The sun., 1908-09-16

pupHO ofIlCo iHpeuC9 atpeT Hlb olcytiOu "
use the power and patronage OF his offioe
to effect radical changes In existing laws
whether these changes be called reforms
or not, he should consult the electorate
about these matters In advance, so tha'
they may cast their votes intell!gently
GROVER CLEVELAND
Since the last Democratic State con-
vention one OF our great leaders has
passed away, but although dead Grover
Cleveland yet speaketh both by example
and precept. Who among us can be
unswerying devotion to true Demooratic
principles and to duty as he saw II. ano
who can willingly adopt lower standard
than his OF patriotic servIcey Inc
Democratic party has no doubt MADE
mistakes in the past. and viii make mis-
takes in the future. but it can never die
because II is the natural exponent OF the
hopes and wishes Of the toiling mass q
in their eternal struggle against class
privilege and greed The closer II gets
to the hearts Of the people the greater
becomes its influence for good.
THE REPUBLICAN, PANIC.
After being buffeted about for days,
amid wild waves and beneath leaden
skies, a prudent mariner takes advantage
Of the first sunlight to ascertain how iar
he has been driven from his course. Dur
ing the past year the American people
have been buffeted about amid wild waves
and beneath leaden skies. Since the
panic Of last fall poverty has knocked
at many a door which never before
opened to such an unwelcome guest.
There Is an army OF able bodied
in the great State Of New York. AT no
time in our industrial history has the i'm
mediate business outlook. particularly
from the standpoint Of organized labor
seemed so dark. What can be done by
the Democratic party In the great En-
pire State to restore confidence and hasten
the return of general prosperityr This
IL a great question and one OF absorb
ing interest
Since the days when our great leader
Jefferson, who was 30 strong with the
people because he loved and believed
In them, carried the Democratic STAN
dard to victory against the Federalists
our party has always stood for the largest
possible measure Of personal and economic
liberty. We are therefore asking our
countrymen to worship no strange gods,
nor attempting to teach them any new
doctrine when we contend that the great
est happiness OF the largest number can
be best secured under a government
strictly confined within the orbit OF simple
and constitutional laws which restrict
as little as possible the personal and COO
nomio liberty Of the citizen.
cAPBIcIoUs DEsPoTIsM.
A capricious despotism is hateful to
Americans, even II the deepot be intelli-
gent and benevolent. The delegation
Of legislative authority. whether to in
dividuals or commissions, 10 probably
unconstitutional, but whether this be
90 or not it Is hateful to q free
people, 1t is bad enough for the
Legislature itself to pass two or
most of which are unnecessary and many
Of which are positively vicious. without
setting up bureaucracies to exercise legis-
lative authority when the Legislature
itself is not in session. But government
by the delegation Of legislative author
ity is not only hateful to the people
but it leads to gross extrayagainoe gsiao
Given important discretionary. powers
affecting property rights. which may
or may not be exercised at the
pleasure Of an individual or a COM
mission, and sooner or later bribery and
corruption will control official action.
But more serious still Ia the destruction
Of the principle Of home rule. which
irresponsible commissions to which have
been delegated the powers Of State will
in the end accomplish.
HUGHES TOO INDEPENDENT.
1t would have been difficult for the
Republican party to have chosen a oandi-
date for Governor (assuming Gov.
Hu ghes Is nominatedD whose personality
would have presented in clearer relief
the essential distinction between the
Republican and the Democratic theories
Of government. We are informed by
the public press that the Governor re-
luotantly consented to accept renomi-
nation because he considered that his
work Of reform was not yet finished. The
Governor apparently considers 1t wholly
unnecessary to consult the people in
advance about his legislative plans. He
even seems to consider it unnecessary to
consult his party associates about these
plans. His mental attitude toward the
voters Ia that of a ruler who thinks that
he knows better what is good for them
than they do themselves and therefore
declines t. consult them, because II they
knew In advance OF the election the good
things he intended to do for them they
might be foolish enough. to disapproys
opponent defeat II.
The example Of personal government
at the Federal Capitol has been closely
followed at the State Capitol, and the
vital question in this election, both national
and State. is whether the people want to
govern themselves or be governed by
public servants. in violation Of the great
Is the cornerstone OF American political
life.
The Democratic party has ever been
the upholder and defender OF the Consti-
tuition, State and Federal. which we justly
revere as a stable charter Of right. which
II adhered to will safely guide the ship
OF State. We can therefore confidently
appeal to such Of our oountrymen as
revere and respect a written and
we'll defined constitution as the
safeguard OF our peace. our liberty
and our happiness. There is at present
no good reason why every Democrat
should not rally to the support of his
party, or why Independent Republicans
should not join us in the effort to regain
by constitutional means political and
industrial liberty and restore the right
Of the people to rule
DEMOCRACY OUT OF THE WOODS.
Let US remember. however, in order TO
bring strayed sheep back into the fold
or induce those outside to come in we
must 90 forward mindful Of the best
traditions Of the past and true to the
best ideals and aspirations Of the party,
which under the leadership Of men like
Tilden and Cleveland was equal to the
task of correcting known abuses in
State and nation without destroying or
imperilling the stability of the funda-
mental principles upon which our gov
ernmental structure rests and which
furnish the only sure and safe guarantee
OF our life, liberty and property,
Employing (but not following literally
the language Of an independent Journal:
Stripped Of Its false and mischief
breeding alliances and no longer at