New-York tribune., 1901-10-27
DoIiiiral Notires.

disbelieVer in the rule Of the plain people. he
makes imputation upon them. He does
rather what he TO enlighten, having abiding
faith in the ultimate victory of honest reason
with the of men.
II understand Democracy when applied TO
a municipality, in the Srst place to mean equaI
rights. it did in LoN Foco days, sixty years
ago, and therefore to mean that no citizen ana
no corporation shall secure anything from me
Treasury of the money Of all the people, or
from the armory of the peoples powers or laws
or franchises-except as they are secured DeIore
the open eyes and with clear understanding OF
the entire people and for their undoubted ana
equal benefit
Democracy means that IT, through the in
evitabe imperfections or exigencies OF human
affairs, there must come inequalities OF IN
convenience, then the comfort. convenience, ana
sense of justice of the great masses OF the peo.
pie must be dominant. 1t means We!I-paNeo
streets, and every street well paved TOT @ tne
reason that every street in any part or TINS CITY
is a heritage OF right for all the people II
means the administration Of the Waterfront
Of this great city as soon as prudent nnanclal
policy permit for the benefit of the entire city,
subject only to reasonable regulation TO make
its use more efficient and more orderly, ana
never to regulations tending TO unfrultful mo
nopolies.
DEMOCRACYS FRUITS.
1T has been well said that it is their democ-
racy which has made the American people more
truly human than the rest Of the world. so II
means the most tender and scrupulous regard
for the desolate and oppressed Tor those VINO
are in danger, necessity. or tribulaton ~
means, therefore, the sacred right OF every chllu
in the city to a seat for the full hours OF IN
struction in well heated, well lighted strictly
sanitary school. [ApplauSe.l 1t means, there
fore, the establishment not only or parks at a
distance useful chiefly 10 those with leisure put
also. and rather. the establishment OF sfnall
neighborhood parks
1T means, therefore that the courts and
more especially the lesser police or district
courts of this great city, from which nineteen
out OF twenty of our citizens get their ideas OF
American justice, shall be places where 1ustce
is vigorously dispensed without pull and with
out any influence, influence that is not PLAIN IN
the sight of heaven, and where there is deco
rum of manner and tender consideration Tor the
oppressed. for those unable, under the stress
OF sudden accusation. TO make clear their case.
1T means a rigorous and high minded admin
istraton Of the sanitary code. and of its regula-
tions which are in the interests Of the health.
cleanliness and we'll being. physical and moral,
OF those of fellow citizens. and the women
and children OF their families. who are less fort
innate than others of us. and less able therefore,
TO assert their rights gain public hearing.
''It means a sacred regard TO the financial
credit of the city and a struggle to the uttermost
TO reduce the present burden OF taxation.
1T means a fair. equal public assessment or
real estate and the nearest approach to ike
assessment of personal property which the pre-
posterous state of the law permits.
1T means, under the decision OF the Court or
Appeals upon the contitutionality of the Rapid
Transit acts. a speedy. though cautious, eXten-
sion of the rapid transit system, an extension
which is soon TO reach Brooklyn, and which
ought speedily TO reach Queens and which at
the first possible moment when 1t can De DEM
onstrated that the investment of the city VIII De
secure and remuneratiVe. ShaH reach the bOI-
ough of Richmond.
And ! might go on with the decalogue OF
the Democracy applied 10 municipal admlnlstra-
ton Its laWs-all Of them can be summed up
in two great commandments. The first Is that
power shall come from the plain people. who
shall not be thwarted Of their just influence or
disparaged. There must, therefore. be no lnso-
lent and impossible indictment. as Edmund
Burke said OF whole people or or any great
body of population. like the majority or the
voters Of this borough who have so often sus-
tained your organization. lApplause.J
IF such be the first Of the two great com
mr. ndments Of Democracy, the second IL like
unto il, that the power thus derived shall be
sacredly used without fear or favor. and with
welfare of the entire people. whatever their poll
tics. creed. or race.
THE DUTY OF THE PEOPLE.
"If all Of this be done we shall hear no more
Of the contemptuous and sinister talk so com
mon at the dinner tables clubs or boards OF
directors in New-York that Democracy itself is
failure. and that some more centralized GOV
ernment is necessary to curb and master the
masses of men. No doubt, upon the people there
rests one plain duty without the performance OF
which their end will not be served. l speak OF
that jealousy. in season and out OF season. which
jefferson. the great father Of Democracy. COM
mended TO his fellow countrymen. 1t is for you,
fellow citizens, who in the seats before me.
TO be critical and jealous OF US who the
platform. Let there be strict watchfulness Of
every who holds public office or is politi-
doubt / do from some gentlemen in this
hall, that / do not altogether deprecate what is
extravagant or unfair in public criticism In it
lies the safety Of the city and. If you will par
don me for saying so. no less the safety OF the
Democratic Party.
The odious abuses OF public criticism 70 which
now, as in all campaigns we have TO listen. will
cure themselves-the plain people will under
stand the truth. 1t is for those OF US who hold
for brief periods places in the public eye not TO
become angry at such abuses. but rather to re-
joice that in the long run government in this
land must be conducted in the face Of the whole
people and subject, II wrong be done, TO their
just or even their unjust anger and cOndemna-
ton
II beg you to observe one deduction from what
I have said OF the meaning OF democracy-a
deduction Of the highest Importance and TO
which our Republican adversaries are incorrig-
IDLY hostile. / speak OF home rule. II there be
one thing which democracy means here, il is
rule Of Greater New York by it's own people. 1t
means hostility to sumptuary Sunday or liquor
legislation. forced upon US by the Republican
Party without regard to the cosmopolitan char
acter Of our population-a coercion most pro-
ductive Of corruption and blackmail. It means
hostility to the Republican legislation which
puts direct power over local public affairs into
the hands OF the Governor at Albany
rs not that power strikingly illustrated by
the condemnation visited upon the Mayor for not
removing a Police Commissioner before the ex-
piration Of his five years term for intolerable
abuses believed TO exist under him, although the
Governor OF the State is excused for the very
thing for which the Mayor is condemned the
Governor being himself by express law vested
with a power absolutely equal to and co-ordi-
nate with that Of the Mayor-so that equally
with the Mayor he becomes responsible for the
Police Department?
"Is it not amazing that candidates for the
Mayoralty asked, IN gross violation of every
sound consideration of law and public policy to
give pledges as TO persons inconsistent with
their unfettered power when they shall assume
a sworn responsibility when the very power is
now lodged with a sworn Governor bound by
law to exercise IL If the public welfare requires
STANDS FOR HOME RULE.