Mexico Missouri message., 1903-10-29

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, propose to fight them
and do all in my power to drive them
from Missouri | have no favors to
ask of them and no quarter to give; 1t
is unrelenting warfare. am proud Of
the fact that they are all my bitter
enemies.
Party Loyalty.
want the Democratic party to be
the party of civic righteousness. True
Democracy abhors corruption. I be-
lieve in exposing and furnishing cor
ruption in the Democratic party as
well as in the Republican party. The
Democratic party shall not with my
consent be used as a cloak for VIII
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.
Partisanship 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
is to stand by the party right or
wrong; 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-
Tense of corruption.
1t 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 it, Think Of the AFRO
gspce of boodlers who claim that
p1keh strength in st. Louisl Such a
y I'm Is a Islander 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
| p4ly Any man nominated on any
ticket in Missouri at this time to
please the Doodle Influences should be
buried under an avalanche of civic
righteousness. If the Democratic
party cannot win without boodler
votes as some claim, then say that
1t is far better to go down to honor
able defeat than to dishonorable vic
tory. Dishonest men always try to
hide behind the shield Of party, They
try to make It appear that attacks on
them are ISLANDERS on the party to
which they belong. They cry loudest
for party when most afraid of the
avenging hand of the law They mis-
take themselves for the party. have
refused in the past and shall always
decline to advocate on the stump even
by indirection things have denounced
In court It will always be my pleas
ure to defend my party from unjust
attacks. but if there be anything
wrong or corrupt even within the
party / shall make the attack myself.
Republican Support.
There has been a great deal of COM
plant about the interest of Republi-
cans in Democratic affairs. The rank
and file of the Republican party is hon
est. Let them take all the interest
they please in Democracy. / should
like to see every Republican in Mis-
souri, change his politics and vote the
Democratic ticket. The Democratic
lamp should always be burning and
any honest Republican who knocks at
the door of the party should be gladly
welcomed. But no boOdling Republi-
can need apply; If he does will be
one to cast black ball against him
We need all the votes we can get and
it Is folly to run them of. II the
Democratic ticket can get no Republi-
can votes and the Republican ticket
polls Democratic voteE it does not
take q prophet to foresee disaster to
the party. Let US ask all decent and
honest citizens to join with US in the
fight against corruption, end the over