The Democratic banner. (Mt. Vernon, Ohio) 1898-192?, 1912-08-23

government to grant. under the guise
of taxation, to any class Of citizens or
to any member Of society special privi-
leges which are not granted to every
other class and to every other member
Of society.
The social condition which we call
Democracy and which finds Its avenue
Of expression at the polls through our
party Is unalterably opposed to special
privilege. whether granted by the law
or seized by ruthless ambition. 1t Is
true the mother of all special privilege
is the high protective tariff. All who
voted the Democratic ticket at the last
presidential election were unalterably
opposed to this system Of unjust taxa.
ton, and sufficient number Of those
who voted the Republican ticket were
likewise convinced Of its iniquity
to make an overwhelming majority
against 1t. Save favored few. all
were agreed that relief. to a greater or
less extent. should be afforded to the
people from the unjust exactions Of
this system. All knew that we could
not educate people Of America indls.
criminately. enlarge their Views Of
life and happiness and then by the high
cost Of living deprive them Of their
pleasures without making Of American
life a seething caldron Of discomfort.
theoretically speaking. therefore. the
majority Of votes. having put n party
in power upon a platform pledged to
relieve the people Of these burdens. has
been ruling under constitutional lin.
itations. But this is not so. lmme.
diately after the election the minority
became the majority in the sense that
It assumed control Of legislation with
reference to special privilege. All the
members OF the Democratic party and
all the protesting members of the Re-
publican party have been In the minor
ity when 1t came to counting votes
where the count fixed the cost of living
1t may be said that this Is mere acci.
dent Of politics, IA single illustration.
and that IL will not occur again. But
IL Is no accident. II Is only one OF
many illustrations. II simply discloscs
the utter folly of man remaining a
member of party when the party
policy ceases to voice his inner spirit.
The Republican party does not recede
now from its protective theory. Its re-
turn to power will mean again the
rule Of minority. and the theoretical
idea Of Democracy will continue to be
the practical aristocracy Of special
privilege in this country.
Easy For the Voter.
The voter who cannot satisfy him.
self this year is indeed censorlous.
Eliminating the verbiage Of platforms.
taking their substance and viewing
the candidates placed on them. the
voter who believes that the cost Of
! production ut home and abroad should
be eQualized to the manufacturer Of
this country and who wants an OIL
garchy to rule may vote the straight
Republican ticket: the voter who be.
lieves In a similar protective theory,
but who prefers to an oligarchy that
the president shall be the state. may
vote the Progressive ticket; the voter
who believes this government should
be turned into socialism may vote
the Socialistic ticket: the voter who
thinks that church ami state are not
separate In America and that the peO.
pie have right to settle religious
questions and to determine by ballot
what is good and what Is bad may
vote the Prohibition ticket. and all
those who insist that It is not the busi-
ness Of government to equalEe the
cost of production ut home and abroad
to the manufacturer until 1t equalizes
the difference In the purchase price to
the consumer at home and abroad,
who believes that the only equallza.
tiOn Justi6able In our government Is
the equalization Of opportunity. who
thinks that public Office Is a public
trust. who does not believe that dis.
gruntled and defeated politicians are
genuine reformers and who think that
reforms nre not born with sore toes
may vote the Democratic ticket.
respectfully urge all those who are
opposed to special privilege to ally
themselves this year with the historic
Democracy. the cornerstone OF whose
editlce IL the Declaration of Independ
ence and the keystone Of which Is the
Golden Rule. At Baltimore 1t proved
Its right to be, because there II arose
and hy tn proposed policy met the
needs and wants Of people. Am
to be met with the statement that re-
cults like those Of the past four years
night just as well have been produced
under Democratic supremacy? This
deny. The kingdom Of Democracy
like the kingdom Of heaven. Is within
us. II comes not by observation. II Is
a living. growing. vital principle. II Is
rs essential to the life Of the man who
Is a Democrat as pure air or pure
blood, The power to resist lying is moi
in the mouth but In the heart Of man
His power to resist larceny and muir
der Is not In his fingers. Democrats
like poets. are born. not made. They
are born with the fixed. unalterable be
lief that God made all men. not some
men; that all men are entitled to an
honest chance In life. unhampered mud
unharmed by law or custom. We may