St. Tammany farmer. [volume] (Covington, La.) 1874-current, 1907-09-28
Gov. Folks Remarks al
Nashville.

said:
The prospect for success of dem.
ocratic 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 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
axiom as our chart the lnfamles of
privilege In every form can be de-
stroved. Jefferson's phrase sounds
simple, but it has taken genera.
tlons Tor men to attain a practical
understanding of it's wisdom and
justice. 1t applies to the condi.
lions 10 day with even greater
force than when 1t was first an.
nounced by the "Father of Dem.
ocracy'" A political revival is
going on all over the land to-day
on this subject. The people are
beginning to awaken to a reallza.
tion of the fact that the govern.
ment of city, State and nation be-
longs 10 them, and that they can
take the government into their
own hands whenever they wish.
This is the ideal which the Demo.
cratic Party stands for-the rule
of the people, tor the people, as
opposed to government bY a class
for a class.
The elimination Of special prlvi'
lege is the paramount issue before
the people of this country-the
special privilege of lawlessness;
the special privilege conferred by
by law, and the special privilege
of monopoly. A few years ago
The privilege of lawlessness was
defended, but the people were
awakened to the fact that Iawless-l
ness is not government, and that
lawlessness destroys the will of the
people. From one end of the land
10 the other the public conscience
now demands the enforcement of
The peoples laws against high and
tow, rich and poor; that no man
should be above the law and no
nan below the law, whatever his
class, whatever his creed, or what.
ever his wealth. This public con
science having seen that the prlvi-
ege of lawlessness 10 destructive
If the liberties of free people has
1t obnoxious. Now it has
TO assall the deeper
vii of privileges conferred by by
aw.
The elimination of unjust privi-
eyes conferred by law is a moral
question. ANY privilege is a graft,
whether 1t be privilege exercised
to law, or one that the law
tself may give. A tariff SO ar. =!
anged as to create a monopoly and
o give few people the privilege
It preylng on the rest of the PEG.
lie Is legalized graft. Considered !
rom this standpoint, the tariff Is a
moral question. Indeed every t
governmental question in a sense I
B a moral question, in that 1t is a !
uestion of right and wrong. But
8 an economic question merely, I
monopoly tariff is undefenslble
nder the conditions that exist to.
IaY. =
In the ear b. days of our country, s
nd even within recent years, the :
rade territories OF our industries $
7ere confined to the boundaries of q
State, or, at the utmost, of 9
be United States.
The world is now the business
ED Of our great industries. They
ell in competition with ali the
'orId abroad, and have no right t
D ask that they be protected from B
at home. New in \
entions have annihilated time and =
pace. The different nations of c
ne world are now closely connect
In point Of time and communi- r
auon. As the nation increases in =
opulation and power, as time and q
pace continue 10 be annlhilated, 8
} must our commerce broaden. Z
We cannot always sell abroad and '
ever buy. Trade restrictions Il
broad breed trade relations at v
ONE which even now are being !,
1T. In order to give us an out 8,
i for our enormous productions 81
is necessary that there be reclp. d
zeal trade relations with the lead. ) )
g nations. Lawful commerce Is
.eds no special privileges 10 pro- 81