The independent. [volume] (Lincoln, Neb.) 1902-1907, 1904-09-15


Oil crowd What are those corpora
er's campaign fund for? When a
railroad stuffs judges pocket with
free passes, you know what they ex-
pect, don't you? You know they ex-
pect something in return. They expect
a friendly disposition on the part of
the judge, and very frequently it is
quite friendly. Uaughter.) When the
Standard Oil company, and the Roths--
child combination. and the Louis
vile & Nashville railroad, represented
by Belmont, who manages the southern
railway combine, when these men pour
money into Parker's campaign, don't
you think they expect something too?
Isn't that common sense? Oh, south
ern man, unshackle your brain and
think for yourself (Cheers)
l say, tonight, if you are real DEM
ocrat--a democrat in doctrine, demo-
crat in principle-a democrat as JEFF
ferson was a democrat, as Jackson
was democrat, as Alexander H.
Stephens of Georgia was democrat,
then you have got to do one of two
things, you have got to put your prin-
ciples under your foot, or you have
got to follow the standards of the peo-
pies party. (Cheers.)
Now, let us see If can demonstrate
that. | won't dodge any issues, that
know Of. Let me state them to you
plainly, because want you to carry
this talk home with you and think
about it. What do we stand for brief
ly? We stand for that income tax
which the democrats had in their plat
form a few years ago, and which they
dropped. We always have stood for
it. We have never changed from that
1t was in our first platform, and by
re-afirmance is in our last, and has
been in all others. That is democratic.
1t has got the stamp of Jefferson's APP
proval on it. What else? We are in
favor OF taking the taxes off the nee
essaries OF life which the poor must
have to live. That is upon the idea OF
tempering the wind to the shorn lamb.
That is the idea of putting the burden
on the strongest shoulders-the tax
on those most able to pay it; getting
the revenue from those who get the
most out of the government We stand
for that, and putting the taxes on the
luxuries of life, which man may or
may not buy just as he feels able to
buy. But the necessaries of life you
have got to have; therefore you are
compelled to pay the taxes, and there
by the taxes of this government, rum
ming up now to somewhere in the
neighborhood of eight or ten dollars
apiece for every man, woman and
child, when it used to be seventy-five
cents to dollar apiece, is laid upon
the poverty and the labor of the land
instead of upon the capital and the
wealth Of the land The peoples party
says that is not right. That is JEFF
fersonian democracy. 7
What else? We say that the gov
eminent ought to create it's own
money, and issue it upon equal terms
to all people, high and low, rich and
poor. The national banks ought not
to usurp that sovereign power of gov
eminent, to create money, because it
gives them the power to expand and
contract the currency, run up or run
down prices, thus precipitating panics
and bringing ruin upon the people.
That is good Jeffersonian democracy,
isn't it? Can not you follow us on it?
That isn't running like wild steer, is
it? Laughter.) That is common
sense, isn't it?
What else? We say that every ma
ton that ever existed and prospered
owned its own channels of trade, its
own highways, its rivers, and its great
national highways. We say that ev-
cry argument that will convince you
that corporations ought not to own the
Mississippi river, will convince you
that they ought not to own the Louis
vile & Nashville railroad Gap
plause.)
Those corporations have power to
tax the people more oppressiyely and
more exorbitantly than the govern
ment itself. They can tax the life out
OF your business, out of your town.
They can tax the life into another
mans business, and into another
mans town. They can destroy the cot
ton industry, the corn industry, the
rrck er'g industry or the wheat rroW~