The Montgomery advertiser., 1906-09-02
ratio NationaI Exseutlvs com-

pointed chiefly (and so far as yas recollection goes whoily1 from the reg. ularly elected members of the National Committee. and usually being made up of those n, rnbers from the more doubt- ful States which 1t was necessary to carry in order to elect How was the real campaign organization formed in 1904? {.
 An executive committee was made up, carefully limited to seven members and those seven members were William F Sheehan, chairman. of New York city; August Belmont. of New York city; James Smith. Jr. of New Jersey; Thomas F. Martin of Virginia: James M. Guffy. of PennsylvanIa: John R. Mclean of Ohio. and the city of Wash. l ington, and Timothy F Ryan Of Wis- consin
 The first fourmen tioned were not and are not members of the national committee.
 sheehan, formerly a discredited poii- tician. builder of the most vicious poe litical machine ever known in Erie county, arrested for the fragrant vi0- lation of the civil service law his ma | chine finally routed and he practically l driven from Buffalo. Is now. with his partner Judge Parker. one of the chief of corporation lawyers of New York. representing among others, the Brook- lyn Rapid Transit Cmpany, and has represented In legislative halls and the courts. Consolidated Gas, Edison Electric. and many others. He is . director in the Cord Meyer Develop. ment Company the company lately caught stealing the eitys water on Long Island, and in many other Cor. porations.
 Belmont is the head Of the Ameri. can branch of the famous European banking house of the Rothechilds He l organized the company that captured | the New York subway. He is direc. | tor in about thirty special privilege | seeking corporations. He maintains Fnex, and Is notorious for his lobbying methods. He is the leading promoter
 of horse racing and race track gambs | ling.
 smith was formerly the fron-nstea
 boss of the Essex county y4machine the friend and tool of wiiif@m c. stick- ney. reputed friend of Governor Ab- bott of New Jersey, but betrayed him in his Senatorial fight in 1908 and
 had himself elected to the United States Senate. While in the saddle aa
 boss of the State of New Jersey. the gravest frauds were revealed in that 1 State and in Q whirlwind of public res sentiment. he and the party were driv- | en from power in 1904 and the party
 power has been resained in New Jers sey. Tn the Senate he was the same | corporation tool, co-worker with Gor@ man and Brice. His last appearance in the iimelight was as receiver of the 1 International Shipbuilding Company, l when he asked a S200.0e0 fee, although
 the work was largely done by attorn. | eys, his bond was only Si00,000, and the total sum passed through his hands
 were only s1.f25. 900 in the aggregate. | The Attorney-G General opposed this and
 the fee was cut down.
 Martin. prior to election to the Uni.
 ted States Senate was the attorney for
 the Chesapeake and Ohio Railway,
 while Guffy is looked upon as the fielA
 agent of Standard oil.
 Indeed, the only member of the
 Democratic National Executive Com@ | mittee not known as a special repre- sentative of that corporation class
 which is constantly seeking special privilege of that city, State. or nation-
 al government. Is the last named meme Der, MT. Ryan. And the only reason for the selection of the latter over
 Roger c. Sullivan, the undoubted poe lItical representative of the gas, traca
 tion and other corporations of Chicago.
 was family row then on between two
 Illinois factions.
 In addition to this, precedent was again violated by the dictated election l city, as vice-chairman of.nthe Nation-
 al Committee, instead of some member
 of that committed; while Gecsge Pea.
 body of New York city. and lte treAs-
 urer of the Palmer and Buckner Na-
 toinal Committee, was made the trsas-
 urer of the committee.
 And following this, what?
 campaign against, Roosevelt at.
 tempted to be made by that commit
 tee On antitrust and antieorporation
 camapign contributing lands
 l do you the credit, Mir. Chairman.
 to think that you personally. did not
 select this committee. or these officers. They were forced upon you, and dic-
 tated 10 you. But how deplorable the
 weakness that would submit to such
 dictation.
 And in every section of the country
 this corporation care to secure control
 of party machinery Is being constantly
 evidenced. In my own State, while
 loyal Democrats were lately assembled
 In convention engaged in nominating
 a ticket generally good. headed by two
 splendid young Democrats as candi- dates for Governor and Lieutenant Gov
 ernor. but with little hope Of electing i, them, this element quietly and assidu-
 ously at work. have, I am informed, for the first time since 1s96, secured ! majority of the State committee and
 elected nine so-called conservatives of
 the eleven members of that committee
 and have chosen chairman from their
 own number
 The complete lack of confidence on the part of the Democratic l@isses in . the party itself when officered by such
 men was not only shown in the election
 of 1904, but was reflected in the action of Mir. Bryan when he objected to be-
 ing received by corporation or trust
 representatives in New York. and in Illinois. is demanded the retirement
 of Roger Sullivan from the national committee.
 Out of the contentious of the two antagonistic forces within the party mas grown it's present condition. with
 pendulum swinging first one way then the other: the character of its candi- dates. if not its platform, one year Riv-
 ing the lie to its professions of tho next.
 Tho principles of Jeffersonian Demos cracy are true; and could the party by its constant acts and uninterrupted course convince the people that 1t was to remain steadily in the hands of the advocates of those principles 1t would speedily be placed in power. ! Can 1t do 1t? Tn my Judgment not while the majority of the people place } subserviency to party before the up-
 holding of individual judgment and inc
 dependent action; and not unless fs ) makes bitter and unrelenting war on } the agent of every predatory corpora tion. however disguised in its ranks as a Democrat, defeating at the polls the candidates named by any organization they control. There must be absoiurd | independence in voting. fF4" } It Is by reason of the prejudices of