The Jeffersonian. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1907-1917, 1914-02-05
PAGE EIGHT

ing of this railroad will add to the sum total of
the Nations wealth, if it will open I'D oDpor-
tunltles for the home builder and give employ
ment to the idlers in the contested cities and
mining districts, by all means let the road be
built.
MI President, because I once antagonized the
Popul1st Party, which stood for these things, do
not want to be guilty of that vanity of consistency
which is the vice of small statesmen The Popu-
lists favored in their platform a great many
things which [ approved then and all progressive
Democrats favor now. / agreed with them on the
money question, and l still think the Popuists
were right. believe in the provision which the
Senate borrowed from the Populists and incor-
porated in the banking and currency bill which
authorizes the issue of bank currency on agri-
cultural securities. agree with Populists on the
question of graduated income tax, and our tariff
bill would have been greatly improved if we had
followed more closely the Populst text on that
subject. | believe in the postal savings bank
winch the Populists in their platform demanded
L believe in the Government ownership of tele-
phones and telegraphs the extension of the par
Gel post to the end that it may ultimately take
the place of the express companies, all of which
the Popul1sts demanded; | believe in shortening
the hours of labor, which the Populists demanded;
| believe also, with all my heart, in the initia-
tive, the referendum, and the recall, which the
POpuliStS demanded. And in this connection. if
I may be permitted to divert a moment | believe
that one of the reasons for the success of the
present administration has been due more largely
to the fact that the Government has been carried
closer to the people. The election of United
States Senators by the people has been influential
in producing harmony in the Democratic ranks
and the enactment of legislation for the universal
good.
[ believe in limiting presidential tenure to one
term, another POpulist demand the wisdom of
which the national Democratic convention at
Baltimore approved and recognized. I am
opposed to subsidy by the National Government
to private corporation of any character and in
that am only Voieng of the planks in the
Omaha platform. l believe with the Populists
that laws should be enacted to prevent dealing in
future in agricultural products, and this Senate
by an amendment to the tariff bill last fall
Endorsed that Populist demand.
In fact, Mr.. President, the Populist creed
which has been much criticized, that platform
of principles which they proclaimed at Omaha,
has been appropriated by the Democrats and
stolen by the Progressiyes. Really the creed of
that much despised and criticized political minor
ity has now become, to very large extent the
political faith of the Nation.
Actuated by the same motives which shall impel
me to vote for this BILL hope at some time in
the very near future to ask the Senate to enact
law which will require the United States Govern
ment to take hold and manage the great Missis-
sippi River protect it's banks, deepen it's chan
mel, increase and encourage commerce between
the States and protect the fertile lands lying on
it's banks from the devastation of an annual over
flow.