Barbour County index. [volume] (Medicine Lodge, Kan.) 1880-current, 1908-11-04
FROM THE
COMMONER
MIR. BRYAN'S PAPER
THE FIRST VOTER.

Young man, great responsibility at
taches to your first vote. AS you be-
gin, so you are likely to continue. The
momentum that carries you into a
party at the beginning of your politi-
cal life is apt to keep you in that
party unless some CONFUSION shakes
you out of it. Start right, and in
order that you may start right, exam
inc the principles of the parties and
the policies which they advocate
There are two great party organiza-
tons in the United States, one 80
years old, and the other more than a
century old The Republican party
has been in power almost uninterrupt-
eddy for more than half century, and
under its reign abuses have grown up
which threaten the perretuity of the
government and endanger our civil
iZation. So great are these abuses
that Republican reformers are now
| pointing out that something must be
done-and what can be done? The
first thing is to undo the things that
have been done, and the party to
undo these abuses is not the party
which has done them, but the party
which has protested against these
abuses and pointed out remedies.
The Republican party has turned
the taxing pOwec over to private indi-
viduals; it has allowed monopolies to
grow up and assume control of the
industries of the country by granting
! privileges by law and by giving immu-
nifty to the large violators of the law;
the Republican party has permitted
the fortunes of the predatory rich to
become so large that government is
corrupted, politics debauched and
business polluted.
The Democratic party proposes to
withdraw the taxing power from pr;-
vate hands, to so legislate as to make
a private monopoly impossible, and to
enforce the law without discrimina-
ton. 1t proposes to protect legitimate
wealth and punish those who attempt
to plumber the public for private gain
On which side do you stand, young
man? Are you with the masses in
! their effort TO restore the government
to its old foundation and make it a
government OF the people, for the peo-
pie and by the people, or are you with
the Republican leaders in their eff
fort TO perpetuate the p~r,y in power
by selling immunity in return for
campaign contributions?
There are always two parties i'll the
country, and one is necessarily nearer
to the people than the other In this
country the Democratic party is near
er to the people than the Republican
party. Its leaders have more faith
in the people and are more anxious to
keep the government under the con-
troll of the people. Take the election
of United States senators by the peo-
pie as test. The Democrats want
TO give to the voters chance to elect
and to control their representatives in
the United States senate The Dem.
ocratic party in the house of repre-
sentatives passed the first resolution
for the submission of the necessary
constitutional amendment. They did
this eight years before any Repub
lican congress did it. The Democratic
party has thrice demanded this re
form in its national platform. The
Republican party has not done so
Why do Democratic leaders insist
upon this reform and Republican lead
ers oppose it? There can be but one
answer-the Democratic party is near
er to the people than the Republican
party. Young man, will you stand
with the people or against them?
The answer to this question affects
your country. Ii you are with the
people your influence. be it great OF
small, will hasten their victory. II
you are against the people, your in
1uence may Tetard that victory Bur
while in the first instance it is youl
country that may gain or lose by
your action, you must remember thai
in the long run your own position il
politics will depend upon your con
duct. You cannot fool the people al
ways. You may lead them astray i
you dare, but they will punish yor
when they find you out You may
work for the people without their rec
ognizinS it at first. but you can trus
them to discover the character of YOU
work and to reward you accordingly
II all the men guilty of trust connec
tons were retired from active partici
patton in the management of the G. o
p. campaign, the rooms of the Repub
lipan national nOp,pniffaa mould rosa,,,