The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1901-01-27
GOV. STONES CRITICISM
Simply to Oppose a Party Policy is Not
Sufficient.
A BETTER ONE MUST BE PROPOSED
Y Would Have the Democratic Party to be a
Party Of Affirmative Ideas and Pro-
gressive Policies,
He Says.

1
| (Abstract of the address of William J..
Stone before the Jackson County Demo-
cratic Club, Kansas City,.
| jackson as a warrior can be consider
ed only as an American, and his martial
deeds constitute only brilliant chapter
in the common history of the nation But
| his civic achievements. ever more inn
portant than his military achievements,
while also Of necessity part of our COM
mon history, were yet expressive in Pc
culiar sense of the policies and purposes
of the Democratic party, of which he was
| in his day the leader and chief expo
nent." He declared that only Demo-
Gratis can recall the civic achievements
of the old warrior statesman in the pride
and satisfaction and they only can point
to his example as an inspiration for the
present and future"
He warned his hearers against the ten
dency of .commereialism" in politics,
saying: while / would have the DEM
ocratic party to be party of affirmative
ideas and progressive policies, / wish at
the same time to impress upon you the
necessity OF firmly adhering to those fun
damental principles upon which our gov
ernmental structure was founded, and
upon which the integrity of our institu-
tions depend. Wealth. prosperity and
power are of very great importance but
even above these are our institutions of
government which should be considered as
sacred A nation rich, prosperous and
powerful is greatly to be desired, but a
nation devoted to wisdom, justice and
liberty is of greater moment.
Speaking of political corporations he
said: THE constant presence of corpo-
rate power in public affairs. growing ever
more offensive and assertive, together
with the bold cOrruptive use of enormous
sums of MONEY in the control of elections
and other interests affecting the public
welfare, are today debauching our public
life, poisoning the very sources of our
political power and breaking down those
high sentiments of patriotism and pub
lie virtue which all history and expert
ence prove are essential to the existence
of free Republic. Corporations regarded
as a business convenience and when OPP
Grating within their proper sphere, are
benefcent and wise creations of the law;
but corporations are morally irresponsi-
BILE and are nearly always governed by
purely selfish considerations, and hence
their presence in the conduct of public
affairs is not only without warrant of law
but is a menace to the public welfare.
Vast aggregations of capital are eentered
in these intangible organizations, and
when it is used by those who have charge
of it to influence the course of public af
fairs, they make the most dangerous pos
sible assault upon the life of the State
and the nation, | warn you if we are
to remain really great and permanently
free we must not let the spirit of private
greed outstrip the spirit of public virtue,
nor even let the ambitions of commerce,
however commendable in the abstract,
blunt too much the national conscience
Speaking to questions of party policy
he said while keeping steadily in
view the basic principles of our govern
ment, the preservation OF which is of
the first Importance, l would again, as l
have for years past, urge upon the Dem
ocratic party to be more affirmative and
aggressive in matters OF public policy.
My criticism of our party leadership is
that it has been too negative, too conser-
vative, and not sufficiently assertiYe or
progressive. We have become too much a
negative and too little positive force
in public affairs. We should not only OBJ
ject to what others propose, although we
should certainly object to whatever is
wrong, but the Democratic party, il wor-
thy to rule, must propose and promote
great policies of its own. Undoubtedly
the money question, the trust question
and the tariff question are all questions
of prime Importance, but there are other
questions also of great public moment
upon which the party should take not only
positive but a suggestive position. For
instance. with a view to promoting our
commercial interests, at home and abroad,
we ought to make the rehabilitation OF
our merchant marine the construction of
an isthmian canal, and the construction
of a ship-way from the gulf TO the lakes,
and may be TO the Atlantic, leading
feature of our plan for the national de-
velopment 1t is we'll enough 10 oppose
the so-caIled Hanna subsidy but never
theless the fact remains that our mer-
chant vessels. which under the old Demo-
cratic regime swarmed in every sea, have
now almost entirely disappeared. We
should go forth and acquire dominion Oh
the seas again. 1t will not do TO merely
oppose a particular policy you may eonsld-
er bad. but you must propose and urge
a better policy of your own, Here is
omen a great and splendid field for a con-
structive and progressive partR pollcy.
The sneaker declared that the Demo-