The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1908-07-10
WILLIAM JENNINGS BRYAN IN 1896.

the will of a majority of it's members,
but has come under the absolute DOM
nation of the speaker, who has entire
control of it's deliberations and powers
of legislation.
We have observed with amazement
the popular branch of our federal gov
eminent helpless to obtain either the
consideration or enactment of meas
ures desired by d majority of its men,
bers.
Legislative government becomes a
failure when one member in the per-
son of the speaker is more powerful
than the entire body.
We demand that the house of repre-
sentatives shall again become DELHI
erative body controlled by a majority
of the peoples representatives and not
by the speaker, and we pledge our
selves to adopt such rules and regula-
tons to govern the house of repre-
sentatives as will enable a majority of
its members to direct its deliberations
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 Sc
cure the nomination of one of his cab
met officers. A forced succession in
the presidency is scarcely less repug
nant to public sentiment than is life
tenure in that office. No good inten-
ton on the part of the executive and
no virtue in the one selected can just
| ify the establishment of a dynasty.
The right of the people to freely select
their own official is inalienable and
cannot be delegated.
Campaign Contributions.
We demand federal legislation for
ever terminating the partnership
which has existed between corpora
lions of the country and the Republic
can party under the expressed or i'm
piled agreement that in return for the
contribution of great sums of money
wherewith to purchase elections, they
should be allowed to continue substan
TALLY unmolested in their efforts to en-
croach on the rights of the people.
Any reasonable doubt as to the ex-
istence of this relation has been for
ever dispelled by the sworn testimony
of witnesses examined in the insurance
investigation in New York and the
open admission - unchallenged - by
the Republican national committee of
a single individual that he himself at
the personal request of the Republi-
can candidate for the presidency re-
ceived over a quarter million to be
used in a single state during the clos
ing hours of the last campaign In
order that this practice shall be stop
ped for all time, we demand the pas
sage of a statute Furnishing with inn
prisonment any officer of a corpora
ton who shall either contribute on be-
half of, or consent to the contribution
by a corporation of any money or
thing of value to be used in furthering
the election of a president or vice
president of the United States or OF
any member of the congress thereof.
We denounce the action of the Re-
Iatr MI
troll of the federal government for its
failure to pass the bill introduced in
| the last congress to compel the pub
| LEGATION of the names of contributors
and amount contributed toward cam
paign funds. and point to the evidence
of their insincerity when they sought
by an absolutely irrelevant and i'm
possible amendment to defeat the pas
sage of the bill. AS a further evidence
of their intention to conduct their
campaign in the coming contest with
vast sums of money wrested from ia
vor seeking corporations. we call at
tention to the fact that the recent Re-
publican national convention at Chi
| cago refused, when the issue was pre-
scented to it, to declare against such
practices.
We pledge the Democratic party to
the enactment of law prohibiting any
corporation from contributing to a
campaign fund and any individual
! from contributing an amount above
reasonable maximum and providing
for the publication before election of
all such contributions.
The Rights of the States.
Believing, with Jefferson, in 1.-The
support of the state governments in
all their rights as the most COM
petent administration for our domes-
! tic concerns and the Surest bulwark
against anti-Republican tendencies"
and in 1.-The preservation of the
general government in its whole con-
stitutional vigor. as the sheet anchor
of our peace at home and safely
abroad" we are opposed to the cen
tralization implied by the suggestions.
now frequently made, that the
powers of the general government
| should be extended by executive ac-
| ton and by judicial construction.
There is no twilight zone between the
| nation and the state in which exploit
ing interests can take refuge from
| both, and it is as necessary that the
federal government shan exercise the
powers delegated to it as that the
state government shall use the
| authority reserved to them, but we
| insist that the federal remedies for
regulation of interstate commerce
and for the prevention of private
monopolies shall be added to, not sub
stituted for, state remedies.
Tariff.
We welcome the belated promise
of tariff reform now offered by the
| Republican party in tardy recognition
| of the righteousness of the Demo-
| cracy's position on this question; but
| the people cannot safely entrust the
execution of this important work to
| a party which is so deeply obligated
] to the highly protected interests as