The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1904-04-29


merce, whenever thar Dody deems that
a particular character of ownership,
II allowed to continue, may restrain
commerce between the states or create
a monopoly thereof, is in my opinion
In conflict with the most elementary
conceptions of rights of property"
and Justices Fuller, Peckham and
Holmes concur.
Rights of property are, accord
ing to the dissenting judges, supreme,
and when congress tries to prevent
a monopoly it is interfering with
The most elementary conception of
the rights of property"
The issue presented today in the
trust question and in all the other
questions with which we have to deai,
is the question between human rights
and so-called property rights"-or,
more properly speaking, between ordi-
nary people and the great corpora
tions.
Those who believe that property
rights are supreme take the side OF
the trusts.
IL we have president who is in
sympathy with this theory it means
that the dollar will be given con-
sideration before the man.
1t means that organized wealth can
continue to trample upon the rights
of the people; it means that the in
strumentalities of government can be
used for the protection of every
scheme of exploitation that the capt.
talists can conceive.
DEMOCRATIC PARTY
NOT OF PLUTOCRACY
], for one, am not willing that the
Democratic party shall become the
tool of the corporations; / am not will
ing that it shall be the champion of
organized wealth.
And it is because | believe that the
party has a higher mission than to
be the exponent Of plutocracy that
am protesting against the schemes of
those who would put it into competi-
tion with the Republican party for
the support of Wall street financiers.
1t is for this reason that | protest
against mortgaglng the party to the
capitalists to secure an enormous cor.
ruption fund
II any who were present tonight or
who read what | say think that ! am
trying to interfere with Democratic
success, let me answer that no Demo-
crat is more anxious for the party to
succeed than 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 BEN
efits which triumph of real Democ-
racy would bring.
But l do not desire that the party
shall win Offices only. If that is the
only purpose Of the party, let it's prir.,
ciples be abandoned and let its plat
form simply declare the party hungry
for the patronage. The lesson Of 1894
shows the folly Of hoping to win by
surrender to the corporations, but
even If success could be bought in
such way it would not be worth
the price.
PRINCIPLES SHOULD BE
CLEARLY SET FORTH
No one can defend the Democratic
party without defending it's prlncr-
pies, and It's principles ought to be so
clearly set forth as to be easily un-
derstood.
We ought to appeal to the con-
science of the public and arraign Re-
publican policies as hostile both to
the principles of free government and
to the principles of mortality.
We have an opportunity to make
the Democratic party a power In this
country, not only a power, but a pow
er 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 ad-
minister the Office for his private adj
vantage. 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"
PLATFORM MUST BE
CLEVER AND HONEST
And the first step in this direction
is the adoption of a platform that rec
ognizes the right of the people to de-
eide public question as well as their
capacity for understanding public
questions.
To present platform which Is
evasive and ambiguous shows that
those who write the platform either
distrust the people who are to act
upon II or have purposes that they
desire to conceal.
The New York platform is ambigu-
GUS, uncertain, evasive and dishonest.
1t would disgrace the Democrats of
the nation to adopt such a platform
and 1t ought to defeat as an asplrant
for Democratic nomination any man
would would be willing to have it