The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1906-08-31
RIGHTS
To ALL, THE
KEYNOTE
Continued From First Page.)

The people are commencing to appre-
ciate the fact that the government of
city, state and nation belongs to them,
and that they can take the government
into their own hands whenever they
wish. No government was ever better than
the people made it, or worse than they
suffered it to become. The public life of
nation is but reflection Of it's pri-
vate life. This government is no better
than any other, except as the virtue and
patriotism Of the people make it So
The people are beginning to understand
that when they undertake to be their
kings they assume the responsibilities as
well as the privileges of sovereignty. This
awakening will go on for, while, reforms
some times die, revolutions never go
backward and this Is a revolution that is
being wrought in the hearts Of men.
Not Against Wealth.
This movement against wrongs is not a
crusade against wealth. Wealth in itself
is blessing: the abuse of wealth is a
curse Wealth gained by honest indus
try Is commendable. The poverty Of in
dolence is contemplate. This movement
does not rest upon the idle rich nor the
idle poor, but upon the industry and pa
triotisn of the middle classes. There can
be no objection to honest riches, but there
is objection to the crimes and privileges
out of which tainted riches grow. There
is no disposition to injure corporations
that obey the law, but the demand is that
corporations even the greatest, obey the
law just like anyone else. Special in
terests should be made to respect the law
regulating their conduct, as they ask
others to respect the law protecting their
property. The need is not so much for
new laws, as to enforce those laws we
have. There has been too much of max
ing of laws to please all of the people and
too little Of enforcement of those laws. to
please special interests.
The regenerated conscience of the peo-
pie has been assailing these abuses one
by one and has now commenced to at
tack the deeper evil of privilege. Graft is
a privilege which is exercised either
against the law, or one which the law
itself may give. No one ever
heard of legislator being
bribed to give equal rights to all the
people. 1t is always for the purpose of
obtaining special privileges for the few.
Graft cannot be fully done away with I'M
I'll special privileges are eXterminated and
the doctrine of equal rights becomes the
standard for governmental action. 1t
matters not whether this privilege be in
the form of tariff so arranged as to
foster monopoly, or trust to control the
price of the necessities of life, or rebates
to favored shippers. No protection for
monopoly is the battle-cry of the new
born patriotism. AS monopoly is founded
on privilege, without privilege monopoly
must fall. The platform of privileges
for the few is opposed by the platform of
privileges for none. The doctrine of pro-
lection for monopoly as against the peo-
pie, is opposed by the doctrine for protec-
ton for the people as against monopoly.
Light Is Breaking.
The light is breaking and good men and
true will say, let there be light and yet
more light, that we may escape the
snares set for our feet, and walk in safety
along the highway of larger freedom to
a more equaliZed national existence and
higher life
Let u.s. in this crisis, be neither radical
nor conservative. Rather let us be con-
servative in charging wrong doing lest
injustice be caused in charging where it
does not exist, but once sure of the evil,
let us be radical in the determination.
Let us nave neither the conservatism of
stasnation nor the radicalism of lndis-
criminate destruction We want progress
along right lines States and nations, like
men, should never be satisfied, but ever
strive for higher development.
In this epoch so important to Ameri-
can liberty, we ask the people to set I'm
no new gods; we ask them TO follow no
new paths which may lead into the quick
sands OF dlshonor and despair. Our safest
and surest guide is still the old maxim,
that there shall be equal rights to all,
special privileges to none. With this