialism. The party of the trusts an
II the party of state socialism are boI
1t attempting to destroy the principal
lie competition. Between the two stant
d the Democratic party. appealing to Il