Gainesville daily sun. (Gainesville, Fla.) 190?-1938, 1907-06-07
4 MESSAGE TO DEMOCRACY.

lltSlcN TIE lVllOMAl6 ulcnsdSC W lAlS
Democrats OF the country. which il
worthy of careful consideration Of
Democrats who have the interest o.
the party at heart:
"of course" said Senator Rayner
Eve all appreciate the fact that wher
a new issue arises the Democratic
party must take its stand upon one
side or the other, and as new issues
develop parties must enlarge and ex
pand No one desires to restrict the
Democratic party either to a dead is
sue or simply to those that existed al
the time of its formation.
Now. have we any principles? /
think we have. Has the Republican
party stolen them? l acquit them OF
the charge think that they are
lentirely innocent, and don't believe
that they have any felonious intent
OF design whatever to appropriate
them. is the President a Democrat?
l most respectfully deny IT,"
Senator Rayner, after showing the
lines that divided the two parties,
said I'VE must not yield the slightest
fraction of the supremacy of the
States over their own local and do
nestle concerns. This is our heritage
and We must not barter it for wealth,
for progress or prosperity. Prosperity
may be only temporary. but the foun-
dations of the republic are perpetual.
in the next place. we are opposed
to governmental paternalism. 1t is
reproach to Jefferson to claim
that if he were living he would
be in favor of it. predict,
with great respect to others who
may differ with me, that the day viii
never come when the Government of
the United States will own and oper-
ate the railroads of the country.
Let us give the present railroad
law fair test and trial, and If it does
not answer the purposes of it's enact
ment let us extend its provisions and
supplement its remedies so that Il
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 a complete
obedience to the existing statute
The railroad presidents and off |
GERS of our trunk lines must be made,
once and forever. to realize that they |
are the servants, and not the masters,
of the people
After suggesting platform upon
which all Democrats could unite.
Senator Rayner closed by saying:
IF we advocate principles that are not
Democratic and be again defeated at
the polls, then 1t looks to me as II the
hour Of disintegration was at hand be-
cause the only thing that has kept |
us alive through all the strange vicissi.
tudes OF our fortune is the fact that
we have never yet wholly abandoned |
the historic tradition OF our faith and |
have never yet, upon all the pages OF
our history sounded final retreat
ri the Democratic party will only
follow Jeffersonian precepts and axi-
oms without attempting revised edi-
ton that he would repudiate II he
were living; II II would only unite
upon essentials and not devide upon
II II will only stand by
the old ritual and not attempt TO alter
II to suit every economic clique or
denomination that lie willing
to carry itself under its banners; II
II will only abandon the worship OF
temporary idols that are broken into
fragments with the close cardinal prin.
ciples that will remain immutabie 20
long as the republic lasts, regardless
Of the fact whether parties discard
them or not--then believe that our
mission is by no means ended. but
that, emerging from the apathy and
lethargy that now envelops Us. We
shall be recalled 70 life TO resume the
activities Of our normal existence and
10 the accomplishment Of our historic
Destiny