The Montgomery advertiser., 1906-04-14
JEFFERSON'S BIRTH
ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATED Bl
 DEMOCRATS OF MISSOURI.
Governor Polk, United States Senator
 Stone, Congressman TOwne of New York and Editor Knapp Make Speeches.

j Kansas City, April 13.--Five hundred Missouri Democrats attended ban quet held at the Midland Hotel in this
 city tonight, given by the Missouri State Democratic Press Association to
 commemorate the birthday of Thomas Jefferson.
 Of this number, 150 were editors of
 Missouri newspapers and the remainder | were prominent Democrats from vari- ous parts of the State. The principal States Senator Stone and Congressman
 Towne of New York. An address was
 also delivered by c, w. Knapp of The St. Louis Republic.
 Each of the speakers paid high tribute to Thomas Jefferson. as the I founder of the Democratic party.
 All of the speakers made a plea for | party harmony in this State and all | predicted that at the next .election Missouri would again be found in the | Democratic column.
 Governor Folk spoke in part as fol- flows.
 The life and teachings of Thomas
 CTS ITS of Representative government ev- | anywhere. Jeffersonian Democracy means the rule of the people, not of
 spsca Hass n0u the | pie cease to rule anywhere and gangs l and bosses govern istead. sthen special | | consequence follow. Jefferson announc. | ed the cardinal doctrine of true democ-
 rights to ali; special privileges to none This maxim expresses every es-
 sential element of true democracy. It
 embraces every essential element of | good government
 | taken generations for men to attain | practical understanding of its wisdom and justice. It comes to us today as
 message from the past for 1t applies to the conditions today with even great | CT force than when 1t was first announced by the father of democ.>>cE. against what is known in modern times as graft. Graft in its last analysis is | special privilege either exercised
 may give. Some special privilege is ever G heard of an official being corrupt
 It is always for the purpose of obtain
 An unprecedented political revival is
 s on susee eee rhe nexs s'ss few oaay will be distinguished as the time in
 which the reign of the special privilege
 eona rsHts fseS n po cies and in the conscience of man kind.
 |
 knowledge of evils and desire to cor rect them. There are some who are ap- palled by the exposure of official venali-
 may. nHss1 "o tempora, 0 mores." VI l To my mind the most hopeful sign | of the continuance of government by the people Is these very exposures. The | atmosphere will be clearer and the
 body polite cleaner for the stamping
 no secret remedy known for corrup- tion. It cannot be cured by hiding it.
 When it Is known the people can be and surely. The people are awake now. | and as long as they keep awake there
 will be only white. lights ahead for ments of the last few years should in- | spire optimism not pessimism as to the | future.
 ing to cause the overthrow of the re- | public. If things had gone on in the | old way when bribery was considered | conventional and when graft became so l common as not to cause comment, when
 special privileges were considered
 right. then 1t would be only a question
 of time before our nation would have
 gone as other republics have gone dur | Ing the flight of time through the | ages. Now things are different. The | old fashioned ideas of honesty are be-
 mess. The command Thou shalt not | steal" has again become binding. This | does not mean socialism. which says i to another. what Is thine is mine," but l 1t means an opportunity to all to have | to hold and to enjoy the fruits of hon. est labor. and no special privileges to
 a clas to prey upon the rest of the peo-
 pie.
 The time has come when the peo | pie will no longer respond to mere par ty names: Parties must stand for some | thing and mean somethlns-must be l positive force, not a mere negative l quantity. Whatever may be said of the
 accomplishment of any party in days | gone by the party Is not what the
 Democratic party did fifty years ago. | or what the Republican party did forty
 years ago, but what they stand for
 now and what do they propose to do l now.
 l The way to determine this Is not
 merely by reading the platforms. but
 by finding out what the candidates
 courageous. and whether they are sup | ported or fought by special privileges, 1 and the lawless element. It Is a very
 good rule to follow; to ssferta1a ger naonls Tn | and of representative government are I fighting, and then get on the other | side and oppose them. One may rest
 assured that he cannot be far from
 right.
 The association held a meeting at
 the Midland Hotel today at which the
 affairs of the Democratic party in this
 State were discussed.
 Charles w. Knapp, or St. LOUIS, made | a brief addres at this meeting in which
 he said: '"The Republican victory of
 1904 was not due to the fact that Demo-
 crats deserted their party, but because
 they stayed at home on account of dis
 content. soreness and apathy"
 It was predicted that the Democrats | would be successful at the next nation | al election, and that the nominee for | President !n 1908. whether It be Folk, 1 Rrvap or ToWpa will he elacfed hv l large majority"
 | EverybOdy-oId or young, is invited
 to attend the Easter Egg hunt at