Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1902-09-04

colonies from Washington, as distant
provinces We're governed by imperial
Rome before her fall, and as crown
colonies are governed by the British
Empire today? That question also is
at bottom a monopoly question. There
would be no subject colonies If colo
MES could give no monopoly franchises.
But national questions are not for
us to deal with in this state convention.
Great as is Ohio in territory and popu-
lation and wealth, important as she is
in the sisterhood of states. influential
as her democracy is capable of being in
the counses of the national party, she
is not great enough nor important
enough. nor is her democracy influ-
entail enough. to warrant this conNen-
ton in debating national policies or re-
modelling national platforms. We have
rot been elected for that purpose. The
function of revising national platforms
belongs With conventions chosen for
nationa. purposes Our function, so
far as rational questions are concerned.
begins and ends with an unmstaNable
Identification of the democratic party
of Ohio with the democratic party of
the republic. That can be done in
good faith only by acknowledging the
authority of the latest national express
sion of party doctrine on national
questions. In my judgment. therefore.
this convention ought to recognize the
Kansas City platform 1t ought also to
pay the tribute of its respect to the
great democrat who has in two national
campaigns brilliantly led us against the
l,J al tod g of
nom bipartisan monopolists.
Having done that it is our duty to
turn to the affairs of our own state. Let
us be fair TO our adversaries. They
are in the majority in the legislature,
and at the last session OF that body
they passed the Longworth bill which
makes it easier in the future to amend
the state constitution. Under that law
we of Ohio shall no longer be tied down
by the narrow ideas of half q century
ago The dead hand has been lifted.
This is probably the best law that has
been put on the statute books of our
state in the last thirty years.
But on the whole that same repub-
lican legislature has lent itself TO the
service of the monopoly corporations.
Most of its members carried railroad
passes in their pockets while they
buried the bill to reduce railroad fares
to the people: ard they suppressed the
bill to tax steam railroads on the same
basis of valuation as homes and farms.
The board OF equalization for rail-
roads, all republicans. had decided that
the present laws are so defective that
steam railroads can not be assessed for
taxation as high as homes and farms
The supreme court had sustained them
in that decision. Every supreme court
judge is Il republican, and some of them
We're railroad attorneys Respect for
the court precludes our suggesting that
it WAS influenced by these facts, tho we
al know how difficult it is for any man,
even tho he be a judge. to escape the
influences of association
The opportunity opens before the
people of Ohio to engage in a noble
work. Ii they choose, they may take
their place III the van of the great
moral as we'll as political movement
that is making Roadway wherever the
English language is spoken They have
only to say the word, and our state will
set an example in human progress such
state to offer. They have only to say
the word, and every city within our
borders will govern itself in local
affairs, and turnout the whole great
commonwealth the principle of just
taxation will prevail. Home rule and
Just taxation! Let us adopt those
ideals of all good government. and we
shall solve the riddle which the Sphinx
OF Fate puts to our civilization and
which t.must answer or be destroyed.
These are the issues of this campaign.
These are the shibboleth of the Ohio
democracy today, and my prayer is that
they will continue so to be until they
are realized. Home rule and just taxa
ton! Fellow democrats, under that
banner let IFS fight, and by that sign we
shall conquer.
A Parsons Noble Act.
II want all the world to know" writes