Gloucester County Democrat. (Woodbury, N.J.) 1878-1932, 1901-04-18
Thomas Jefferson.

Hon. David B. Hill addressed the mem
bers of the Jefferson Club, of Buffalo, and
their guests last Saturday night. His
theme was ''Thomas Jefferson"
Referring to the extension of American
institutions, he spoke of the negotiation by
Jefferson of the treaty with France for the
purchase of Louisiana. That, he said, was
Democratic expansion; its territory was
intended for States and not for permanent
colonies, and the Constitution was ap-
plicable to do it, with all its sacred guaran-
tees of life, liberty and prosperity. That
xpansion-natural, legitimate, inevitable
can no more be compared to the pending
experiment with the Philippine Islands than
light with darkness.
Jefferson he said, would have viewed
with adherence the establishment of a
permanent American colonial system,
whether obtained under military rule or
under civil authority. His theory was
the Democratic doctrine of to-day-that
this Government has no more authority
to create colonial system than it has the
right to create king.
SLAP AT THE STEEL TRUST.
Referring to monopolies, he said =
"When billion-dollar corporate combine
tions are forming on every side, dazzling
us with the boundless extent of their
proposed operations, it is time to consider
whether some wholesale restrictions upon
such corporate undertaking are not essen
tial in the interest of the people.
"Jefferson's teachings might suggest a
limitation upon the profits which could
be legally accumulated by these tremendous
business organizations; or he might demand
that the Government, in justice to over
burdened Taxpayers, should withdraw its
tariff favors from the infant industries
represented by these institutions, whose
projectors are already rolling in wealth and
are astonishing the world by the munif-
cence of their private benefactions. He
would not appoint to the high Office Of
Attorney General of the United States the
man recommended by friends and promo
tiers of these very schemes, whose official
province it would be to prosecute all viola
tors of those Federal statutes passed to
prevent the consummation of just such
public wrongs"
DEMOCRATIC PARTY A SAFEGUARD.
In conclusion Mr. Hill said "And now
a word to party friends as to the future.
We must not be dismayed by recent defeats.
The Democratic party was not born to die.
1t has survived the political vicissitudes Of
hundred years, but it still lives, with its
6.342 600 voters, unterrifed, indestructible,
unpurchasable; conscious of the rightful-
ness of its cause and confident of the ulti-
mate supremacy of its principles. Our
party is the great conservative force in the
country to-day and absolutely necessary to
its welfare. 1t stands against radicalism.
1t is opposed to plutocracy and to COM
munism. It antagonizes monopoly and
socialism. It is opposed to imperialism in
the Philippines and to anarchy in Cuba. 1t
respects the vested rights of capital and
sympathizes with labor oppressed.
NO ALLIANCE WITH coRPoR ATOMS.
'Tt has no alliance with powerful cor
porate interests neither is it in league
with demagogues who disturb society and
agitate for the mere sake of agitation. 1t
makes no war upon classes, but opposes
corrupt and vicious systems and methods.
1t has no use for the passing sisms' of the
hour. 1t proposes as its general policy to
adhere to the fundamental principles upon
which the party was founded by the great
Jefferson himself.
s'In that path there is safety honor
success