The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1908-07-16


convention assembled, reaffirm our belief
IN, and pledge our loyalty to, the prin-
ciples of the party.
We rejoice at the increasing signs of
awakening throughout the country. The
various Investigations have traced graft
and political corruption to the represen-
tatives of predatory wealth, and laid
bare the unscrupulous methods by which
thcy have debauched elections and prey
ed upon defenseless public through the
subseryient officials whom they have
raised to place and power
The conscience of the nation is now
aroused to free the government from the
grip of those who have made it a busi-
ness asset of the favor-seeking corpora
tons; 1t must become again a peoples
government and be administered in all
its departments, according to the Jeffer-
sonian maXim Equal rights to all and
special privileges to none"
Shall the people ruler" is the over
shadowing issue which manifests itself
In all the questions now under discussion.
OFFICE HOLDERS.
Coincident with the enormous increase
In expenditures is a like increase in the
number of office holders. During the
past year 23,7S4 were added, costing $16,
156,OOo, and in the past six years of the
Republican administration the total
number of new offices created aside
from many commissions has been 99,319,
entailing an additional expenditure of
nearly 00O as against only 1928
new offices created under the Cleveland
and Mckinley administrations, which in
We denounce this great and growing in
crease in the number of Office holders as
net only unnecessary and wasteful, but
also as clearly indicating a deliberate
purpose on the part of the administra-
tion to keep the Republican party in
power, at public expense, by thus in
creasing the number of it's retainers and
dependents. Such procedure we declare
to be no less dangerous and corrupt than
the open purchase of votes at the polls.
ECONOMY IN ADMINISTRATION.
Il linel sI,a
Just ended has made appropriations
amounting to $l,OOS,OOO,0OO, exceeding the
total expenditures of the past fiscal year
by $9O,00O 5000, and leaving a deficit of
more than 500 OOO, 900 for the fiscal year
We denounce the needless waste of the
peoples money which has resulted in
this appalling increase as shameful
violation of all prudent conditions of
government as no less than a crime
against the millions of workingmen and
women from whose earnings the great
proportions of these colossal sums must
be eXtorted through excessive tariff ex-
actions and other indirect methods. 1t
is not surprising that in the face of this
shocking record, the Republican plat
form contains no reference to economical
administration or promise thereof in the
future. We demand that a stop be put
TO this frightful extravaganza and in
sist upon the strctest economy in every
department compatible with frugal and
efficient administration
ARBITRARY POWER OF SPEAKER.
The House OF Representatives was de-
signed by the fathers of the country to
be the popular branch of our govern
ment, responsive to the public Will. The
House of Representatives, as controlled
in recent years by the Republican party,
has ceased to be a deliberative and legis-
lative body, responsive to the will Of
n majority of its members, but has come
under the absolute domination of the
speaker, who has entire control of it's
deliberations and powers of legislation.
We have observed with amazement the
popular branch of ouIl6ederal government
helpless to obtain either the consideIa-
tion or enactment of measures desired by
a majority of its members. Legislative
government becomes a failure when one
member in the person of the speaker is
more powerful than the entire body. We
demand that the House of Representa-
t'ves ,sshall again become delibeI ative
body, controlled, by a majority of the
peoples representatives and not by the
speaker, and we pledge ourselves TO
adopt such rules and regulations to gov
ern the house as will enable majority
of the members to direct its delibera-
tions and control legislation.
MISUSE OF PATRONAGE.
We condemn, as a violation of the
spirit of our institutions, the action of
the present Chief Executive in using the
patronage of his high office to secure the
nomination of one of his cabinet officers.
a forced succession in the presidency is
scarcely less repugnant to public senti-
ment than is life tenure in that office.
No good intention on the part of the Ex-
ecutive and no virtue in the selection
can justify the establishment of a dy-
nasty The right of the people to freely
select their officials is inalienable and
cannot be delegated.
PUBLICITY OF CAMPAIGN CONTRIB
BUTTONS.
We demand federal legislation forever
terminating the partnership which has
existed between corporations of the
country and the Republican party under
the expressed or implied agreement that
in return for the contribution Of great
sums of money whereyith to purchase
elections they should be allowed to con-
tinue substantially unmClested in their
efforts to encroach upon the rights OF
the people.
Any reasonable doubt as to the exist
encC of this relation has been forever
sispelled by the sworn testimony of VIII
Resses examined In the insurance inVes-
tieation in New York, and the open ad-
mission, unchallenged by the Repuoilcan
National Committee, of single indi-
Vidual that he himself at the personal
request OF the Republican candidate for
the Presidency, raised over a quarter or
d million dollars to be used in single
state during the closing hours of the last
campaign. In order that this practice
shall be stopped for all time we demand
the passage of a statute Furnishing with
imprisonment any officer of a corpora
tion who shall either contribute on pc
half of or consent to the contribution by
q corporation of any money or thlng OF
value to be used in furtheTing the cleo
tion of a president or vice president or
the United States or any member OF the
Congress thereof.
We denounce the action of the Repub-
Hcan party, having complete control OF
Che federal government, for its failure
90 pass the bill introduced in the last
congress, to compel the publication or
The names of contributors and the |
amounts contributed toward campaign
funds, and point to the evidence of their
insincerity when they sought by an abb |
solutely irrelevant and Impossible |
amendment to defeat the passage of the |
bill AS further evidence of their in |
tention TO conduct their campaign in the !
coming contest with vast sums OF money |
vres sted from favor-seeking corporations |
we call attention to the fact that The !
recent Republican National Convention !
at Chicago refused, when the plank was |
prG sented to it, to declare against such |
pi az tices We pledge the Democratic |
patty to the enactment of law prevent |
ing any corporation contributing to a !
campaign fund and any individual from |
Contributing an amount above a rea
sens BILE minimum and providing for the !
publication before election of all such
contributions.
THE TARIFF.
Tarin-We welcome the belated prom
Use of tariff reform now affected by the !
Republican party in tardy recognition of |
the righteousness OF the Democratic p0- |
sition on this question: but these people |
cannot safely intrnst the execution or |
this important work to party which Is |
so deeply obligated TO the highly pro- |
tected interests as, is the Republican
-. 10 eI,s Gin f.