The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1901-07-12

Chairman Charles P. Salen made stir
ring address at the opening Of the
Democratic state convention here to.
day. Mr.. Salen is managing matters
for Tom l.. Johnson, at the convention,
Mr.. Johnson being unable to be pres
ent, and what he had to say was
understood to be expressive Of the
opinion Of Mr.. johnson. Here is the
address in full:
You are gathered in state convention
not alone to nominate ticket which
shall command the respect of the vot-
ers of the state, but also to define your
attitude upon questions which to them
are Of the most vital concern. 1t is for
you to decide whether this gathering
shall be of the commonplace kind,
which nominates ticket, INDUCES in
platitudes and adjour.s or whether 1t
shall take action so forceful and so
productive of results as to entitle 1t to
a page in history.
In this election our first concern
is with state affairs. and the Democrat
ic principle which settles national ques-
tions right can do so with local ones as
well. But, while holding that national
issues should not control this cam
paign, as one of the great representa-
tive bodies Of the American Democra-
cy we are deeply concerned in those
which are now uppermost, and which
relate to domineering trusts at home
and to subject colonies abroad.
The party in power fosters mammoth
monopolies as it's domestic policy, and
in it's foreign policy it initiates the
crown colony system of>Great Britain
Against both policies the Democratic
party must be unwavering in its hostil-
ity. When our party ceases to oppose
those policies, 1t ceases to be democrat
ic. And let no one protest that this op-
position is negative and reactionary.
In fact, 1t is affirmative and progress
i've.
OPPOSING TRUSTS.
BY opposing trusts, we promote lib
erty. In fighting against them, we
fight for the~ju rights of property,
for an equitable distribution of wealth,
for Industrial peace, for social order,
for individual and national advance
ment. The trust stands like dragon
in the path of American progress. IT
must be destroyed or our country can
not go forward. Though some. classes
flourish where trusts are fostered, the
great masses, the country as whole,
must soon realize the words Of Gold
smith when he described conditions
where wealth accumulates and men
decay" The Republican policy of
feeding and fostering the trust, is q
policy of negation and reaction. The
Democratic policy OF destroying trusts
Is the true policy of progress.
What the trust question is to our
domestic policy, such is Imperialism to
our foreign policy. To make new feed
ing ground for trusts. crown colonies
are established under the American
flag. Our country once boasted the
Monroe doctrine, which guaranteed the
independence of all American repub-
lies. But that benefcent doctrine
has been bartered away for ignoble
ambitions to be a grim world power.
From being the great protector OF Am
erican republics we have become a
confederate of the war lords of Europe.
Once the worlds exemplar of the JET
fersonian doctrine of self-government,
our beloved republic is now embarked
upon a shameless career of conquest.
It has adjured the fundamental prlnci-
pies OF the grand old Declaration of In
dependence, and set up the British
system of crown colonies. In that sys-
tenn there is no citizenship, but only
dumb allegiance. Call this policy by
whatever euphonious name you please,
1t is nevertheless un-American, un-Re-
publican, un-Democratic, reactionary,
a policy to be repudiated and con-
demned. There Is no progress in turn.
ing republics into crown colonies and
making obedient subjects Of unwilling
people. II is not progress, whether
British tories do 1t in South Africa
or American Republicans do 1t in the
Philippines. This imperial foreign pol.
icy must be reversed. A Democratic
foreign policy must be substituted for
II.
FOREIGN POLICY.
Am told that the Democrats have
no foreign policy? Whether they have
or not depends upon what is meant.
II is true that they have no dishonor-
able policy of conquest. It is true that
they have no autocratic policy for gov
erning imperial subjects BY military
power, But 1t is not true that they
have no foreign policy. They have in