The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1906-02-23
OVATION TO FOLK.

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not allow his thinking to be done for
him by someone else. He should vote
as he thinks. not as someone else
thinks The welfare of the state
should always be paramount to the
success Of any party A large and
healthy measure of Independence on
the part of the Individual citizens is
the safety valve TO party govern
ment.
Good Rule to Follow
ut is a very good rule to follow, to
ascertain on which side the enemies
of the people and of the peoples rule
are hghting. and then get on the other
side and oppose them. One may rest
assured that then he cannot be far
from right The Democratic party
has always been the party of the peo-
PIE as opposed TO special privileges,
and each passing day makes it clearer
that the hope of our nation for relief
from the oppression of special inter
ests must come through the prin-
ciples of that party
True Democracy means the rule Of
the people, not of any class, nor of any
clique nor of any boss. Whenever the
people cease to rule anywhere the
gangs and bosses govern instead. then
special privileges and corruption as a
necessary consequence follow. Thomas
Jefferson announced the cardinal prin-
ciple of true Democracy when he de-
clared for equal rights for all, special
privileges to none. That phrase
sounds simple, but it has taken genera
lions for men to attain a practical UNI
derstanding of its wisdom and justice
Tt applies to conditions today with
even greater force than when 1t was
first announced by the Father of De
mOcracy. That was one of the first
declarations against graft-fOr any
special privilege in its last analysis is
graft. and some special privilege is at
the bottom Of every graft. No one
ever heard of any one being corrupted
in order to give equal rights to all; it
IS always for the purpose of obtaining
some special privilege for a few.
"a political revival is going on all
over the land today on this subject.
The people of Philadelphia, Cincinnati,
Pittsburg Pennsylvania and Ohio
have been fighting to regain the gov
eminent they had lost. The people
are beginning to awaken to the rea liza
ton OF the fact that the government Of
the city, state and nation belongs to
them. and they can take the govern
ment into their own hands whenever
they wish. This is the idea the Demo-
cratic party stands fOr-the rule Of the
people-
The moral ava kening that is now
sweeping the country is simply the
Of the people a determination to
stamp ont the things that dIshonor in
public life. and the things that Cypress
in private life-a firm resolve that
government shall be representative Of
the good, not of the bad. A few years
ago men would give and take brides
and still consider themselves honest
They have been taught better now.
The public conscience has been awak-
ened to the necessity of putting a stop
TO the omense that strikes a the heart
Of free government. The energies of
this public conscience are being ex-
tended from the domain Of the public
wrongdoer to that of the private
wrongdoer. and probing into the car
ryings on Of rascals of every kind.
The officials Of some of the great in
Furance companies were found to be
using the trust funds in their hands.
without authority, for their own gain.
They. too, no doubt considered them
selves honest, and they. too now have
learned the great Lesson. In our ma
uonal congress our representatives
are now dealing with the question Of
eXterminating the railroad rebate
CRATER and special rate CRATER. Rail-
roads are the arteries of commerce:
they are necessary to the DEVELOPMENT
OF our vast resources and are entitled