The Black Hills union. [volume] (Rapid City, Pennington County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1889-1904, 1902-09-12
TOM JOHNSON, DEMOCRAT.
His Talk Before the Ohio Demo
cratic Convention.

aE5 lOM "a JOtNSON, 2DEMOChAT. e
His Talk Before the Ohio Demo-
cratic Convention.
Tom sJohnson, mayor of Cleveland
and at present the most probable candi-
date for the presidency on the demo-
cratic ticket in 1904, made the follow
ing speech before the Ohio state demo
cratic convention last week.
'sThe principles Of Democracy, al
ways old, but never obsolete, confront
us to-day, both in local and In national
questions.
Zone of these national questions re-
lates to trusts. For this evil our ad.
versaries advise publicity as the re-
medy. Publicity! That might pro-
tect.us against fraud: but how could it
protec. the public against monopoly,
which is the basis of trusts?
Men who incomes have increased
but little or not at all, but whose liv-
ing expenses have increased enormous
ly--why should they care for publicity?
What Is needed is not examinations OF
the account books of the trusts; it is
the sweeping Of mOnoDolies from the
statute books OF the people.
The money question il also nation
al. And let me tell you this is no dead
issue. as some would have us believe.
Dead thought itmay be in one form, 1t
Is alive in other and more radical forms.
$50 long as Wall st. eet interests die
tate our financial policies, the money
question cannot die. #st # ri
on know that j have never accept
ed the doctrine commonly known as
"l6 to l. .s
II have worked with those who do
accept 1t because I have believed, and
yet believe, that the free silver fight
was che first great protest of the AM
erican people against monopoly
lirst great struggle here Of the masses
against the privileged classes.
I 1t was not free silver that fright
ened the plutocratic leaders. What
they feared was free men!
We have in national politics also
the vital questions Of self-goyernment.
Shall we continue to govern distant
colonies from Washington as distant
provinces were governed by imperial
Rome before her fall, and as crown col.
onies are governed by the British EN-
| pire today? That question is also q,
the bottom, of a monopoly question
There would be no subject colonies il
colonies could give no monopoly fran
chises. x
But national questions are not fo,
us to deal with in: this state conyen
tion. Great as is Ohio in territory and
population and wealth, important az
she is in the sisterh0od OF states, influs
ential as her democracy is capable 81
being in the councils Or the rational
party, she is not great enoug h nor i'm.
portant enough, norris her democracy
influential enough to warrant this con.
vention in debating national policies
or remodeling national platforms.
The function of revision OF national
platforms belongs to conventions chos.
en- fer national purposes. Our fnnc,
tion, SO far as national questions are
concerned. begins and ends with an un.
mistakable Identification of the d emo.
cratic party Of Ohio with the demo.
cratic party of this republic.
That can be done in good faith only
by acknowledging the authority Of the
latest national platform expression ol
party doctrine on national ques tions
In my Judgment, therefore, this con.
vention ought to recognize the Kansas
City platform.
1t ough ht also to pay the tribute ol
its respect to the great democrat who
mas in two national campaigns bril-
liantlv led us against the republican
party and its allied hosts Of non-parti
san monopolies." ..5. .8 55.