The Democrat-sentinel. [volume] (Logan, Ohio) 1906-1935, 1908-08-20

Mr.. Clayton and Gentlemen Of the
Notification Committee: l can not ac-
cept The nomination which you oflicial-
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 a candidate for
the presidency, in campaigns which
ended in defeat, third nomination, the
result of the free and voluntary act of
planned by substantial and undis-
puted growth in the principles and pol
icies for which l, with 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. 1t is
sufficient, at this time, to assure you
that | 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, Il platform is binding as to
what 1t omits as well as to what it
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
to do what the sovereigns want done,
and to do 1t in the way the sovereigns
want it done. Platforms are entirely
in harmony with this democratic idea.
platform announces the party's po-
sition OH 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 a
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, confrents your
candidate, for the platform upon which
! was dominated 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,
I accept the challenge, and charge that
the Republican party is responsible for
all the abuses which now exist in the
federal government, ana that it is i'm
potent to accomplish the reforms which
are imperatively needed. Further,
can not concur in the statement that
the Republican platform unequivOcally
declares for the reforms that are nec-
essary; on the contrary, l affirm that it
openly and notoriously disappCints the
hopes and expectations of reformers,
whether those rcformers he Republic
ans or Democrats. So far did the Re
publican convention fall short of its
duty that the Republican candidate felt
1t necessary to add to his platform in
several important particulars, thus re-
bukiuS the leaders of the party, upon
whose cooperation he must rely for
the enactment of remedial legislation.
AS ! shall, In separate speeches, dis
cllss the ealing questions at issue, l
shall at this time conline myself to the
reaching purpose of our party as that
farpose IL set forth in the platform.
Shall tho People Ruler
OW platform declares that the over
yhadowing issue which manifests itself
In all the questions now under discus
sion, is "Shall the people rule" 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 q defenseless public, while
The Offenders secure immunity from
subseryient officials whom they raise
10 power by INSCRIPTIONS methods?
This is the issue raised by the known
abuses" to which Mr.. Taft refers.
Presidents Indictment Against tho
Party.
In message sent to congress last
lanuary President Roosevelt said:
y" ,"le attacks by these great corpora
lions \pn the Administrations actions
have bsen given wide circulation
country, In the news
oapers and otherwise. by those writer's
and sneakers who, consciously or un-
act az the representatives
of predatory wealth of the wealth ac-
cumulated on giant scale by all forms
Of iniquity, ranging from the oppres-
sion of wage earners To unrair ana un-
wholesome methods of crushing out
and to defrauding the
nublic by stock -jobbing and the manip-
nlation of securities. Certain wealthy