The semi-weekly messenger., 1907-04-16
WILMINGTON, n. c., APRIL Is 1907


ever, to realize that they are the sery.
ants and not the masters OF the peo-
pie.
Governmental ownership will never
come to pass unless they force the is
sue. They are the real agitators, and
L would kindly warn them to desist
from pursuing the tricks and myster-
les that have now been laid bare be-
| fore the gaze OF the American people.
There is another proposition that
| the democratic party must maintain
| unless it has drifted away entirely
from its anchorage, and that is that
| this is not an executive government; /;
that the government distribution Of
powers provided for in the constitu-
ton must be preserved; and that the
president OF the United States, to
whatever party he may belong, must
not exceed the functions Of his office
and encIOach upon the remaining de-
partments Of the government
Il have said over and over again
that recognize the great and wonder
full resources Of the president. his
commanding ability, his intense and
ardent patriotism, the marvellous sue
cess Of his undertakings, and his phe-
nomenal popularity with the people,
but the fear that possesses me is that
some feeble successor in either party
uybn q
triotism than he has may ignore these
fundamental distinctions and attempt
to divert our institutions from the
plans and purposes of their crea-
ton
Senator Rayner then outlined his
views on a democratic platform.
II would make it brief and perti-
nent," he said. Il would eliminate the
customary and monotOnOus indict-
ments against the opposition for
crimes that they have never
committed and [ would omit all ref
erence to the virtues that we pro-
pose TO practice in the event OF our
success. | would give the country
something Il little new in the way
of a democratic decalOgU-. ! would,
of course incorporate a plank for
low tariff and for commercial reci-
procity with the trading nations Of the
world. | would then add a plank de-
claTing that there is no such thing as
an unWritten constitution OF the Unit
j l.
it must be amended, not by Secretary
Root but by the suffrages of the peO-
Pile; and that it reasonable act to
insert into it, whether by judicial con-
struction or otherwise, any power or
grant that is not confined within the
Well defined authority and limita-
tiOns of the instrument. In obedience
to the constitution [ would then une-
quivocally declare for the supremacy
of the states, and not the yield the
smallest portion Of their sovereign
rights over matters of local and do
mestic concern that lie cdearly within
| would then explicitly announce that
the democratic power is in favor OF
the strict and impartial enforcement
of every federal enactment upon the
statute book. and that the greater and
the more powerful the criminal who
violates it. the more severe would be
the punishment that ought to be Wis
tied upon him. [ would then an
nounce that the party is not in favor
of territorial expansion; that our
arms should be stacked ard a halt
should be called in our march of ag-
grandizement; and that while we do
not object to this government becom-
Ing a world-power upon the field OF
commerce and the enterprise and OF
civilization, upon the field Of war we
do not propose to unite with other
robber governments in the despoil-
ment of foreign territory and in the
conquest of helpless races.
IF the democratic party will take
a stand for principles substantially
like these, in my humble Judgment
and rid itself of the delusion that it
can attain success by simply becom-
ing an annex of the republican party,
then l believe there is a chance for
victory and if we are defeated again
then at least we will have the COM
fort and the consolation OF knowing
that we went down fighting for
principle"