The Butler weekly times. (Butler, Mo.) 1881-1918, 1903-10-29
True Democracy.

| am reminded If the fact that this
was the homo of Silas Woodson. the
first Governor the Democrats elected
after the stormy period Of the civil
war The name of Silas Woodson
is held in high regard by all Democrats
for his sturdy honesty. his high char.
acter and his true Democracy. He
was the beginning of the unbroken
line of post bellum Democratic Gov
ernors. whose management of the
States affairs has reflected credit on
the party they represented.
National Questions.
In the early days Of our government
citizens were divided on governmental
policies. The most conspicuous ad.
vocates OF opposing theories were
Thomas jefferson and Alexander Ham.
ilton. jefferson believed in the rule
OF the people. Hamilton advocated a
restricted franchise and special privi'
leges. The Democratic party Of today
stands for the teachings of Jefferson,
while the Republican party represents
the doctrines Of Hamilton. The es
senee of true Democracy is embraced
in these words: Equal rights TO all;
special privileges TO none" This
means q tariff for revenue only. and
not as a special favor for any indus.
try. There is a growing necessity for
tariff reduction. The high tariff policy
makes the farmer pay tribute TO the
manufacturers 10 the extent of the diff
ference between what he would pay
fer the protected articles he buys II
there were Only revenue tar!h on
them and what he actually pays for
them under GU, protective system
The so.called inilu, industries have
been protected at the peoples eX
poIse until they are now the burly
giants of commerce menaclng our-in
dustrial welfare. II is hardly possible
to suppress The trusts by one hand
while the other is feeding them with
the meat of protection on which they
grow fat and arrogant. The doctrine
of protection is splendid for special in.
terests, but ii leaves the people out in
the cold. II is time now TO give the
people some protection, Equal rights
to all prohibits financial legislation
giving special privileges 10 any class;
that no people shall be governed with,
out their consent; freedom OF the
press; freedom OF religion; and free
dom of the person, But there lis no
division among Missouri Democrats on
national ISSUES. We supported the
Kansas City platform and candidate
in 1900 and the Chicago platform and
candidate in 1896. and we believe we
were right then.
State Matters.
In state matters Democrats with one
accord are proud of the management
Of the States affairs by the Demo
cratic party since the sceptre OF power
Was placed in Governor Woodson's
hands thirty years ago. During that
time the bonded Indebtedness has been
reduced from s2l .76S 900 90 TO Si.G9S..
$1,000, represented by the school GER
tificates. Other than these certificates
there Is no bonded Indebtedness now,
and the interest on these IS by law
paid into a fund to maintain the pub
lie schools of the state and the State
University. These certificates are in
the nature of an endowment fund for
public education in the state. When
Governor WoodsOn took charge ct the
relns of government thirty years ago
the rate of taxation was fifty cents on
the hundred dollars. II has been re-
dueed to eighteen cents on the hun
dred dollars. and eight cents of this
is turned back to the public for edH
cational purposes.
The state debt OF SCI, T6S. 00O.0 90,
which the Democrats found when
they came into power. has, together
with some S22.000.000 in interest. been
paid The last Of the bonds were ia
ken up and cancelled under Governor
Dockery's administration. leaving the
school certificates the only outstanding
financial obligations of the state. The
wonderful growth of the industries of
the state during the thirty years of
Democratic rule has been unsurpassed.
Our railways. manufactures. mining.
agricultural and other resources have
prospered greatly. Public institutions
have been fostered and encouraged
The State University at Columbia has
been made one of the greatest insti
buttons of learning in the United
States. The old Confederate soldiers
are cared for in state home at Hig
ginsville. while the old Federal sol
diers have a state home at st. James
Thus Missouri il caring impartially
for the survivors OF those who were
the blue and those who wore the
gray. The training school for boys
at Boonville: the Industrial Home fol-
Girls at Chillicothe; the home for the
epileptic and feeble minded at Mar