The Billings gazette. [volume] (Billings, Mont.) 1896-1919, 1901-04-16
HILL DELIVERS ADDRESS ON
JEFFERSON.
DEFINES PURE DEMOCRACY
Differs from Principles Advocated
by Eminent Perennial Can
didate for Presidency.

Buffalo, April 13.-David B. Hill ad.
dressed the members of the Jefferson
club and their guests at the Teck the.
alter tonight. His theme was "Thom-
as Jefferson" In introducing Senator
Hill to the audience, Senator Maurice
G. Spratt, president of the club, re-
ferred to him as 1.-The greatest living
exponent of the principles of Jeffer-
sonian democracy"
Senator Hill was given an enthusi-
astic reception. Referring TO the ex-
tension of American influence he
spoke OF the negotiation by Jefferson
of the treaty with France for the
Louisiana purchase. That, he said,
was democratic expansion, described
from a rational point of view, because
it's territories were intended for states
and not permanent colonies, and the
constitution was applicable to it with
all its sacred guarantees of life, lib
erty and property. That expansion,
natural, legitimate. inviolable, accom-
p1ASAASo l. OOAy 1C11Ou "1oAS VI
injustice to any country or people, can
no more be compared to the pending
experiment with the Philippine is
lands, than light can be compared
with darkness.
Jefferson, he said. would ~unquestion-
ably have viewed with adherence, the
establishment of a permanent Amer
lean colonial system, whether main
tanned under military rule or under
civil authority appointed by the cen
trail government at Washington. His
theory was unQuestionably the demo-
cratic doctrine of to-day; that this
government has no more authority to
create a colonial system, than it has
the right to establish a kingdom.
Referring to trusts he said: when
billion dollar corporations are formed
on every side, dazzling us with the
boldness OF their conception and
boundless extent of their proposed op-
erations. it is high time to consider
whether some wholesale restrictions
upon such corporation undertakings
are not essential in the interest of the
people.
"Jetferson's teaching might suggest
limitation upon the amount of divi-
dends which could be declared, or of
the profits that could be lawfully &C.
cumulated by these combinations of
capital. He might demand that the
government in justice to us overbur-
dened taxpayers should withdraw it's
tariff fayors from the infant indus
tries, represented by these combina-
lions. whose projectors are already
rolling in wealth and are astonishing
the world by the munificence of their
private benefactions. We may be
quite sure that he would not appoint
to the high Office of attorney general
of the United States a man recon-
mended by friends and promoters OF
these very schemes, whose duty it
would be to prosecute all v~iolators OF
those federal laws passed to prevent
contamination of just such public
wrongs"
In conclusion Hill said: "!And now
a word to party friends as to the fu-
ture. We must not be dismayed by
the outlook. The democratic party
was not born to die. It has survived
the political vicissitudes of a hundred
years, disasters which would have dis
solved any other political organization
that ever tried to exist. but it still
exists with it's 6,342,00O voters, I'M
terrified, indestructible. unpurchas-
able, conscious Of the right of it's
AUS and confident in the ultimate
supremacy Of it's principles. We have
a right to be proud of our political
lineage. Our party is the great con-
seryative force in the country today
and absolutely necessary to it's well
rare. it stands against wrong of
every description. 1t is opposed to
plutocracy on the one hand and to
communism on the other. 1t antagon-
ICES monopoly on the one side and So
clalism on the other. 1t is opposed to
imperialism in the Philippine islands
and to anarchy in Cuba. IL respects
the vested rights of capital and at he
same time sympathizes with labor
oppressed. 1t has no alliances with
powerful corporate interests.
Neither is it in league with dema-
gogues who disturb society," and agi-
tate for the mere sake OF agitation.
It does not regard possession of
wealth as a crime. nor as \ badge of
honor; nor does it consider poverty
either as a disgrace 81 u virtue. it
makes no war upon classes. but on
poses corrupt and viclpus systems
and methods where err ,hsy are to
be found. 1t Las no use for the
passing isms' of the hour. 1t pro-
poses as its general policy to adhere
to the fundamental principles upon
which the party was founded by the
great Jefferson himself.
In that path there is safety, hon.
or, success"