Fair play., 1907-06-22
GIVES GOOD ADVICE
SENATOR RAYNER's MESSAGE TO
THE DEMOCRACY.
PRINCIPLES OF Jefferson, Unaltered
He Believes, Still Should Be the
Watchword Of the Party.

A message has Just been delivered
20 the Democracy that is worthy oil
the most careful consideration of the
members of the party. The message
is from Senator lsidor Rayner, who
represents Maryland in the United
States senate. As Maryland is one OF
the states that it is necessary for the
Democrats to carry to win the next
election, this message Of advice from
her most distinguished son on the
course the party should pursue is the
more worthy of attention.
"Of course" said Senator Rayner,
we all appreciate the fact that when
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 dead is
sue or simply to those that existed at
the time of its formation.
Nov, have we any principles?
think we have. Has the Republican
| party stolen them? | acquit them of
| the charge. think that they are en-
! tirely innocent, and ] do not believe
that they have any felonious intent or
design whatever to appropriate them.
! Is the president Democrat? ! nest
! respectfully deny it."
Senator Rayner after showing the
| lines that divide the two parties, said:
I'VE must not yield the slightest frac-
! ton of the supremacy of the states
over their own local and domestic
concerns This is our heritage, and
we must not barter it for wealth, for
progress or prosperity. Prosperity
may be only temporary, but the
foundations of the republic are per.
pctual.
in the next place, we are opposed
to government paternalism. 1t is a re-
proach 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
will never come when the government
of the United States will own and op-
crate the railroads of the country.
Let us give the present railroad
law a fair test and trial. and if it does
not answer the purposes of its enact
ment let us extend its provisions and
supplement its remedies so that ii
will meet any emergency that may
arise. There is one proposition, how
over. that the Democratic party must
contend for in this connection, and
I tlat &c Jnp1onl n pnpnnlat
obedience to the existing statute. The
railroad presidents and officers of oul
trunk lines must be made, once anC
forever, to realize that they are the
servants, and not the masters, of the
people
After suggesting platform upor
which all Democrats could unite Sen
ator Rayncr closed by saying: 81
we advocate principles that are no
Democratic and be again defeated a
the polls, then it looks to me as if tn
hour of disintegration Was at hanC
because the only thing that has keT
us alive through all the strange vici!
situdes of our fortune is the fact tina
we have never yet wholly abandone
the historic traditions of our faith an
have never yet, upon all the pages {
history. sounded a final retreat
IF the Democratic party will onl
follow Jeffersonian precepts an
axioms without a revised edition thu
he would repudiate II he were living
If it will only unite upon essential
and not divide upon essentials;
it will only stand by the old ritui
and not attempt to alter it TO su
every economic clique or mongrel d
nomination that is willing to array
self under its banners; If it will on
abandon the worship of temporal
idols that arc broken into fragmen
with the close of every campaign, al
return to the worship of those cardin
principles that will remain immutab
so long as the republic lasts, regar
less of the fact whether parties d
card them or not-then | believe tn
our mission is by no means ended, b
that, emerging from the apathy al
lethargy that now envelopes us, '
, shall be recalled to life to resume {
activities of our normal existence a
to the accomplishment Of our histol
destiny"