Morgan County democrat. (Versailles, Mo.) 1900-1906, 1903-11-06

the saddle, and Democrats Tor reYenue
only must take a back seat. The way
OF right and justice must be followed
regardless of immediate0success Let
us not forget the grave responsibility
resting upon the Democratic party and
let us look for guidance to the princi.
pies of true Democracy which, Are
enduring because they are right, and
invincible because they are Just
Paramount Issue.
The eradication of bribery Is there.
fore the paramount issue before the
people Of Missouri. Let the Democra-
cy OF Missouri speak in thunder tones
upon this mighty. issue. The result Of
the fight here will give encourage.
ment and cheer to the ~law.abiding
everywhere, or discourage and de.
press. 1t Is not a question who should
occupy this or that Office, whO should
be Governor. II partial friends have
mentioned my name In that connec.
ton they agree with me that the in.
tcrests of the public are above any
person. | believe in the honesty OF the
great masses. They are against cor.
| TupIIOU. ueS DeIleNc III VIC p'ii'S-
ton OF the government established by
the fathers. Our splendid educational
system has spread amongst them an
intelligence of the advantages OF the
political organization under which we
live. Their love Of country and OK
party Is beyond question. Let any
danger arise from foreign aggression
and at m ,,an,apt'u nation N million
sturdy hands will grasp the sabre and
the musket to defend the safety and
honor of the state and nation. And
that same spirit exists among the
people to protect the states safety
and honor from domestic foes. Our
greatest domestic foes are those who
would destroy by corrupt and criminal
methods the intent and spirit OF our
institutions, deprive the EeOple OF
their honest expression Of opinion at
the ballot box, thwart their efforts for
just and necessary legislation. impede
and vitiate the administration OF the
law, and poison the fountains OF JUS
tice. The principal weapon OF these
domestic foes Is bribery. which Is even
now beginning to be a serious menace
to the nation itself. It Is not confined
to Missouri. Throughout the length
and breadth Of the land II exists In
the prosperity Of the people and their
devotion to business interests they
have forgotten that eternal vigilance
Is the price of liberty" But they are
ready to fight these domestic foes, not
with bullets, but with ballots and tho
law. There Is as much patriotism In
the ballot as in the bullet, The people
are aroused to the coalition of things.
They ~foresee the dangers ahead. I'M.
less bribery and corruption be stamp
ed out. They realize that II Is not n
question of this or that mans candi.
dacy, but II Of principle, the triumph
Of which Is above all personal consid.
rratiOnS. Not alone In Missouri Is HE
patriotic spirit moving against tho
pOwers Of evil such as We are fight.
ing here. From Missouri the senti-
ment has spread throughout he land.
Other and important political issues
require consideration and solution.
but above ali issues there stands pre-.
eminent the issue of obtaining purity
and honesty in the making and admin
istcring Of law in every department Of
the government, municipal, state and
national.
My friends. it Is no ~cXaGg'ration to
say that the eyes Of the world are on
Missouri. to see what the people here
are going to do ON this momcntnus
question. II this great state, with rs
glorious history. with its memories OF
illustrious statesmen, who have added
lustrc to the pages of our country's
history, should shrink from the task,
then 1t might well be believed that thu
dccadcnce of the public conscience
has began. But the people OF Nilsson.
ri are not going to retreat; they are
going to charge the stronghold Of the
cOrruptiOnists again and again until
IL Is shattered by the shafts of the law
and riddled by the mighty power OF
public opinion. Let Missouri be dis
tinguished as no other state Is distin
guished for good government. Let
Missouri lead the other states and Sc,
an example for them TO follow. When
~insOlent corruption sneerlngly asks:
"What are you going TO do about it?'
let our answer be given by hundreds
OF thousands Of patriotic Missouri
Democrats, who hate corruption and
!, desplse wrong, Then Missouri, the
NTH state In population. Will be the
first In civic righteousness and Amert
can manhood. True Democracy means
the rule Of the people 1t Is time for
the people of Missouri to do their own
thinking. and take the government