The Farmington times. (Farmington, St. Francois County, Mo.) 1905-1926, 1907-06-21
GIVES GOOD ADVICE
SENATOR RAYNER's MESSAGE Tt
THE DEMOCRACY.
Principles OF jefferson, Unaitered.
He Believes, Still Should Be the
Watchword of the Party.

A message has Just been delivered
To the Democracy that is worthy OF
The most careful consideration of the
members Of the party. The message
is from Senator lsidor Rayncr, who
represents Maryland in the United
States senate. AS Maryland Is one Of
the states that 1t Is necessary for the
Democrats to carry to win the next
election. this message of advice from
her most distinguished son on the
course the party should pursue is the
more worthy of attention.
"Of course" said Senator Rayner,
we all appreciate the fact that when
new issue arises the Democratic
party must take its stand upon one
side or the other aud as new issues
develop parties must enlarge and ex.
pand. No one desires 10 restrict the
Democratic party either to a dead is
sue or simply to those that existed at
the time of it's formation.
Now, have We any principles? |
think we have. Has the Republican
party stolen them? ! acquit them of
the charge. ! think that they are en-.
tirely innocent, and | do not believe
that they have any felonious intent or
design whatever TO appropriate them
Is the president a Democrat? | most
respectfully deny it
Senator Rayner after showing the
lines that divide the two parties, said:
I'VE must not yield the slightest frac.
ton Of the supremacy OF the states
over their own local and domestic
concerns, This is our heritage, and
we must not barter II for wealth, for
progress or prosperity. Prosperity
may be only temporary but the
foundations OF the republic are per.
petual.
In the next place, we are opposed
to government patcrnaism II Is a re.
proach to Jefferson to claim that If he
were living he would be in favor of 1t.
| predict, with great respect to others
who may differ with me. that the day
will never come when the government
Of the United States will own and op.
crate the railroads of the country.
Let us give the present railroad
law a fair test and trial, and If II does
not answer the purposes Of its enact.
ment let us extend its provisions and
supplement its remedies so that II
will meet any emergency that may
arise. There Is one proposition, how.
ever. that the Democratic party must
contend for in this connection, and
that is It must demand complete
obedience to the existing statute The
railroad presidents and officers of our
trunk lines must be made. once and
forever, to realize that they are the
servants, and not the masters, of the
people"
A!'cr suggesting a platform upon
which all Democrats could unite Sen.
atur Rayner closed by saying: III
We advocate principles that are not
Democratic and be again defeated al
the polls, then II looks to me as If the
hour of disintcgration was nj hand.
because the only thing that has kept
us alive through all the strange vics.
STUDIES of our fortune is the fact that
we have never yet wholly abandoned
the historic traditions of our faith and
have never yet. upon all the pages Of
history, sounded final retreat.
III the Democratic party will only
follow Jeffcrsonian precepts and
axioms without a revised edition that
he would repudiate II he were living,
If It will only unite upon essentials
and not divide upon non-essentials II
II will only stand By the old ritual
and not attempt TO alter II to suit
every economic clique or mongrel de.
nomination that is willing to array It.
self under its banners; II II will only
abandon the worship of temporary
idols that are broken into fragments
with the close of every campaign, and
return TO the worship Of those cardinal
principles that will remain immutablc
so long as the republic lasts, regard.
less of the fact whether parties dis.
card them or not--then believe that
our mission is by no means ended, but
that, emerging from the apathy and
lethargy that now envelopes u.s. we
shall he recalled to life to resume the
activities of our normal existence and
TO the accomplishment of our historic