The Leon reporter. (Leon, Iowa) 1887-1930, 1903-07-02
DEMOCRATIC STATE CONVENTION
Continued from page q.

D2RiUOREaSC SlAft GUNViNlaUV
Continued from page 81
irumeshed in a new feudalism where the
lords OF soil and highway are not, as of
old, proud mobiles Jealous OF glory, but
Invisible corporations, greedy of power
and out for the stuff. Such conditions
ought not TO exist ia democracy. In
any democracy where the people have
noe been lead away from the truth, such
conditions cannot exist. Ia any nation
where such wealth and power are per-
United permanently to be so concen-
trated, democracy cannot exist. The
truth principle and the principle OF
popular government are so exactly OPP
posed to each other that where both
are in the field, they must fight and one
ulust fall.
FEARLIsssNEsss DEMANDED.
This convention should go down TO
history tor its fear!essness Ia reeogniA-
| lag this battle and placing itself upon
the fighting line. have no fear that
we Will commit any great error, jf We
keep our eyes fixed upon the north star
OF democratic principle and steer our
course by that. There will always be
found some timOroils and venal SOILS
who will prefer any coarse which prom
ises an easy campaign and success at
the polls. But say to YOU that sue
CESS at the polls won at any sacrifice of
true democracy will be more disastrous
than any defeat. There are those who
say, and say With great FEASIBILITY
that by making peace with Wall street
we might make sure OF winning in 1904.
Such gentlemen hold out promises OF
much fairness in the honors and emolu-
meuts to be won. The temptation is
disguised undor spacious words. but
essentially the thing proposed is a bar
gain, In which "a campaign fund and
! Offices are offered az the price OF the
Reorganization of the democratic party
| | do not know the extent to which sacL
views are held here, but as for me,
pray we may not be Led into such temp
tations, but be given defeat with honor
rather than so shameful victory.
But those who dream OF such a depar
tsre from the straight path, are, al
} persuaded, few. Moreover their reason
! ing is plausible rather than sound. Gu
party is strong where 1t il moved b,
the deep swell of opinion from the peo
pie, it is weak when it listens to thu
voice OF the tempter of plutocracy. Il
1892 the platform offered by the com
, I mlttee to our national convention was
rehash Of the victorious one Of 1884
! But there sprang to the platform u maj
who knew that the people were wear.
OF palterlng with protection, and de
handed a tariff plank which would lnea
, something. My God,' said he "nus
we now, in 1892. go back to the straddl
Of 1892" The convention said not, an
, the Neal tariff plank was adopted
There followed tariff campaign o
7 free trade lines, and free trade prime.
, pies won. Democracy was strong a
the polls because it was true to it cor
victions.
: But the leadership Of the party So,
} fit to abandon the issue on which Thu
victory was won and pushed to tn
front questions alien to those on whic
the party had been called to powe
N The result was such disaster as we ha
= never known. Victorious in 1892, an
y in full possession of all branches of tn
A government, we met in 1894 such defea
= as was never met before or since.
PARTY WAS CoRRoDED.
81 The party was corroded and cate
a away by the feeling among the rank an
4 file that it had abandoned the principle
81 of democracy at the behest OF plutocr;
4 cy. And when it's convention met i
p 1896 its former leaders had lost powe
Y over it and the so lately victorious den
a ocracy of America stood. Like "a leader
:, less army, awaiting the sound OF som
81 voice calling TO battle in the name c
a the people. That waiting was not i
q vain. In that convention democrac
y as deep and basic as Jetrerson's foun
a voice, and when the circling standard
,, of the states at last clustered about tn
y standard of Nebraska, those who sa'
a and understood, knew that real demo-
,, racy had found words to express it
" thoughts and a general TO lead it in til
a field. Under that leadership the bea
a en-, disorganized, discouraged army toe
y the field against the eYultant hosts
q plutocracy and waged a conflict whic
a carried CONSERVATION into the vel
p throne rooms of modern feudalism. The
A trembled because the platform Of 1873
q in what it implied, even more than
= what is said, was a declaration OF VIZ
4 upon every privilege, every legalize
robbery, every vested wrong. Had tn
4 policy of 1892 and 1894 been indorse
& in that convention, the democrat
\ party would have sunk to the rank OF
p third party. VitaliZed by the new leat
8 er, and the new defiance OF aggregate
4 wealth, we polled almost a million MOI
y votes than ever before, and q larger pc
a cent Of the total vote than in 1892. W
4 won back nearly forty congressman lo
. in 1894, and cut down the republics
n majority by two-thirds. And this
a the face Of the most desperate campaig
y OF corruption and intimidation eve
"a known.
al In 1900, in spite Of the administer
y tion's successful foreign war, in spite
- the spirit of militarism, notwithstant
ing the full dinner pail argument, an
in the face Of the republican party's b
:. coming a guarantor Of prosperity, /
b marching on in the same path, and a
~ pealing to the people to discard tt
n evil policy Of Imperialism, we cut dow
T. the republican majority in the house
" twenty, and while defeated, still he
" the ground gained since 1894.
= cite this history to show how infall
~ cious is the argument Of those wi
I,