Shiner gazette. [volume] (Shiner, Tex.) 1893-current, 1907-11-28
PLATFORM DEMANDS AND
LAWS.

Perhaps platform demands Of the
Democratic party have sat as heavy
on the conscience of former gov
errors and legislatures as those OF
last summer on Governor Camp
bell and the Thirtieth Legislature,
but we have no evidence of it by
their deeds. In his speech at the
banquet given him by the Demo
Gratis of Southwest Texas in San An
tonic on last Saturday evening
Governor Campbell put the matter
very tersely and very rightly when
he said in substance that the man
who offers himself for office should
set forth clearly his plans and pur-
poses if elected, and that there
should be the same fidelity and hon
Or in carrying out these plans and
purposes in his office as the bust
ness world demands in its affairs.
That the Thirtieth Legislature
kept its promise, and that Govern
or Campbell kept his, every man
in Texas knows. 1t is equally well
known that the Legislature kept its
promise to the people because Gov
ernor Campbell insisted on it in a
way that was not to be refused.
When he appeals to the people of
the State direct in the many
speeches he is making for appro-
baton of the acts of the legislature
he is but making an appeal for the
approval of the policies which the
Democratic platform demanded,
and which he insisted upon from
the time he made his first speech
before the primaries till the Legis-
lature adjourns and he had signed
the last bill.
True, much of the legislation
seemed radical, and there was mani
fest disposition to regulate every
thing under the sun; but the day
is upon us when such legislation
,is needed. Big businesses today
are all powerful, even to the shap-
ing of legislation. The railroads,
the insurance companies, the oil
companies, the trusts and monopo-
lies of all sorts want nothing more
than to be. let alone, knowing well
that they have the people at their
mercy, if they have any, as is moi
often the case, so that when the
slate, through laws enacted, begins
to curb thir powers, they raise a
great hue and cry that there is too
much interference with business,
and too much law-making. The
day Of our fathers was the day Of
individuality; today is the day of
communalism.
Communalism does not mean so
cialism. The most radical laws en-
acted by the Legislature of Texas,
or the Constitution of Oklahoma,
model of twentieth century govern
ment by democracy, are not social
istic. They but meet, in the best
manner possible, the conditions of
today in the bushes world. They
but endeavor to preserve for the
mass of the people those rights in
herent to man, the Individual,
when he stands alone in the bust
ness world, cultivating, perhaps, his
few paternal acres, or keeping his
small shop, or plying his trade or
profession, and here is where nine
tenths of the people stand. A true
government must have in mind al
ways this nine-tenths and must so
shape laws that they shall not be
at the mercy of a predatory frac-
ZION who would despoil them Of
their just earnings. Herein is the
true spirit of democracy When de-
mocracy can cope with conditions
successfully and preserve for the in
1ividual his rights against any
stronger powers that beset him it
achieves its highest aim. The de-
mocracy of Texas wrote in its plat
form last year certain things which
it believed would tend to preserve
these rights Of the people. The gov
ernor and the Legislators promised
to do these things, and that promise
Is being kept.
Norfolk, Va.-As the result of a
boiler explosion in lumber mill
five men were killed and number
injured.