The Birmingham age-herald., 1906-04-14
Punishment of RascaIs VIII NOt Cause Overthrow of
 the Government
FOLK TALKS OF UPHEAVAL
 SWEEPING OVER COUNTRY
Missourlans Claim They Are Going to Get Together and That the State VIII Again Be In Demo
 cratic Column.

Kansas City. Mo. April 1s.-Five hun dred Missouri democrats attended a ban quet at the Midland hotel in this city tonight, given by the Missouri state dem- ocratic press associa tion to commemorate the birthday of Thomas Jefferson. Of this number 150 were editors of Missouri newspapers. and the remainder were prominent democrats from various parts of the state.
 The principal speakers were Governor Folk. United 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 a high trib- ute to Thomas Jefferson as the founder of the democratic party.
 All of the speakers made a plea for party harmony in this state. and all pre- dicted that at the next election Missouri would again be found in the democratic column. Governor Folk said in part:
 Governor Folk Speaks.
 ''The life and teachings of Thomas Jeff ferson are an inspiration to the lovers of representative government every where. Jeffersonian democracy means the rule of the people, not of any class nor of any clique, nor of any special inter ests. Whenever the people cease to rule anywhere and gangs and bosses govern instead, then special privileges and cor ruption which spring from special privi- leges- B necessary consequence follow. Jefferson announced the cardinal doctrine l nf b., e. equal rights to all special privileges to none.' This maxim expresses every es- sential element of true democracy. It embraces every essential element of good government. The phrase sounds simple but it has taken generations for men to attain practical understanding of Its wis., dom and justice.
 Tt comes to us today as message from the past for 1t applies to the condi- tions today with even greater force than when It was first announced by the father of democracy. That was one of the first declarations against what is known in modern times graft. Graft in its last analysis Is special privilege either ex- | ercised contrary to law or one the law itself may give. Some special privilege Is at the bottom of every graft. No one ever heard of an official being corrupted in order to give equal rights to all. It Is always for the purpose of obtaining some special privilege for a few.
 Political Revival Going On.
 .'An unprecedented political revival is going on In the United States today on | this subject The next few years will be distinguished as the time in which the reign of the special privilege is brought | to an end and the doctrine of equal rights fixed in national policies and in the con- science of mankind. The spirit of reform l comes from reflection, and reflection l comes from knowledge of evils and desire 1 to correct them. There are some who are i appalled, by the exposures of official ven- ality and private depravity and are dis posed to exclaim In spirit of dismay, l o. tempora, o, mores.
 ITO my mind the most hopeful sign Of 1 the continuance of government by the people is the very exposures. The atmos- l phere will be clearer and the body polite 1 cleaner for the stamping out and cure of civic evils. There Is no secret remedy known for corruption. It cannot be cured | by hiding it, when 1t Is known the people l can be trusted to apply the remedy swiftly l and surely. The people are awake now, and as long as they keep awake there will be only white lights ahead for popu- l lar government The developments of the last few years should inspire optimism | not pessimism as to the future. The pun ishment of rascals is not going to cause the overthrow of the republic. If things had gone on in the old way when bribery l was considered conventional and when 1 graft became so common as not to cause 1 comment, when special privileges were l considered right, then it would be only | a question of time before our nation would 1 have gone as other republics have gone | during the flight of time through tine | Tt,<, afI | fashioned ideas of honesty are being ap- 1 piled to the new fashioned business The command, Thou Shalt Not Steal has again become binding. This does not mean socialism, which says to another. What | is thine Is mine but 1t means an equal opportunity to all to have, to hold and to enjoy the fruits of honest labor and no special privileges to class to prey upon the rest of the people. M
 No Response to Mere Party Names.
 'sThe time has come when the people will longer respond to mere party l names Parties must stand for some 1 thing and mean something-must be a 1 positive force, not mere negative quan- ity.
 ''Whatever may be said of the accom- plishment of any party in days gone by, the question is not what the party did forty years ago. but what they stand for now and what do they proposed to do now The way to determine this Is not merely by reading the platforms. but by finding out what the candidates rep resent, whether they are honest and courageous and whether they are sup ported or fought by special privileges and the lawless element. It Is a very good | rule to follow, to ascertain on which side the enemies of the people and of repre- sentative government are fighting, and then get on the other side and oppose them? One may rest assured that he cannot be far from right"
 4 Victory Will Come Next Time.
 The association held meeting at the Midland hotel today at which the af- fairs of the democratic party in this state l were discussed.