The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1903-04-17
FRIDAY, APRIL II, 1905
ssDI-,lEMOCRACY VERSUS 4REPUb1-
sssla f5355 LICANISM.

8} iEsss ma financial business Of the coan country
s388sss,.T .,owIv recovering from the shock y
received by the decision OF me N MOI w. :
Hecurities case. The law under "h NC e.l's
ss5isl arasa was tried. the court before "hon
e 1tEss vas tried. the lawyers by ~horh
5g3 IL was prosecuted. the administrators 81 y
ttat urged the lawyers to the prosecu-
NJ Yinn were all Republicans. The man
ssii.S,nybints Of the decision were the necessary
M sonc luslons from the antitrust law NJ
SiSlsif,e whole proceeding was the outgroW w
;bfsthe Republican principle OF pa terna Ilal
II "A government control Of the business
rs fathe country This does not mean a.
All that there are no persons ealing lne11'-
II setves Democrats who do not approve OF
\ XII the Republicans have done In THIS
matter but then the action OF the Rep'1p-
lica rs has been strictly In accofdanoe WI
Republican principles, while the approval
8 az the Democrats is inconsistent Win tne
\ principles OF Democracy. ~ &
ssSS5ItSi rs becoming very plain that the Dust
H ness Interests of this country cannot pc
enthusiastically conducted by the people
Under interference by the government
n run y according. ITO Republican pater-
b falistlc principles. We have had the
business OF the country tortured
by being Topped OFT or stretched out, not
according to the dimensions Of its re-
u,,,relnents, but according to the capacity
x or the procrustean bed. created under
he National Bank aot, q special Repub-
z in
to Democratic principles OF Tree
banking, We now have In this Northern
Securities case the utmost expansion OF
A the Idea Of government control OF inter-
state commerce expressed IN the sherman
Jaw and construed by Republican court
83ssS ~ the instance Of the Republican admins
fjstration, and wo see the best devised
plan for the private administration OF
railroad properties, at once In the interest
Of the public and Of the Stockholders,
thwarted aud nullined. This would
5 never have been done under laws
passed and an administration conducted
according to genuine Democratic prln-
ciples. There is no doubt that railroad
" corporations n which get their extraordi-
nary powers from State governments
/ X should be held to strict accountability
i for the fairness with which they dis
III charge the obligations they assumed when
1.-THE extraordinary powers we're given
them. In every State this has boon pro-
Ewlded for by railroad commissions, and
M other means of enforcing tho rights of
the people against the railroad. and this
AS as 1t should be. but there is no sound '
principle whclr"can justify tho govern
III ,ment in interfering with the control Of the
= Ss stock OF railroads by the individual stock
81 holders when there Is no eveidence that
that power exercised through tho corpo-
rate organization, has been used in any
manner inconsistent with the purpose for
(which the corporation was created. The
attack upon the individual ownership OF
stock is carrying the Republican idea OF
government interference with private bus
piness to a despotic extent. And not mere
~ this, tbut the corollaries from the
$a principles laid down In that judicial de-
# csion are SO far reaching as to alarm
the peaccahle md progressive business
men of the whole country,
ia This brings us to this conclusion. that
the independence indeed the liberty OF
the business men Of this country can only
be found under m administration which
is conducted according to the well estub
5lished principles OF Democracy, which as
sert the greatest amount OF liberty tc
the citizen and the least amount OF In
reference by the government consisten
# with peace and good order; stric
construction OF the Federal Constitution
q and strong repulson to any enlarge
ment Of Federal authority, rather thar
8the Republican purpose to expand ant
enlarge such authority upon every pre-
5 text The essential belief of Democrat
"a Is that the government Is The servant o
the people. not the people the servants o
the government; That the people are abb
il TO take care OF themselves without tn
se constant cnadling, encouragement, pro
e. lection on tho one hand, or on the other
" 8g repression, perhaps oppression and inter
ference by The government. What eyer,
good citizen wants Is TO be let alone il
the enjoyment OF his legal rights, whicl
should be as near his natural rights a
~ the requirements Of peace and good or
der will permit,
With platform laid down upon line
conforming to these principles, the Dem
ocratlc party. under the leadership OF
man who Is convinced OF their truth on.
rally TO its standard. the harrassea cap
Mains Of Industry and The industrlou
M workmer,. who appreciate that under ne,
methods OF organization OF capital the
have never received such large and re
liable wages and arc unwilling e hay
that situation broken up 70 please I'll
vanity or gratify the ambition OF reek
M less demagogues.