The Greeley tribune., 1910-05-26
LET DEMOCRACY CELEBRATE

Il is fortunate for democracy that
Navor Speer Of Denver has At last
besn discreditsG. His recent ln-
precedented effort 20 use the demo-
cratic party and name 20 tuFther
the needs of the utility corporations
has at last been the means OF his
merited undoing.
Let democracy rejoice,
Some unthinking or ultra paru-
sans will seriously differ with this
view but let us reason together.
A party name is To indicate the
particular line OF political ethics 10
which a citizen subscribes and when
that name is used to cover the pro
motion of another or an opposite !
purpose, fraud is intended and
worked upon the busy citizen
The political ethics or what a !
party stands for is determined by |
the platform of principles adopted |
by such party and published 10 the |
world by its regular national and
state conventions and when the or
ganization in any state county or
municipality seeks TO eyade those
principles and substitute others, or
worse yet. seeks TO promote the op-
posite line OF ethics, Ii then |
becomes cause for party rejoicing q
when that local organization be
comes defeated-by whatever means q
Such was the attitude and has b
been the attitude OF the Denver 5
democracy for many years past, as "a
Jed and manipulated by Mayor =
Speer. Here let US give the devil I
his dues 1T was not Speer alone. a
but it was Republican Corporation
Boss Evans who always guided the II
invisible lines which directed the q
actions OF the crafty mayor u
Let us summarize: 81
For many years democracy has =
nationally stood for that broader in ~
erpretation of representative gov q,
.rnment. known as the initiative n
md referendum. Mayor Speer tried
~ speech and strategy to defeat a
hat and other equally important r,
)lanks in the state convention. and NJ
lfter their adoption and his further T
epeated pledgings to support the n,
MEASURE into form of a constitution N
j amendment. he and his direct line n
# political influence. ridiculed and a
vent the very limit in causing the N
ate legislature TO betray their q,
'ledges for enactment The initia-
i've and referendum is party tenet
md the Denver City democracy,
uled Cyisibly) by Mayor Speer. op-
,osed it to the extent OF printed bal a
ot instructions Y
The official recall is democracy 5
-educed TO a political science-the
anne as We all exercise in the direc- /.
ION of our daily business affairs. 1t a
not only democratic. but the n
oundest kind of political logic. "
boxing TO honest government. b
very means known TO INSCRIPTIONS 81
1nning ard lavish expenditure of Fl
honey were used by Speer to com
ass its defeat. C,
Municipal ownership of public Il
srvice utilities is another demo- II
-atic tenet the nation over and is in t;
Ir state platform. yet Mayor Speer il
as for years used the democratic il
anne and organization in the city v
Denver to defeat municipal own y
rship of such utilities and has as
sted in the deliberate theft of two r
aluable franchises in that city a
hich have since been bounded for o
5O,o00.0 900 incr. ase on the basis j.
the stolen goods and the people I
: Denver must pay dividends en- d
hat fifty million dollars for twenty f.
ears to come. S
Instead of that course being mo- y
ratio. il can only be chal act " ID h
$ devilish. Mayor Speer oplcsti I
he amendment for the city 10 &C. /
uire the water works and wen. tho /
INIT in support of the water ,r L. I
any's franchise which would ls e
obbed the people of fifty NJ. ilns /
more in the next twenty year and
hen permitted of no relief
These three reforms were crn- st.
,ntly democratic and it was -yor I
speer's duty to support them or
abandon the name and party flag