The Ohio Democrat. (Logan, O. [Ohio]) 1886-1906, 1902-09-25
Tom l.. JOhnsOn's
Great Speech as it Was Delivered at the
Democratic State Convention.

The principles of Democracy, always old,
but never obsolete, confront us today, both
In local and in national questions.
one or these national questions relates 10
trusts. For this evil our RdYersaries ad-
wise publicity as the remedy. Publicity!
That might protect investors against fraud;
but how could 1t protect the public against
monopoly which Is the basis of trusts !
Men whose Incomes have increased but lit
tie or not at all, but whose living expenses
have Increased enormously-why should
they care for publicity? What is needed ls
not examinations OF the account books Of
the trusts; 1t Is the sweeping Of monopo
lies from the statute books OF the people.
The money question also Is national.
Aud let me tell you this Is no dead issue,
as some would have US believe. Dead
though 1t may be In one form, 1t Is alive
In other and more radical forms. So long
rs Wall street interests dictate our hnan.
cial policies, the money question cannot Gle.
You know that l have never accepted the
doctrine commonly known as "16 to l."
have worked with those who do accept Il
because have believed, as believe yet,
that the free silver fight was the first great
protest OF the American people against
1nonopoly-the first great struggle here OF
the masses against the privileged classes II
was not free silver that frightened the
plutocratic leaders. What they feared was
free men.
We have In national politics also the
vital questions OF scf-govornment Shall
We continue to govern distant colonies from
Washington, as distant provinces were gov.
erned by Imperial Rome before her fail,
and as crown colonies are governed by tho
British empire today? That question also
Is at bottom a monopoly question. There
would be no subject colonies II colonies
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 population and
wealth, important as she Is in the sisi ar-
hood of states, influential as her Democracy
is capable of being In the counsels of the
national party, she is not great enough
nor important enough, nor is her Demo-
cracy Influential enough to warrant the
convention in debating national policies or
remodeling national platforms. We have
not been elected for that purpose The
function Of revising national platforms be-
longs with conventions chosen for national
purposes. Our function, so far as national
questions are concerned, begins and ends
with an unmlstakable Identification OF the
Democratic party Of Ohio with the Demo
cratic party Of the republic. That can be
done In good faith only by acknowledging
the authority OF ,he latest national ex-
preston Of party doctr ne on national ques-
tions. In my judgment, therefore, this con-
vention ought to recognize the Kansas City
platform 1t oughr also to pay the tribute
of Its respect to the great Democrat who
has in two national campaigns brilliantly
led us against the Republican party and lts
allied hosts Of non-partisan monopolisis.
Turns to State Affairs.
Having done that, II is our duty to turn
to the affairs Of our own state. Let IA
be fair to our adyersaries. They are In
the majority In the legislature, and at the
last session OF that body they passed the
Longsworth bill which makes II 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
a 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 80 years
But on the whole the same Republican
Legislature has lent itself 10 the service OF
the monopoly corporations. Most of its
meilbers carried railroad passes In their
pockets while they buried the bill to re-
duce rallroad fares TO the people; and they
suppressed the bill TO tax steam railroads
on the same basis OF valuation as homes
and farms. The board of equalization for
railroads, all Republicans, had decided that
the present laws ere 10 defective that
eteam railroads cannot be AsRezaed for tax