The weekly herald. [volume] (Amarillo, Tex.) 1906-19??, 1908-09-03

lNilou out VI tVVU more Nui'h lHdl
yosr than four years before This
scarcely more than covered tho nat
ural increase in the Republican por-
ton Of the population, while tho
Socialist vote increased more than
500 per cent, and the increase in
votes was almost as great as the In
crease In Republican votes.
The Republican leaders have been
in the habit of sneering at the So
cialisls, while blindly indifferent to
the causes that have contributed to
the growth OF Socialism. The Dem
ocraIs recognize that Socialists are
honestly seeking remedy for the
known abuses" admitted by Secre-
tary Taft, Democrats dissent from
the remedy proposed by the Social
lists, believing that Socialists are mis-
taken and that the Democratic rene
dy Is better but 1t is time for
thoughtful people to recognize that
indiyidualism can only be retained
and defended by remedial legislation
which will remove the abuses which
have been allowed to fasten them
selves upon the country. The Demo-
cratic party, believing in individual
ism, addresses itself earnestly to
these abuses, and instead of ridi-
cullng and malIgning the Socialists,
invites them, as IL does Republicans,
to examine the Democratic platform
and the remedies proposed therein.
1t submits its plans to the honest cit-
iSenship Of the country, without re-
gard to section or party.
In my notification speech called
attention to three demands made by
our party, 1t asks, first, that the
government shall he taken out of the
hands of special interests, and re-
stored to the people as a whole; it
asks second, for honesty in elections
and publicity in regard to campaign
funds, that the people may freely
choose representatives in sympathy
with them and pledge to guard their
interests: it asks third, for such a
modification of our governmental
methods as will make the senate an
elective body, and place the control
OF the house OF representatives in
the hands of majority OF its mem
bers. A few days ago, in discussing
the tariff question, | dwelt upon the
fourth demand made by our party,
namely that taxation be Just, that
the revenue laws be made for the
purpose of raising revenue and not
for the enrichment OF few at the
expense Of the many, and that the
tariff law be supplemented by an in
come tax which will more nearly
equalize the governments burdens.
Today | present another demand
made in our party platform--the de-
mand that the grip of the trusts be
broken, that competition be restored
and that the door of opportunity be
opened to the business men and the
toilers of the land.
Industrial independence is neces-
sary to political independence. The
free exercise Of the rights OF citizen
ship is impossible when a few men
control the industries in which mill
lions are employed. God forbid that
we should compel the wage-earners
Of the nation to address their petit
tions to trust magnates, and ask for
their daily bread. Already we have
seen how prone tho monopolist is to
make employment depend upon the
willingness of the employe to prosti-
tute his ballot to the service of his
corporate master.
This question should be settled
now; we cannot afford to bequeath
it as a legacy of woe to succeed
ing generation. The conscience OF
the people is already awakened, and
the conscience is the most potent
force of which man has knowledge.
Where law makes one righteous, con-
science controls an hundred: where
one Is kept from wrong-doing by fear
Of prison doors, thousand are re-
strained by those invisible walls
which conscience rears about us
barriers which are stronger than
walls Of granite. 1t is upon the con-
science that human institutions rest,
and without stirring of the con-
science no great reform is possible.
To national conscience already
aroused we appeal, with the pledge
that Democratic victory will mean
the ringing out Of Industrial des-
potism and the ringing in of a new
era IN which business will be built
upon its merits, and in which men
will succeed, not in proportion to
the coercion they may be able to
practice, but in proportion to their
IL, I,1 hnt