The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1908-08-14

Notification Committee: I can not ac-
cept the nomination which you official
'ly tender, without first acknowledging
my deep Indebtedness to the Democrat
ic party for the extraordinary honor
which it has conferred upon me. Hav-
ing twice before been candidate for
the presidency, in campaigns which
ended In defeat third nomination, the
result of the free and voluntary act of
the voters Of the party, can only be ex-
planned by a substantial and undis,
puted growth in the principles and pol
icies for which I, with a multitude Of
others, have contended. AS these prin-
ciples and policies have given me what
ever political strength I possess, the
action of the convention not only re-
news my faith in them, but strengthens
my attachment to them.
A Platform Is Binding.
shall, in the near future, prepare
more formal reply to your notification,
and, in that letter Of acceptance, will
deal with the platform in detail. It is
sufficient, at this time, to assure you
that I am in hearty accord with both
the letter and the spirit Of the plat
form. endorse it in whole and in
part, and shall, if elected, regard its
declarations as binding upon me. And,
may add, a platform is binding as to
Nuh itcf 70 WI of ~
contains. According to the democratic
idea, the people think for themselves
and select officials to carry out their
wishes. The voters are the sovereigns;
the officials are the servants, employed
for fixed time and at stated salary
and to do it in the way the sovereigns
want it done. Platforms are entirely
in harmony with this democratic idea.
A platform announces the party's po-
sitiOn on the questions which are at is
sue; and an official is not at liberty to
use the authority vested in him to
urge personal views which have not
been submitted to the voters for their
approval. If one is nominated upon
platform which is not satisfactory to
him, he must, If candid, either decline
the nomination, or, in accepting it, pro-
pose an amended platform in lieu of
the one adopted by the convention. No
such situation, however. confronts your
candidate, for. the platform upon which
was nominated not only contains
nothing from which I dissent, but it
specifically outlines all the remedial
legislation which we can hope to Sc
cure during the next four years.
Republican Challenge Accepted.
The distinguished statesman who re-
ceived the Republican nomination for
president said, in his notification
speech: 'The strength of the Republican
cause in the campaign at hand is the
fact that we represent the policies es-
Sential to the reform of known abuses,
to the continuance of liberty and true
prosperity, and that we are determined,
as our platform unequivocally declares,
to maintain them and carry them on"
In the name Of the Democratic party,
accept the challenge, and charge that
the Republican party is responsible for
all the abuses which now exist in the
federal government, and that it is i'm
potent to accomplish the reforms which
are imperatively needed. Further, I
can not concur in the statement that
the Republican platform unequivocally
declares for the reforms that are nee
oSSarv. on tho onpfrorv, r n "a W., tbof a.
openly and VIGOROUSLY disappoints the
hopes and expectations of reformers,
whether those reformers be Republic
ans or Democrats. So far did the Re
publican convention fall short of its
duty that the Republican candidate felt
it necessary to add to his platform in
several important particulars, thus re-
buking the leaders of the party, upon
whose cooperation he must rely for
the enactment Of remedial legislation.
AS 1 shall, In separate speeches, dis
cuss the leading questions at issue,
shall at this time confine myself to the
paramount question, and to the far
reaching purpose Of our party, as that
purpose is set forth in the platform.
Shall the People Rule?
Our platform declares that the over
shadowing issue which manifests itse
In all the questions now under discus
sion, is 'Skall the people ruler" No
matter which way we turn; no matter
to what subject we address ourselves,
the same question confronts us: Shall
the people control their own govern
ment, and use that government for the
protection Of their rights and for the
promotion Of their welfare? or shall
the representatives of predatory wealth
prey upon defenseless public, while
the offenders secure immunity from
subservient officials whom they raise
to power by INSCRIPTIONS methods?
This is the issue raised by the known
abuses" to which Mr.. 2hft refers. :,
Presidents Indictment Against the
Party.
In a message sent to congress last
January, President Roosevelt said,
"The attacks by these great corpora.
tons on the administrations actions
have been given a wide circulation
throughout the country, in the news.
papers and otherwise, by those writer's