The Mathews journal. (Mathews C.H. [Court House]) 1903-1937, 1911-04-20
WANTS TO KNOW
DEMOCRATS CREED
Legislation in the Dark and Law
Making by Committee, BE De-
clares, Are the Growing
Evils of the Pres
ent Day.

il declares against in a general cam
paign for the rights of the. people"
Governor Woodrow Wilson. of New
Jersey. in an address to the National
League of Democratic Clubs, at their
banquet here alst night. set forth the
objects of the party as he believed
they exist and should be stated.
Governor Wilson said in part:
We are fond OF speaking of our
selves as the party OF Jefferson and
Jackson, not because we are a party
of old men, reminiscent of things gone
by, and in love with what has been
but because we are a party touched
with the ideals which made these
men great, whose names we recall
with such reverence and enthusiasm
because the breath of our party'S life
is its utter faith in the principles Of
Democracy. 1t is its devotion to the
rights of the people of whatever class
or degree as against all claims of
privilege, as against all Selfsh-vested
interests which seek control instead
OF freely serving the life and develop
ment of the nation.
1t is so far from being a Darty of
mere "Reminiscences, a party which
tries to draw the country back TO pol
icieS which belong to another time
TO the circumstances of another age
that ii is above all others. a YOUNG
mans party, because a party OF move
ment. of readjustment, a party that
presses toward the future with un-
shaken faith, with unwavering conf
dence and ever renewed hopes and
aspirations for the principles OF free
oom, which are none other than the
principles OF opportunity. the prin-
ciples of men not made, but on the
make, struggling from achievement
to achievement in a free exercise OF
their powers.
These things were embodied ia Jef
ferson. the thoughtful, phiIosophical
penetrating thinker for mankind. and
in the rugged Jackson, who seemed
TO cut his way toward the rights bV
rough instinct and the mere energy
OF an honest, indomitable nature: and
so we see embodied in them the two
sldes or Democracy. its thoughtfulness
It's vision of hope, its confidence in the
progress and liberation of mankind
and linked with these it's force as Of
the common people, it's Astounding en-
| ergy outside as well as within the field
OF cultivated thought. Democracy is
not mere theory OF government 1t
I Is an energy of life dwelling in the
rank and file, interpreted once and
again by great leaders. but not CON
fined TO their private cult and under
standing. It's blood is the blood Of the
people. Its purposes are the purposes
shared by all mankind. It's hopes are
the hopes OF all rational. civilization
what Is the Democratic Crecd9
Ihis is the day upon which we utter
our creed and renew our views IL be-
moves us to ask ourselves what our
creed Is, and to answer the question
without subtletly or sophisticatior. in
the plain terms of everyday life We
must state our creed in the concrete
not ia the Distract. Our thoughts
run back, Of course, to the ayreai
declaration Of Independence. which
Jefferson gave us, but we cannot sion
Win mat The Declaration Of Inde-
pcnoSnCe ala not mention the diles-
tions or our day. It's a mere start
ing point Tor our thoughts. IL is of no
consequence TO us unless we can trans
iate It's general terms into examines
OF the present day and substitute them
IN some vital way for the examples
II itself gives. so concrete so int5-
HateIy involved in the circumstances
or the day in which il was conceivn6
ana written. IL is an eminentIy prac-
eicaI document. meant for the use Of
practlcal men; not thesis for
philosophers, but a whip for fvra MS.
not a theory of government. but y
program OF action. Unless we can
translate II into the questions of orr
own DAY we are not worthy Of il. we
are not sons of the sires who acted i'm
resi- onse 10 its challenge.
, We say that we are against priv
IiSSe ana Tor the rights of the peo
PIe. out privilege has worn manv
forms. What is the especial form Of
privilege we now fight? How doas a.
cndanger the rights of the neoDIe Qua
"itt DO We mean to do in order 10
ma * our contest against It effectuai9
w NAT are TO be the items of our new
declaration of Independence
by privilege as we now fight it, we
mean control Of the law. of leeisIa
ton and adjudication, by ergnniza-
lions which do not represent the peo-
PIE, Dy means which are private and
seIhsh and worthy of all condemna-
uon. We mean specifically the con
NH aff as,-
OF our legislation in the interest OF
Speclal bodies of capital and those
VINO organize their use we mean
the alliance for this purpose of no
htical machines with the captains of
organized industry. We mean che av-
ploitation OF the people bv teal I'D
political means. We have seen orr
Government under these Influences
cease to be representative govern
ments. cease to be governments rem.
resentative of the people. ard become.
governments representative of tbe
special interests. controlled bv M
chines which in their turn are nor
controlled by the people
Attacking System, Not rIen.
we are not attacking men, we are
attacklng a system. The men are.
most OF them. honest. The great MAJ
Jority OF them believe that i'm serving
their own they are serving the in,
terests OF the country at large Their
conception of prosperity is that it will
oest proceed and gather under their
management. They are wiiIing-In-
deed. they are anXious-that the PEG.
pie should share in 1t, but it must
originate with them and be under
their experienced control They stand
at the wrong point OF view; they seek
their objects, not by public argument.
but by private management and ar
rangement; by influence. not, by open
political process.
They are serving, served and assist
ed not only by the political machines
that is. by the political organizes
tions, which put men into office and
into our legislatures-bu also by our
present methods OF legislation Leg
lslation, as we nowadays conduct It.
Is not conducted in the open. 1t is
not threshed out in open debate
upon the floors of our assemblies. IT
is on the contrary. framed, digested
and concluded in committee rooms.
1t is in committee rooms that IegisIa-
ton not desired by the interests dies.
1t is in committee rooms that iegis-
! lation desired by the interests ia