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

(Cheers)
Statistics show that practically
every railroad in this country was
built not by private capital but by
public combinations in lands, stocks,
and bonds, and sometimes in money.
And statistics show that we pay for
them over again in freight, passenger
rates every ten years. We have been
doing that now for more than a gen.
Grafton Why shouldn't we, the next
time we pay for the railroads, have
something to show for it. and thus de-
stroy these great builders of the trusts
and combines, and equalize one OF
these vast advantages for the benefit
of the common people
Now, another thing; we say in con-
nection with that ought to go tele-
graphs and telephones, as part of the
postal system. They laugh at it now
just as they laughed at the rural free
delivery when | first introduced the
resolution in congress in February,
1893 But in spite of that ridicnle, just
as | am now working in spite OF ridi-
cule--in spite of that ridicnle, took
luC DOolLlOH Judt II Tic oC'SA hii>Ae
sent mail two or three or four times a
day to the table of the banker or the
merchant in the city at the expense
of the government-carried the mail
to him and carried his mail back to
the postoffice-if they did that for the
man who was nearest to the postOffice
and could get his mail with the least
trouble. why in the name of God and
justice, shouldn't they send mail once
a day to a man who had to go furthest
after his mail and lost the most time
to get the benefit of it. iCheers.)
So the system was adopted and it is
now going all over the land and the
very men.who opposed it say that 1T is
one of the greatest ciyilizers OF this
century.
Now. | haven't time 10 go, at any
length over our platform pledges, but
| mention those specifically. Read
our entire platform, and you will find
that it is sound all the way through.
Here is the mistake our people are
going to make. They are going to
say eve will trust the democratic
party one more time" Gentlemen, how
many times would you trust your
neighbor If he had broken several i'm
portant contracts with you? That is
the idea. If your neighbor has made
record with you as being contract
buster-a man who does not regard his
pledge-a man whose word is not his
bond-will you go on trusting him
forever In so the democratic party
~ RI
and when they were put in office,
Cleveland at the head of them, they
busted every single pledge that they
had made. (Cheefs.)D
/ wish | had the time to go over
that and show you in detail just to
what extent they did break each
pledge but haven't the time tonight.
In this campaign, as see, the dan
ger is that you will trust a party that
has made these very pledges and brok-
en- them--a party that has in it such
discordant elements th2t it never will
be able to unity itself on any line OF
policy. Crying democrat, they are
not democrat. Crying that they Wor-
ship popular sovereignty, they are not
worshipping popular sovereignty
Upon It's head they place crown but
it is a crown of thorns. In its hand,
they place scepter. but it is broken
reed. They cry Hail, King but they
spit upon its garments; and pretend
ing to be in favor of popular soyer-
eighty. they are driving it forward to
the place of skulls, where they are
going to destroy it. (Cheers)
Oh. the sovereign people, arouse
yourselves to the danger which threat
ems principles. Ii Parker is elected
the same corporations that are now
ruling this country will continue to
rule it. Changing the man doesn't
change the policy of the government
when one of the candidates won't say
wherein he differs from the other. II
they make any change. they ought to
say il like Jackson said il and like
jefferson said IL and fight 1t out on
that line. tCheers)
And when they won't dare to say
what the issue Is. you may just put IL
down as certain that there Is no issue
In the latter days OF the Roman re-
public. when II was rushing 20 It's