The free lance. (Fredericksburg, Va.) 1885-1926, 1904-08-13
PARKER'S PLATFORM
Democratic Candidates Speech
Accepting Nomination.
REPEATS GOLD DECLARATION

peneuress Executive UsurPation-
Touches on Colorado Labor War
Asserts Necessity of Tariff Revision
Regulation of Trusts-Opposes Mill
tariSm and Imperialism.
Esopus. \. - Aug, 10-Thc speech
OF acceptance of Alton Brooks Parker
in reply to the committee which n0u-
fled him Of his nomination for the
10y the Democratic party is
as follows:
Mt. Chairman and Gentlemen o. the Com
mittcc.
have resigned the ollce Of chief judge
OF the court OF appeals OF this state IN or
der that 1 may accept the responsibility
that the great convention you represent
has put upon me without possible preju-
dice to the court to which 1 had the hon-
or to belong or 60 the eminent members
of the judiciary Of this state ~ whom l
may now say as private citizen l am
justly proud.
Al the very threshold OF this response
and before dealing with other subjects
1 must. in Justice To myself and To re-
leve my sense OF gratitude. express my
profound appreciation of the confidence
repuscd In me by the convention Alltf
nominating me and subsequently, rees'N-
ing a communication declaring that re-
garded the gold standard As FIRMLY and
irrevocably established. a matter concern
nR which / felt ii incumbent upon me 10
make known my attitude 50 that here
after no man could justly say That his
support had been secured through indie
reetiou or mistake, the convention reiter-
ated its determination that | should bc
the standard bearer of the party In the
present contest This mark of trust and
confidence l shall ever esteem as the nigh
est honor that could De conferred upon
mean honor that whatever may be the
fate of the campaign, the future can III
no degree lessen or impair.
The admirable platform upon which
the party appeals to the country for is
confidence and support clearly states the
principles which were SO We'll condensed
in the first inaugural address OF PFcsl-
dent Jefferson ana points out with force
and dircctuess the course TO be pursued
through their proper application in order
TO insure needed reforms in both the legis-
lative and administrative departments or
the government While unhcstating IN
its promise to correct abuses and % right
wrongs wherever they appear or however
caused; 20 investigate the several admin
istrative departments OF the government,
The conduct OF whose officials has Gre
ated scandals, and 10 punish those who
have been guilty of a breach Of their
trust; To oppose the granting OF special
privileges By which the few may proht at
the expense Of The man". 10 practice
economy I'm the expenditure Of the mon
eys Of the people ana % that END 10 re
turn once more 10 the methods Of the
founders OF the republic by observing In
dfsbursing the public funds the care and
caution a prudqnt individual observes
with respect 20 his own. still the spirit 81
the platform assures conservative instead
OF rash action. the protection OF the lnno-
cent as Well as the punishment or the
guilty; the enCoura cement Of industry
economy and thrift. the protection OF
property and guarantee OF the ENFORCE
mcnt for the benefit OF all OF man IL
aHenable rights. among which, as said In
the Declaration OF Independence are life
liberty and the pursuit OF happiness
Liberty, as understood In this country,
means not only the right OF freedom from
actual servitude. imprisonment or re-
straint but the right Of one to use his
faculties In ali lawful ways. 20 live and
work where he win ana 20 pursue any
lawful trade or business. These essen-
tial rights Of life liberty and property
are not only guaranteed 70 the citizen
by the constitution Of each OF the sew
eral states. but the states are by the
fourteenth amendment 70 the consutu-
ton OF the United States forbidden to
deprive any person Of any one OF them
without due process Of law.
Occasionally b. reason OF unnecessary
or impatient agitation Tor reforms or be-
cause the limitations placed upon the de-
partments OF government by the consti-
tuition are disregarded by officials desir-
ing TO accomplish that which to them
seems good. whether tho power exists in
them or not. II becomes desirable 20 call
attention O. the fact that the people, in
whom all power resides, have seen nj
through the medium Of the constitution
to limit the governmental powers COM
ferred and to say to departments created
by it, THUS far shalt thou 90 and no
farther" To secure the ends sought the
people have By the constitution separat-
ed and distributed among the three de-
partments Of gOvernment--the executive,
legislative and judicial-certain powers,
and It Is the duty of those administering
each department so to act as to preserve
rather than to destroy the potency OF
the coordinate branches Of the govern
ment and thus secure the exercise OF all
the powers conferred by the people
Thomas Jefferson, in a letter to William
C. Jarvis touching the perpotuity Of our
written many years after he
had retired 20 private life. said III the
three powers OF our government maintain
their mutual independence OF each other
II may last long, but not so II either can
assume the authority of the other" 1t
must be confessed that in the course Of
our history executives have employed
powers not belonging 20 them Statutes
nave been passed that were expressly Tor
hidden by the constitution, and statutes
have been set aside as unconstitutional
when 1t was difficult to point out the pro-
visions said to be offended against in
their enactment. All this has been done
with a good purpose no doubt, but In
nevertheless OF the fact that
ours is a government Of laws, not OF men,
deriving its ''just powers from the consent
IF the governed" IL we would have our
government continue during the ages to
come for the benefit Of those who shall
succeed us we must ever be on our guard
against the danger OF usurpation or that
which resides in the whole peo-
pie whether the usurpation be by Off
clals representing one of the three great
departments OF government or by body
1f men acting without commission from
The people.
IpDatience Of the restraints of law as
well as or IT'S dpldys Is becoming more
and more manifest from day 20 day.
Within the past few years many instances
nave been brought 70 our attention where
IN different parts Of our beloved country
supposed criminals have been seized and
punished by a mob, Notwithstanding the
TACT that the constitution of each state
guarantees 10 every person within It's
Jurisdiction that his life. his liberty or
his property shall not be taken from him
without due process of law,
In n struggle between employers and
employees dynamite is said to have been
used by the latter. resulting In the loss OF
life and the destruction OF property. The
OF this offense against the