The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1903-06-24


racy In any democracy where the peo-
pie have not been led away from the
truth. such conditions cannot exist IA
any nation where such wealth and
power are permitted permanently to be
so concentrated, democracy cannot ex-
ist. The trust principle and the ptln>
ciple of popular government are so *
actiy o..osed to esch other that where
both are in the field they must ngae,
and one must fall
This convention should go down TO
history for its feariessuess in recogniz-
ing this battle and placing itself upon
the fighting line I have no fear that
we Will commit any great error II We
keep our eyes fixed upon the north star
of democratic principle and steer our
course by that There Will always ee
found some timoIous and venal souls
VINO win prefer any course which proih-
Uses an easy campaign and success al
the polls But I say to you that site
cess al the polls won at any sacIlilce
OF true democracy viii be more disas-
trous than any defeat There are those
~ ho say with great plaEsibility that by
making peace with Wall street W.
might make sure of winning in 1903
Such gentlemen hold out promises OF
much fatness ir the houorS and emolu-
ments to be Won The temptation IS
disguised under specl0us words. bue
essentially the thing proposed is bar
offices are offered as The price Of the
Mol gariz3tfon of tine Democratic party
/ do not know the extent to which such
views are held here. but as for me. l
pray we may not be led into such temps
tatiun but be given defeat with nonof
rather than so shameful victory
But those Who dream of such de-
parture from the straight path. are. 1
am pen suadea. few Moreover their rea-
eoaing is plausible rather than sound
our party IS strong where it is moved
by tine deep swell of opinion from the
people 1t is weak when it listens to the
1892 the platform offered by the COM
D7iftee TO our national convention WAS a
rfhash OF the victorious one of 1884. But
there sprans TO the platform a man
of palterng with protection. and de-
maude1 gsrif plank which would
mesn something. My God. sand he.
must We now. in 1882, sc back TO the
straddle of 1872 The convention said
not and the Neal tariff plank was
adopted There followed a tariff cam
paign On free trade lines and free trade
principles won. Democracy was strong
AT the polls because it was true to its
But the leadership of the party saw
fit to aba ndon the issue on which this
victory was Won and pushed to the
trent questions alien to those on which
the party had been called to power. The
result was such disaster as we had new
or known. Victorious in 1892 and in
fun possession of all branches of the
government we met i'm 1894 such defeat
as was never met before or since.
The party was corroded and eaten
away by the feeling among the rank
and file that 1t had abandoned the prin-
ciples of Democracy at the behests of
putocracy. And when its convention
met in 1886 its former leaders had LOST
power over it and the so lately victOri
Gus Democracy Of America stood. like
leaderlcss army awaiting the sound of
some voice calling to battle in the name
of the people. That waiting was not ia
vain In that convention Democracy
as deep and basic 2 Jefffrsons found
voice. and when the circlng standards
of the states at last clustered about the
standard of Nebraska. those who saw
and understood. knew that real D5mOc-
racy had found words to express its
thoughts and a general to lead 1T i'm the
field. Under that leadership the beaten.
disoreanizf T. discOura ged army took
the field against the eXultant hosts OF
plutocraey and waged a conflict which
carried CONSERVATION into the very
throne rooms of modern fcudalslo.
They trembled because the platform Of
1896. i'm what ii implied, even more than
ia what It said. was q declaration Of
war upon every special privilege. every
lega lied robbery. every vested wrong.
Had the policy of 1892 and 1894 been in
d0rse1 in that convention. the Demo
rank Of third party Nitalized by the
new leader. and the new defiance of ag-
gre gated wealth. we pooled almost
million more votes than ever before.
and a larger per cent of the total vote
than I'm 1892 We won back nearly
forty congressman lost in 1894. and cut
down the Republican majority by two
thirds. And this in the face OF the most
desperate campaign of corruption and
intimidation ever known
I'm lsee. ia spite of the administra-
tion's successful foreign war. in spite
Of the spirit Of militarism .notwithstand-
ing the fun dinner pail argument and
in the face Of the Republican party s
becoming a euarantor Of prosperity. by
marching on in the same path and
appealing to the people to discard the
evil policy Of imperialism, we cut down
the Republican majority in the house
to 70. and while defeat still held the
ground gsined since 1898.
Il cite this history to show how falla-
cluus is the argument of those who
think that our party can win by be
coming like the Republican party. There
was never a greater mistake. The more
the better our chances to win The poll
cy OF impeI ialism abroad. and of
shameless subserVlenc.- TO the demand
Of monopoly at home must in time
bring destruction TO the party in power
We as party. must stand for the re-
forms which they oppose. We must not
be afraid 10 speak out for the things ~
which we believe In 1892 we moved un
from the platform of 1854 and wen. In
1856 we advanced Ii ON the position If
1892 and saved the party from destruc-
ton. In 1890 we added that noble appeal
for righteousness against imperialism
which raised the party to a moral aii-
tude superior to that of the churches.
And now let US take counsel as to how
we shall apply the eternal principles Il
liberty and Democracy to the new con-
diJions of 1893
For that there are new conditions
who can deny2 Let US not now make
the mistake which the convention OF is 2
so narrowly avoided-the mistake Of wor-
Shipping the verbal expressions OF for
mer platform as fetishes Therein lies
the backward road to ruin
The chief issue Of 1886 in the form
then put forward Is dead. To attempt
To salvanize il into life is to be false
TO the spirit Of 1896 The spirit maketh