The Penn's Grove record., 1908-08-21

of representatives shall again |
a deliberative body, controlled
by a majority Of the peoples repre-
and not by the speaker"
and is pledged to adopt "such rules
and regulations to govern the house
Of representatives as will enable a ma
jority of its members to direct its de-
liberations and control legislation"
"Shall the people ruler They can
not do SO unless they can control the
house of representatives, and through
their representatives in the house, give
expression to their purposes and their
The Republican party is
to the methods now in
In the house of representatives;
the Democratic party is pledged to
such a revision Of the rules as will
bring the popular branch of the federal
government into harmony with the
ideas of those who framed u consti-
tuition and founded our government.
Other Issues Will Be Discussed Later.
"Shall the people rule.Y' 1 repeat, is
declared by our platform to be the
overshadowing question, and as the
campaign progresses, 1 shall take occa-
sion to discuss this question as it man.
ifests itself in other issues; for whether
we consider the tariff question, the
trust question, the railroad question,
the banking question, the labor ques-
ton, the question of Imperialism, the
development of our waterways, or any
other of the numerous problems which
press for solution, We shall find that
the real question involved in each is,
whether the government shall remain
a mere business asset of favor seeking
corporations or be an instrument in
the hands of the people for the ad-
yancement of the common veal.
Democratic Party Has Earned Con-
fidence.
If the voters are satisfied with the
record Of the Republican party and
with It's management of public affairs
we can not reasonably ask for a
change in administration; if, however,
the voters feel hat the people. as a
whole, have too little influence in shap-
ing the policies Of the government; if
they feel that great combinations of
mpital have ~encroached upon the
rights Of the masses, and employed the
instrumentalities of government to Sc
cure an unfair share of the total wealth
produced, then We have a right to ex-
pect a verdict against the Republican
party and in favor Of the Democratic
party; for our party has risked defeat
aye, suffered defeat-in its effort to
rou the conscience of the public and
to bring about that very awakening to
which Mr.. Taft has referred.
Only those are worthy to be entrust-
ed with leadership in a great cause
who are willing to die for it, and the
Democratic party has proven it's WORTH
ness by its refusal to purchase victory
by delivering the people into the hands
Of those who have despoiled them. In
this contest between Democracy on the
n side and plutocracy on the other.
the Democratic party has taken Its po-
sition on the side of equal rights, and
invites the opposition of those who use
politics to secure special privileges and
governmental favoritism. Gauging the
progress Of the nation, not by the hap
piness or wealth or refinement of a
few, but "by the prosperity and adj
vancement of the average man." the
Democratic party charges the Repub-
lican party with being the promoter Of
present abuses, the e onent Of neces-
sary remedies and the only bulwark of
private monopoly. The Democratic par
ty afirms that in this campaign it is
the only party, having a prospect of
success, which stands for justic. in
government and for equity in the divi-
sion of the fruits Of industry.
Democratic Party Defender of Honest
Wealth.
We may expect those who have COM
mitted larceny by law and purchased
immunity with their political influence,
to attempt to raise false issues. and to
employ "the livery of Heaven" to con-
ceal their evil purposes, but they "a
no longer deceive. The Democratic
party is not the enemy of any legiti-
mate industry or of honest accumula-
tons. 1t is, or the contrary, a friend
of industry and the steadfast protector
Of that wealth which represents a serv-
ice to society. The Democratic party
does not seek to annihilate all corpora
lions; 1t simply asserts that as the gov
eminent creates corporations, it must
retain the power to regulate and to
control them, and that it should not
permit any corporation to convert itself
into a monopoly. Surely we should
have the cooperation Of all legitimate
corporations in our effort to protect
business and industry from the odium
which lawless combinations of capita
will, If unchecked, cast upon them
Only by the separation of the goot
from the bad can the good be made
secure
Not Revolution, but Reformation.
The Democratic party seeks not revo-
luton but reformation, and l need
hardly remind the student of history
that cures are mildest when applied at
once; that remedies increase in severity
as their application is postponed. Blood
poisoning may be stopped by the loss
Of a finger today; it may cost an arm
tomorrow or a life the next day. So
poison in the body polite can not be
removed too soon, for the evils pro-
duced by 1t increase with the lapse of
time. That there are abuses which
need to be remedied, even the Repub-
lican candidate admits; that his party
Is unable I remedy them, has been
fully demonstrated during the last ten
years. l have such confidence in the
intelligence as well as the patriotism
of the people, that 1 can not doubt their
readiness to accept the reasonable re-
forms which our party proposes, rather
than permit the continued growth of
existing abuses to hurry the country on
to remedies more radical and more
drastic.