The daily sentinel., 1907-09-26

In a great speech delivered Mon
day night at Nashville, Gov. Joseph
w. Folk, of Missouri, discussed at
length the issues of the day and de-
clared that Democratic ideas are GER
tain of a victory.
In part the brilliant and fearless
Missourian said:
The prospect for the success of
Democrats ideas was never brighter
than now. By Democratic ideas l
mean those principles embraced in
the expression, equal rights to all,
special privileges to none This
maxim of jefferson expresses every
essential element of real democracy.
With this rule for our guidance we
cannot lose our course or be led into
the quicksands of dishonor or despair.
With this maxim as our chart the in
famies of privilege in every form can
be destroyed. Jefferson's phrase
sounds simple, but it has taken gen
erations for men to obtain a practi-
cal understanding of its wisdom and
justice. 1t applies TO the conditions
today with even greater force than
when it was first announced by the
father of Democracy. a political re-
viyal is going on all over the land to-
day on its subject. The people are
beginning to awaken to realization
of the fact that the government of
city, state and nation belongs to them,
and that they can yoke the govern
ment into their own hands whenever
they please. This is the ideal the
democratic party stands for-the
rule of the people, for the people as
opposed to government by class or
for a class.
''The elimination of special priy'-
leges is the paramount issue before
the people of this country-the spec
al privilege of lawlessness; the spec
lal privilege conferred by laws and
the special privilege of monopoly. y
few years ago the privilege OF law
lessresa was defended; but the peo-
pie were awakening to the tacc that
lawlessness is not government and
that Iawlessness destroys the will of
the people From one end of the
land to the other the public con-
science now demands the enforcement
of the peoples laws against high or
low; rich or poor; that no man
should be above the law and no man
below the law, whatever his class,
whatever his creed, or whatever his
wealth. The public conscience hay-
ing seen the privilege of lawlessness
is destructive of the liberties of a
free people, has rendered it obnoX-
ious. Now it has commenced to as
sail the deeper evil of privileges
conferred by law
THE elimination Of unjust priyi-
leges conferred by law is moral
question. Any privilege is graft.
whether it be a privilege exercised
contrary to law or one that the law
itself may give. A tariff so arranged
as to create monopoly and to give a
few people the privilege of preying
on the rest of the people Is legal
| lied graft Considered from TINS
standpoint, the tariff is moral ques-
ton. Indeed every governmental
question in a sense Is moral ques-
| ton, is a question of right or wrong.
But as an economic question merely
| a monopoly tariff is undefeLsiole un-
\ der the conditions that arise today.
4 In early days of our country, and
even within recent years, the trade
territories of our Industries were con-
l fined to the boundaries of county,
Istate. or at the utmost of the United
States.
"The world is now the business
field for our great industries. They
Iseu in competition with all the world
abroad, and have no right to ask
that they be protected from COM
petition at home. New inventions
have annihilated time and space. The
different nations of the world are
\ now closely connected in point OF
time and communication AS the ma
tion increases in population and pow
or as time and space continue TO be
Iannihilated, so much our commerce
\ broadens. We cannot always sell
| abroad and never buy. Trade re-
strictions abroad breed retaliations
at home, which even now are being
/ felt. In order to give us an outlet
1 for our enormous productions 1t is
necessary that there be reciprocal
trade relations with the leading ma
lions. Lawful commerce needs no
\ special privileges to protect IT, II
! wants only freedom OF opportunity
! to exercise its faculties and employ
its resources. .,...,,, M
"The Democratic party should go
before the people of the country ask
/ ing for support, not merely on the
ground of partisanship. but on the
ground OF patriotism, for 1t repre-
sents tbe rights Of all, as against the
privileges of law Clothed in the
armor of righteousness the demo
/ cratic marty. if true to its ideal
triumph, for its principles are en-
l Juring because they are just and in
vinelble be cause they are right.
1T is the evil Of business that is
being assailed, not the business and
if any Industry is harmed by the at
tack on evil it is injured by the eyi
and not by those who would correct
tba evils. Property interests should
he protected and respected and vested
rights should not be intertereC
with"