The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1904-11-30
DEMOCRACY BANKRUPT.
Tom Watson Flags His Old Time
Associates in a Speech.

Charlottesville, Ga, Nov. 30.-Thonas
e. Watson, recently candidate of the
Peoples party for president, today ad-
dressed a large crowd at his place, the
former home of A1exa nder H. Stevens.
His address was received-with close at
tention but with no marked enthusiasm.
He spoke in part as follows:
In national politics, the Democratic
party stands without a declaration of
principles or accepted leader. 1t is ut
terly bankrupt in reputation. 1t has no
unity of conviction, sentiment, nor pur-
pose. 1t contains antagOniStic elements
which can never be harmonized. It's
secret purpose is foreign to what Dem
ocratic masses approve that the eternal
struggle Of the national leaders is to
prevent the Democratic masses from
penetrating that secret purpose. What
is that secret purpose? To use the
Democratic party in support of the
same system of class legislation which
the Republican party stands for. The
watchword is Keep up the attack upon
Republican individuals, but do not at
tack the system of special privileges
which is responsible for present condi-
tions." In other words, the secret mis-
sion of the Democratic party is to keep
up sham battle, by keeping the people
divided and deluged they hinder the Or
ganization of real opposition to privi-
legged class legislation and corporate
greed. Thus the national Democratic
party is the best friend of which the
plutocratic Republican party can boast,
for the Belmonts, who call themselves
Democrats are just as much in favor of
special privileges as the Carnegies and
Morgans who call themselves Republic
cans.
1 make this prediction: Bryan will be
the candidate of the Democratic party
in 1908. And I make this second pre-
diction: When Bryan runs for presi-
dent in 1908 as the candidate of the
Parker Belmont Cleveland German
combine, he will be a worse beaten man
than Parker was.
Does Mr. Bryan sincerely believe that
he can commit the nsiysonal Democratic
convention to his recently prepared and
repleniShed POpuliSt platform? If so he
must see the country would have two
Populist parties. Such a contingency
would be laughable were not the crisis
so grave. Mr.. Bryan must know that
his programme promises nothing better
than another spectacular combat, at an
other ST. Louis convention with another
dog fall' as the result, another sur
render on the part of Mr. Bryan, an
other sham battle before the people,
and another Waterloo in which all will
be lost, including honor.
The Democratic party can no longer
claim to be national. 1t is sectional
The south is still its victim. The south
is still the quadrenniaI sacrifice which
corrupt or stupid southern politicians
deliver over to Wall street. But for
the solid south the eastern Democracy
would have to shut up shop, join the
of opposition.
What keeps the south solid? Nothing
in the world except an out of date sec
tional animosity and the shamelessly
hypocritical cry of negro domination.
Southern politicians will sacrifice the
national ticket any time to maintain
the local monopoly. And the negro
question" is the joy of their lives. Men
who appear to have some common
sense in other directions, lose all their
mental bearings when the negro
question" is sprung and they immed-
lately begin to hop around in aDervish
dance of political hysteria-
The south can not afford to be sec
tional. In self defense she must be ma
tional. If we allow our southern lead
ers to put US in a degrading position
nationally ours is the fault. AS long as
we allow the solid south to be politi-
cal slave to a handful of eastern cap
ita1ists, we may expect to feel the lash
of the slave driver and to feel the
weight of the chain.
Let US put a finish to this degrada-
ton of the south. Let US assert our
manhood against the tyranny of politi-
cal bosses. Let US break the shell of
this Bourbonism which neither learns
nor forgetS.