The Lexington intelligencer. [volume] (Lexington, Mo.) 1901-1949, 1902-10-18
SHEPARD'S BANQUET SPEECH, ST. LOUIS
He Outlines the Fundamental Issues Between the Parties
At the Present Time.
THE TIMES FORETOLD BY TlLDEN AND CLEVELAND
He Condemns the Past Wrong and Folly the Repub.
lican Philippine Policy.

The following conservative and
thoughtful speech was delivered at
st. Louis last Saturday by Judge
Edward NJ: Shepard, of Brooklyn:
II am here to speak for the election
Of a democratic house Of representa-
tives, and especially for the election
of the democratic congressional can
didates in ST. Louis. Such an appeal
made in 1902 is one in behalf Of the
independent business life OF the plain
masses OF American men. 1t is an
appeal for the business Of its small
merchants, Of its small manufacturers,
of its small shopkeepers, Of its small
farmers, of its mechanics; for the
pres ervation Of the vital and indie
pendent energy Of that body Of cti-
zens not .rich-far from it-but not
poor-whose welfare measurers Ameri-
can welfare and is the crucial test of
the success Of our democratic Tepub-
lican experiment.
FIf American civilization shall
finally consist Of vast wealth organi-
cations on one hand, controlled by the
captains Of industry, however wise
and beneyOenG-an on tue other
hand OF all-powerful and exclusive
organizations OF wage-earners, how
ever wise and benevolent they also
may be-and il our politics depend
solely upon the interplay between
these forces, then the great body Of
independent workers, made up Of
small farmers, traders, manufacturers
and mechanics cannot survive In theil
Independence, and the glory OF Oul
democracy, as it was conceived Of by
the fathers, will be overpast.
"We are warned Of the tyranny o.
trades unions. / am not here tt
speak in their behalf; Indeed, they
need no advocate. We may admit
for many Of the hign-miuded mer
who direct trades unions do admit
that, unless inspired by the genius O
, democratic equal rights, they bring
some dangers to the American com
monwealth. But il there are to b.
, great combinations in the wealth
! which employs labor, there will ine
4 vitably beard there ought to be-
great combinations among those VIII
r are employed. III were a day wage
Garner and found all the employers II
the trade which alone / knew and Il
which l must earn my living If / wer
to earn it at all, to be in close con
Z federacy, | should not be content
should not feel safe-I would not sui
> nit, until my fellows and myself wer
) in a confederacy as efficient as their.
! If Senator Hanna correctly say
e that all is sunshine, then large bodt
IS of honest American men are wrong
e If the mutterings here and there,
{ the prices Of meats and other supple
and materials far beyond the increase
O- in income with which to meet then
e are no more than vagaries Of FOOLS
y and frivolous agitators, then indee
u Senator Hanna may be right. A
% who think that, all who believe tina
/ may well vote for republican hous
. and no doubt they will But Il
J. President and many others on the r
publican side do not indulge SO halcyc
ie a view.
Though President Roosevelt h
treated his predecessors treaties vii
scant respect and opposes any tar
! revision AZ present, nevertheless
= denies Senator Hanna's propositiC
I that nothing is the matter. On Il
!, cluirary, he SAYS and with great er
= phasis, that there are evils, more G
:, peciallY 10 the great Consolidation
y with which the the new congre
= ought to deal He himself permi
= US no other inference than that,
- the present republican congress h
7 bad all the light and all the pow
that the new congress will have, al
as it has failed 10 apply remedies
US "Our land has indeed OF Ia
X known very large measure II n
y teral prosperity That pro-ie ity,
is less what is real and what Is se' min
as is claimed By tile republicans IS &
result OF their acc sSi0n t9 p wer d