Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1907-09-25
Republican Policies Torn to
Pieces by MiSsouri'S Brilliant
Young Governor in Address
at Nashville Banquet.
SHOULD BE REVISED BY
ITS BlTTEREST FOES
Individual SeIfiShneSS Only
Excuse for the DingIey Law
Which Never Did Protect
Workmen, Declares Speaker

Nashville, Tenn, Sept, 24.-Gov-
ernor j. w. Folk of Missouri, a ma
tive of Tennessee, was the guest of
honor today In Nashville, whose home-
cOmers are assembled from every part
of the United States for week of re-
union and celebration. Tonight at the
Duncan hotel at a banquet rendered
him by the Commercial club of Nash
ville Governor Folk discussed the is
sues of the day. Mr.. Folk said:
The subject of Governor Folk of
Missouri was Democratic Ideals" He
said:
The prospect for the success Of
democratic ideas was never brighter
than now. BY democratic ideas |
mean those principles embraced In the
expression, equal rights to all, special
privileges to none" This maxim ot
Jefferson expresses every essential ele-
ment of real democracy. With this
rule for our guidance we cannot lose
our course or be led into the quick
sands OF dshonor or despair With
this axiom as our chart the infamies
of privilege in every form can be de-
stroyed. Jefferson's phrase sounds
simple. but it has taken generations
|
standing of its wisdom and Justice II
applies to the conditions today with
| even greater force than when II was
! first announced by the father of
democracy. A political revival is going
all over the land today on this subject.
The. -peOple are beginning To awaken
Ito realization of he fact That the
government of city. state and nation
belongs to them. and that they can
| take the government into their own
hands whenever they wish This Is
the ideal the democratic party stands
! for-the rule of the people for TIA"
people is opposed to government by
/ a class for a class.
| The elimination OF special privl-
eges is the paramount issue before
the people of this country-the spe-
cal privilege of lawlessness; the spe-
cial privilege conferred by law. and
the special privilege Of monopoly
few years ago the privilege of lawless-
ness was defended: but the people
were awakened TO the fact that law
lessness Is not government, and that
, lawlessness destroys the will OF the
people. From one end Of the land
to the other the public conscience now
demands the enforcement of the peo-
pies law against high and low, rich
and poor; that no man should be
above the law, whatever his class.
whatever his creed, or whatever his
wealth. This public conscience hav-
ing seen that the privilege OF law
lessness is destructiveness of the lib
critics of a few people. has rendered
1t obnoxious. Now Il has commenced
to assail the deeper evil OF privileges
conferred by law.
The elimination of unjust privileges
Iconferred by law Is a moral question.
Any privilege Is a graft, whether Il b.
a privilege exercised contrary to law
or one that the law Itself may give.
tariff so arranged as to create mo-
nopoly and TO give few people the
privileges of preying on the rest OF
the people is legallzed graft Consld-
cred from this standpoint, the tariff is
a moral question. Indeed, every gov
ernmental question OF right In sense
Is a moral question. In that It is
question of right and wrong. But as
an economic question merely, a mo-
nopOly tariff Is indefenslble under the
conditions that exist today
In the early days Of our country.
and even within recent years, the
trade territories of our industries
were confined to the boundarirA pf
county. state. or at the utmost of the
United States.
The world IL now the busi-cs ~
Of our great industries. They sell IN
lcompetitiOn with all the world abroad,
and have no right TO ask that they be
protected from competition at home.
New inventions have annlhilated time
and space. The different nations of
the world are now closely connected
in point OF time and communication.
As the nation Increases In population
and power, as time and space con-
tlnue 20 be annihilnted. so must our
commerce broaden. We cannot al
ways sell abroad and never buy.
Trade restrictions abroad create trade
retallations at home, which even now
are being felt In order 90 give us
an outlet for our enormous prOduc-
tions Il Il necessary that there be
reciprocal trade relations with the
! leading nations. Lawful commerce
needs no special privileges 20 promote
Il. Il wants only freedom Of oppOr-
tunity to exercise It's faculties and em-
ploy its resources.
a monopoly tariff n not necessary
to protect the American workingman.
was never intended TO do s0 and has
never had that result II Is eelf-evl-
dent that a tariff equal to the differ
ence between the cost Of labor IN this
country ana abroad n necessary 10
keep wages OF Amerlran laborers on
their present basis, then American
goods could not compete with Euro
pean goods. for as the American Ia
borcr receives more, the American
products could not be- sold AZ the
same price as those made by cheaper
| European labor.
What are the faClsg All the great
factories Of American now sell II
competition with the entire world
abroad THE handlwork Of TIE more
skilled and better paid American Ia