The Lexington intelligencer. [volume] (Lexington, Mo.) 1901-1949, 1903-10-31

been true to my conception OF public
duty. han to have the greatest office
In the land by being false to my better
nature. There is more honor in honest
private life than in high official po-
sition gained by sacrifice Of principle.
So. there you have what | really
THINKS on this question. l ask you, my
friends, to believe that this is all there
Is OF 1t; all that is selfish, l mean.
The faith OF my friends-and by my
friends l near those whose hands l
hae never shaken, as well as those l
~ lis all l have to go on. I ask
you 10 believe in my sincerity, because,
Whatever the outcome may be, l want
to keep that.
4 Will not resign the office l have
been assigned to for the purpose Of
el~ectioneering for another, neither win
neglect the duties Of that office, go
in3 around seeking a higher position.
o. necessity, my time will be so occu-
pied with official work yet unfinished,
but which | hope to have completed
early next year, that l will have little
opportunity to make speeches over the
state. At such times as the public
service win permit, l shall be glad to-.
express my views IN public questions
to my fellow citizens.
In the discharge Of my duties as
Circuit Attorney of st. Louis l have
had the support and assistance Of
honest men of all parties and Of re-
spqetable newspapers, regardless Of
political affiliations. 1 appreciate their
support and it has been Of valuable
service in the battle against the or.
ganized public pilferers. While in
the discharge OF my official duties l
have e%ndeavored to do so regardless
Of party, considering a criminal as
such, whether he be black or white,
rich or poor, Democrat or Republican,
Protestant or Catholic. / stand before
you tonight as the individual, as a
Democrat speaking to Democrats. hav-
ing at heart the welfare of our party
and the good Of our beloved state.
What l have had to say and what l
shall say is to Democrats. Whether l
shall be called upon to be the stand
ard bearer of the party is for Demo
Gratis alone to say.
do not expect and do not want any
boodler's support. AS long as God
gives me life. whether in public or
private station, l propose to fight them
and do all in my power to drive them
from Missouri. l have no favors to
ask Of them and no quarter to give; it
is u%nrelenting warfare. l am proud of
the fact that they are all my bitter
enemies.
Party Loyalty.
l want the Democratic party to be
the party of civic righteousness. True
Democracy abhors corruption. be-
lieve in exposing and Furnishing cor
ruption in the Democratic party as
we'll as in the Republican party. The
Democratic party shall not with my
Consent be used as a cloak for vii
lainy. There is no magic in a party
name to change crime into innocence.
That there are corrupt men in the
Democratic party no sane man doubts.
We cannot keep them from being in
the party, but we ought to keep them
from running the party.
| have too much respect for my par
ty, too much love for my state, to
vote for a boodler even though his
name be on the Democratic ticket.
P~artisanship does not mean the con-
doning of offenses by those calling
themselves Democrats for they are
Democrats in name only. Some par
tisans insist that the test Of loyalty
10 to stand by the party right or
wong; to defend the corrupt mem
bers regardless of decency. This pol
icy puts a premium on corruption and
weakens the party by driving decent
men from 1t. The man who sees no
more in Democracy than this does not
know what Democracy means. He
mistakes policy for principle. He is
the aid of the boodler and the support
OF the corrupt leader. Under our po-
litical system party organizations are
necessary, and in order that party or
ganization may be kept up honest par
ty workers should enjoy the fruits of
party victory. Party organization
must be maintained and party leaders
sustained when right, but party loyal
ty does not require personal approval
Of individual dishonesty or party de-
9ense of corruption.
It is said that this doctrine would
lose 10000 Democratic votes in st.
Louis. / deny that there are that
many Democratic boodlers in st, Louis
or anything like 1t. Think of the AFRO
gance Of boodlers who claim that
much strength In st. Louis! Such a
claim is a SANDER on the Democratic
party in st. Louis. The time has come
when Doodle votes and Doodle advice
must not govern In the councils of the
party. ANY man nominated on any
ticket in Missouri at this time to
please the Doodle influences should be
Z buried under an avalanche Of civic
1 righteousness. II the Democratic
party cannot win without boodler