The Billings gazette. [volume] (Billings, Mont.) 1896-1919, 1903-03-20
HUNTING FOR ISSUES
Democrats Discuss Lines on Which
to Appeal to People.

M CuiCdSO, NdICU lt.-I
democrats from all parts Of the coun-
Try gathered here yesterday to attend
the Banquet of the Iroquois club at
the Auditorium hotel. Preceding the
banquet of the club many notables in
the party held long talks together,
discussing suggestions for the presi-
Dental campaign of next year. The
speakers at the banquet made strong
pleas for a unified party and the
adoption of a platform that would
meet with general approval.
Harrison Talks.
Mayor Harrison, who today was re,
nominated by the democratic city con-
vention. was the first speaker. After
welcoming the visitors of h city, he
responded to the toast, THE City of
Chicago
He was followed by Edward M.
Shepard, of New York. who spoke OF
present Duties of a Patriotic Oppo-
sition."
Mr.. shepard's Speech.
''The talk from one end of the LAND
to the other, in every shop, on every
farm. in every street. in every parlor
and club, is not the Panama canal.
or Venezuela, or China. 1t is not even
free trade or protection, or the gross
wrong and folly of our Philippine pol
icy or the alarming extravaganza OF
the administration.
"The talk is of trusts on n side
and trade unions on the other. There
is a deep and widespread fear that
American industrial civilization may
come to a mere interplay between
those forces in which the great body
of independent small producers will
cease to be Independent.
st believe the economic efficiency OF
u own country has vastly been in
creased and justice promoted by
trades unions. No wise man can, how
ever fail to see that, with every cen
tralization OF economic power by arti-
fetal limitation of our incoming or
outgoing markets with every increase
of the power OF captains of industry
over the United States senate and 9TH
err divisions of our government must
do an increasing danger that, in sheer
%self-defense the organizations Of labor
may become unfavorable to liberty.
Can anything involve more danger to
conservatives than un-American in
reference with personal liberty, such
as was illustrated by the injunction
order granted in st. Louis the other
day by a federal judge of ability and
character?
I'VE ought to have a vigorous inter
state bill providing for the
effectual enforcement of public and
equal rates for equal service. We
ought not to be content for a moment
with the sham law the republicans
have given us.
Tariff Reform.
Il should rejoice to hear the demo.
cratic party proposes not a general
revision of the tariff, with all OF its
difficulties and complications and with
all of the widespread popular belief.
faulty as | believe it to be, of great
masses of American business and la
boring men on the protective tariff
but in the first instance, a removal OF
reduction to a revenue basis of the
duties on goods, the production O.
which is practically ~monopolized.
The Democratic Program.
Upon this program let us thel
make our campaign. The establish
ment of equal rights, the abolition o
special privileges. the maintenance o
democrar ic self-government. The pre-
gram means ~resolute tariff reform, be
ginning with the goods which hav
fallen under monopoly: resolute an
practical prevention of interstat
m preferences and abuses
/. rigorous reduction in cost of admins
t~ration; the promotion of Philippin
self-government and independence an
the provision of fair and secure no
mai anu HOIIldlly uiStI1uuIeu
by all banks which hold banking cha,
tiers from the government"
Judge Harmon Speaks.
jackson and the Renewal of tn
Bank Charter" was the topic chose
by Judge Judson Harmon of Cincil
natl, attorney general under the Sc
pnd Cleveland administration.
In responding to the toast, "Lookin
to 1904" Congressman David A. [
Almond of Missouri, aroused the 81
hundred b%anqueters to a high pitc