The Indianapolis journal., 1904-04-24

platform and a candidate who would be
willing TO run upon 1t the party could
secure as large campaign fund as the
Republican party has ever secured. but in
party, secretly pledge the administration to
a construction of the platform satisfactory
TO the corporations and combinations.
M0RTGA0ED TO TRUSTS.
Can anyone doubt that with such plat
form as was adopted in New York, and
with a candidate whose. Conscience would
permit him TO run upon such a platform
does anyone doubt that with such a plat
form and candidate the party would be
mortgaged beforehand to the corporations
that are now using the government
private asset and plundering people at will?
But there is another reason why the
Democratic party cannot afford TO go be-
fore the country with an ambiguous plat
form and uncertain candidate. No
matter how people may differ to the rel
ative importance of issues ali must recog-
nize that the trust question to-day pre-
Sents an important phase of the great con-
fiict between plutocracy and democracy.
We have recently had a Supreme Court de-
cision on the merger case. This decision
was rendered by bare majority OF one
and that one (Judge Brewery in separate
opinion has stated his position in Such.
way as TO leave no doubt that in the first
case involving a trust he may join the ma
jOrity and defeat the Sherman law. The
President TO be elected this fall Will doubt
less have the appointment or one or TWO
and possibly three Supreme Court judges.
If his sympathies are with the corporations
he will doubtless appoint judges sausfac-
tory to the rporationS-eSpeclally IL OBJ
ligated to the corporations by large cam
paign contributions-and these judges can
make it impossible to secure any remedial
legislation for years to come. II, four years
hence, the people should secure q President,
a Senate and House opposed to private
monopolies they may find themselves un-
HI FliaI laerlCl In "a =
the Supreme Court for several years.
1.-The issue presented to-day in the trust
question and in all the other questions
with which we have to deal is the question
property rights'-or, more properly speak
ing, between ordinary people and the great
property rights are supreme take the side
of the trusts. Ii we have President who
is in sympathy with this theory 1t means
that the dollar will be given considera-
tion before the man. 1t means that organ
lied wealth can continue to trample upon
the rights of the people; Ii means that
the instrumentalities of government can
be used for the protection of every scheme
of exploita ton that the capitalists can
conceive.
'I, for one. am not willing that the DEM
ocratic party shall become the tool of the
corporations; | am not willing that 1t shall
be the champion of organized wealth. And
it is because L believe that the party has
a higher mission than to be the exponent
the schemes of those who would put 1T into
competition with the Republican party for
the support of Wall-street finaneiers Ii
is for this reason that L protest agalnst
mortgaging the party TO the capitalists TO
secure an enormous corruption fund.
FOLLY TO HOPE FOR VICTORY.
'If any who are present tonight or
who read what L say think that L am
trying to interfere with Democratic sue
cess, let me answer that no Democrat is
more anxious for the party to succeed than
I am. No one has suffered more from dis
sensions and divisions in the party, and
no one, l believe, is more eager for the
country TO enjoy the great benefits which
a triumph of real Democracy would bring:
But / do not desire that the party shall
win offices only. If that is the only pur-
pose of the party, let its principles be
abandoned and its platform simply declare
the party hungry for the patronage. The
lesson of 1884 shows the folly of hoping
TO win by a surrender to the corporations,
but even If success could be brought IN
such a way it would not be worth the
price.
mo one can defend the Democratic party
principles ought to be so clearly set forth
as to be easily understood. We ought TO
appeal to the conscience of the public and
arraign Republican policies hostile both
TO the principles of free government and
to the principles of morality. We have an
opportunity TO make the Democratic party
power i'm this country, not only power,
but power for good. Let us array the
party against every abuse of government
and against every policy that is hurtful to
the people Let us drive out of the party
every Democrat who betrays his trust.
every official who would administer the Of
flee for his private advantage. Let us
make Democracy stand not only for good
government-for honest government-but
for a government of the people, by the
people, and for the people And the first
ster8in this direction is the adoption of a
platform that recognizes the right of the
people to decide public questions as well
as their capacity for understanding public
questions. To present platform which is