Newspapers / The Courier (Asheboro, N.C.) / Aug. 20, 1908, edition 1 / Page 2
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BOVflfJ ACCEPTS In Hearty Accord With Platform. SHALL THE PEOPLE RULE That Is the Overshadowing Question. REPUBLICANS RESPONSIBLE. Ill Present Abuses a Result cf Their Acts, and They Are Im potent to Correct Then. Mr. Clayton ami Gentlemen of the tVotilioatiuu Committee: I can uot ac cept the nomination which you otlicial ly tender, without tirst acknowledging my deep indebtedness t tho Democrat ic party for the extraordinary honor i which It has conferred upon me. Ilav- lag twice before been a candidate for the presidency, lu campaigns which ended In defeat, a third nomination, tho result of the free and voluntary act of the vters of the party, can only 1 ex plained by a substantial and undis puted growth lu the principles and pol icies for which I, with a multitude of others, have coutended. 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 lu them, but strengtlu-ud xny attachment to them. A Platform Is Binding. I shall, lu the near future, prepare a more formal reply to your uotilieaUou, nnd, iu that letter of acceptance, will deal with the platform in detail. It te eufneicut, at this time, to assure you that I am in hearty accord with lnh the letter and the spirit of the plat form. I endorse It la whole and l:i part, and shall, if elected, regurd its declarations as binding upon me. And, I may add. a platform is binding tus to .what It omits as well as to wtuit it coutalns. According to the democratic idea, the people think for thou wives and select uiBctals to carry out their wishes. The voters are the sovereigns; the otlieiais are tin; servants, employed for a fixed time nnd at a stated salary to do what the sovereigns want done, and to do It iu the way the sovereigns want rt done. Platforms are entirely lu harmony with tula democratic Idea. A platform announces the party's po sition on the questions which are at is sue; aiid au otlicial Is not at liU'rty to use the authority vested In him to urge personal views which have not been submitted to the vo'.i-rs for their approval. If one Is nomluated upon a platform which Is not satisfactory to him, ho must, if candid, either divllno the nomination, or, in accepting it, pro pose an amended platform lu lieu of the one adopted by the convention. No such situation, however, confronts your candidate, for the platform upon which I was nominated not only contain nothing from which I dissent, but it specifically outlines all the remedial legislation which we can hope to se cure during the next four years. Republican Challenge Accepted. The distinguished statesman who re celved the Republican nomination for president said, lu bis notl:ie::t: n speech: "The strength of thelb-pnbllean cause in the campaign at hau l Is the fact that we represent the policies es sential to the reform of known abuses, to the continuance of liberty anil true prosperity, and that we are determined, as our platform unequivocally declares, to maintain them and carry them on." Iu the name of the I omocratic party. I accept the challenge, nnd charge that the Ropuhii-.-m party Is responsible for all the a'Hise.s which now exist in the federal government, and that It Is im poteut to accomplish the reforms which are Imperatively needed. Further, I can not concur In the statement that the Republican platform unequivocally declares for the reforms that are nec essary; on the contrary, I nfiirm that It openly and notoriously disappoints the hopes and expectations of reformers, whether those reformers be Republic ans or Democrats. So far did the Re publican convention fall short of Its duty that the Republican candidate felt It necessary to add to his platform in several important particulars, thus re buking the leaders of the party, upon .whoso co-operation he must rely for the enactment of remedial legislation. I As I shall, in separate speeches, dis cuss the leading questions at Issue, I shall at this time confine myself to the paramount question, and to the far reaching purpose of our party, as that purpose Is set forth in the platform. Shall the People Rule? . Oar platform, declares that the over shadowing 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 coufrouts 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 n defenseless public, while the offenders secure Immunity from subservient officials whom they raise to power by unscrupulous methods? This is the Issue raised by the "knowu abuses" to which Mr. Taft refers. President's Indictment Agsinst the Party. In ft message sent to congress last January, President Roosevelt said: I "The attacks by these great corpora-1 timis on the administration's actions , have been given a wide circulation! throughout the country. In the news-! papers and otherwise, by those writers' and speakers who, consciously or un- j consciously, act as the representatives i of predatry wealth of the wealth nc-j cumulated mi a giant scale by all forms j of iniipiity, ranging from the oppres- j sioii of wage earners to unfair and un-j wholesome methods of crushing out j competition, and to defrauding thej public by stock-Jobbing and the manip ulation of securities. Certain wealthy -men of this stamp, whose condui t ! should be abhorrent to every man of j ordinarily decent conscience, and who; commit the hideous wrong of teaching oc.r young men that phenomenal bust- ' ness success must ordinarily be based on dishonesty, have, during the last few months, made It apparent that, they have banded together to work for a reaction. Their endeavor Is to overthrow and discredit all who hen-' est!y administer the law. to pre. e:tt any additional legislation whl h ' 1 che. k avd restrain them, and to Koeiire. if possible, a freedom from all re- 1 straint which wl'l permit every c-i scrupulous wrong-doer to do what lie. wishes urn-hocked, provided he his oriough money."- What mi nrralgnti t,f the predatory Interests; Is the president's IndU tment true? And, if true, against whom win the indictment direct. si? Not against the Democratic party. Mr. Taft Endorses the Indictment. Mr. Taft s.ivs that these evils have ! crept In during the lat ten years, lie ; de 'hires that. ib-.rlng this time, some ! "prominent ar.d intluont ial members i of the community, spurred by financial ( success and in their hurry for greater I wealth, b.vame unmindful of the com mon rules of business honesty and j fidelity, and of the limitations imposed 1 by law upon their actions!" and that j ''the revelations of the breaches of I trusts, the disclosures as to rebates j and discriminations by railroads, the I accumulating evidence of the viola 1 tlotis of the anti-trust laws, by a r.uni- ber of e..rp. .rations, and the over-issue i f stocks ar.d bonds of Interstate rail- I roads for the unlawful enriching of di- j ! rectors ni'.d for the purpose of concert-, trating the control of the railroads un- j j tier otic management." nil these, he; 1 charge. ';:!. io-m-d the conscience of I the people and brought on a moral i awakening." I During all this time. I Ne to remind I you. Republican ohVials presided in the l executive department, tilled the caU ; : i:n", dominated the senate, controlled I the house of representatives and occii- , I pled most of the federal judgeships. . Four years ago the Republican plat '. i form boastfully declared that sin.',-. l-Mlu -wIth the exception of two years - the Republican party had lveu in on- j trot of part or ..f all the branches of 1 tin' federal government; that for two ' years "tily was the I icmoeratio .arty in a position to cither enact or repeal a law. Having drawn the salaries; h:iv- ; Ii.g eni"ed the honors; having secured the prestige, let the Republican party; j accept the res;iiiibility; j Republican Party Responsible. Why were these "known abuses" permitted t. develop,? Why have they ' not i.een corr.s tedr If existing laws j are sutlieler.t. why have they n..t Ix-cn ' enforced? All of the executive ma 1 ehlnery of the federal government is ! in the hands of the Republican party. ! j Are new laws necessary V Why hae: i they not I n enacted? With a Re-; I I ' !ica:i president to recommend, with' ' a ilopulilican senate and house to carry j out his r umiendations. w hy does the j Republican candidate plead for further1 I tin. ! iu which to do w hat should haxei jl i done long ago? ran Mr. Taft i pron.be to be more strenuous lu the. prosectifU.li of wrongdoers than the: j present executive? ( an he ask for a: i larger majority la the senate than his i .arty now has? Does he need more' Republicans i:i the bouse of represent-' atives or a speaker with more unlim-: lt! authority. j Why No Tariff Reform? j The president's close friends have i U'on promising for several years that I he would attack the Iniquities of the tarilT. We have had intimation that I Mr. Taft was restive lin.ler th.. .in. I mands of the highly protect.-! lu dustries. And yet the Influence of the manufacturers, who have for twenty, five years contributed to the Republican campaign fund, and who lu return have framed the tarilT schedules, has been sutlieient to prevent tariff reform. As the present campaign approached, both the president and Mr. Taft de clared In favor of tariff revision, but set the date of revision after the elec tion, liut the pressure brought to bear by the protected Interests has l.oen great enough to prevent any attempt at tariff reform liefore the election; and tie reduction promised after the elec tion is so hedged aljout with qualify ing phrases, that no one cau estlmote with accuracy the sum total of tariff reform to be expected in case of Re publican success. If the past enn be taken as a guide, the Republican party will be so obligated by campaign eon- .ontlons from the beneficiaries of pro tection, as to make that party power less to bring to the country any ma terial relief from tho present tariff burdens. Why No Anti-trust Legislation? A few years ago the Republican lead ers In the house of representatives were coerced by public opinion into the support of an untl-tnist law which hud the endorsement of the president, but the senate refused even to con sider the measure, and since that time no effort has been made by the domi nant party to secure remedial legisla tion upon this subjc t. Why No Railroad Legislation? For ten years the Interstate Com-1 luer. e Commission has been asking for I an enlargement of its powers, that It j might prevent rebates and discrimina tions, but a Republican senate and a I Republican house of representatives : were unmoved by Its entreaties, lu j I'.nui the Republican national conven- lion was urged to endorse the demand i for railway legislation, but its platform was silent on the su&cct. Kveu lu l'.iol the convention gave no pledge to' remedy these abuses. When the presi dent finally asked for legislation he ' drew his Inspiration from three Demo cratic national platforms and be re- j celved more cordial support from the Democrats than from the Republicans. The Republicans iu the senate deliber ately defeated several amendments of ferred by Senator I .a Follette and sup- ported by the Democrats-amendments cmb.-dyiug legisla'ion asked by the In- ! tcrsiate (.'onimetve Commission, one j of these amendments authorized the! Ascertainment of the value of rail roads. This amendment was not only (li'i.ited by the senate, but it was over-I v helming!' rejected by the recent Re- pa! lii au national convention, and the ' Republican candidate has sought to res- j . ..I his party from the disastrous re- I tu'r-i of this act by expressing him- j self. In a qualified way. in favor of asi crt. lining the value f the railroads, j Over-issue cf Stacks and Bonds. ' Mr. Taft complains of the over-Issue of sto.ks and bonds of railroads, "for, the unlawful cmichln; of directors: a;. 1 for the purpose of concentrating' the control of the railroads under one ' management." and the complaint is j w. II fouii !. I. Rut, with a president to j point out the evil, ami a Republican' congress to correct it. we find nothing j dole for the protection of the public, j Why? My honorable opponent has. by l his confession, relieved me of the nc- j eess:ty of furnishing proof; he admits I the condition and he can not avoid the logical conclusion that must be drawn from the admission. There Is no doubt I whatever that a large majority of the voters of the Republican party recog , tih'.e the deplorable, situation whieli Mr Taft describes: they recognize that th. macs have had but little Intlui-nc upon legislation or upon the ml- j ministration of the government, and they arc beginning to understand 1 the cause. For a generation the Re- ! publican party has drawn Its cam ' paign funds from the beneficiaries of j special legislation. Privileges have 1m en pledged and granted in return for money contributed to debauch elec tions. What can be expected when of- j lli ial authority is turned over to the representatives of those who first fur- ! t.lsh the sinews tf war and then reim burse themselves jut of the pockets of the taxpayers? Fasting In Wilderness Necessary. So long as the Republican partv re mains lu power, It is powerless to re- ! generate Itself. It can not attack ' wrong doing In high places without dis- ' gracing many of its prominent mem- i U rs, and if. therefore, uses opiates in- '. stead of the surgeon's knife. Its male- 1 factors construe each Republican vie' tory as an endorsement of their con- ! duct and threaten the party with de- feat if tiny are interfered with. Not! until that party passes through a po- I rlo.l of fasting in the wilderness, will ' the Republican leaders learn to study' public- questions from the standpoint) of the masses. Just as with individ uals, "the cares of this world and the) deceit fulness of riches choke t he t rul h," j so in politics, when party leaders serve ' far away from home and are not in lonstant contact with the voters, con-1 tinned party success blinds their eyes' to the nerds of the people and makes' them d'-af to the cry of distress. j Publicity as to Campaign Contribu tions. ! An effort has been made to secure ' legislation requiring publicity as to' campaign contributions and expend!-! tares; but the Republican leaders, even' in the face .f an indignant public, re-1 fused to cot1M iit to a law which would i compel honesty In elections. When the j injtt.r was brought up iu the recent' Republican national convention, the' p'ank was repudiated by a vote of NSi) j to '... 11, re, too. Mr. Taft has been driven to apologize for his convention and to declare himself iu favor of a ' publicity law; and yet. If you will read what he says upon this subject, you j will tin.l that Ills promise fails far short of the requirements of the situation, lb-says: "If I am elected president. I shall urge upon congress, with every hope of success, that a law be passed requiring the llliug. In a federal office, of a state ment of the contributions received by committees and candidates In elections fT members of congress, and in such other elections as are constitutionally within the coutrol of congress." I shall not embarrass him by asking him upon what he bases his hope of success; It Is certainly not on any en couragement he has received from Re piibllcan leaders. It Is sutlieient to say that if his hopes were realized If, In spite of the adverse action of his con vention, he should succeed In securing the enactment of the very law which he favors, It would give but partial re lief. He has read the Democratic plat form; not only his language, but his evident alarm. Indicates that be has read it carefully. He even had before him the action of the Democratic na tional committee In Interpreting and applying that platform; and yet. hi falls to say that be favors the publica tion of the contributions before the election. Of course. It satlslies a nat ural curiosity to find out how an elec tion has been purchased, even when tho knowledge connn mo late to be of service, but why shmi.d the people I kept in darkness until the election Is past? Why should the locking of the door be dcliied until the horse is golm? An Election a Publio Affair, An election is a public affair. The people, exercising the right to select their otll. lals and to deride upon the policies to be pursued, proceed to their eeveral polling places on eleetlou day and register their will. What excuse cau be given for secrecy as to the In fluences at work? If a man, pecun iarily Interested ill "concentrating the control of the railroads In one manage ment." subscribes a large sum to nld In carrying the eleetlou, why should his part In the campaign be concealed un til he has put the officials under obli gation to him? If a trust magnate contributes .l.kM"l to elect political friends to office, with a view to pre venting hostile legislation, why nhould that fact be concealed until his friends are securely seated In their otlicial po sitions? This Is not a new question: It is a question which lias been agitated -a question which the Republican leaders fully understand - a question which the Republican candidate has studied, and yet he refuses to declare himself In fa vor of the legislation absolutely neces sary, namely, legislation requiring pub 11-atinn before the election. Democratic Party Promises Publicity. How can the people hope to rule. If they are not able to learn until after the election what the predatory Inter ests are doing? The Democratic part meets the issue honestly and couia geotisly. It says: "We pledge the Democratic party to the enactment of n law prohibiting any corporation from contributing to a campaign fund, and any Individual from contributing an amount above a reasonable maximum, and providing for the publication, before election, of all such i-onlrlbutlons alnwe n reason able minimum." The Democratic national committee Immediately proceeded to Interpret and apply this plunk, announcing that u contributions would be received fro"! rorporMtions, that no Individual would be allowed to contribute more than tpin.Ni. and that all contributions above Sloo would be made public be fore the election those received before October 1.". to lie made public on or before that day. those received after ward to be made public on the day when received, nnd no such contribu tions to U accepted within three days of the election. The expenditures are to be published after election. Here Is .1 plan which Is complete and effec tive. Popular Election of Senatora. Next to the corrupt use of money the present method of electing t'nitcd Stales senators is most responsible f'f the obstruction of reforms. For one hundred years after the adoption of the constitution, the demand for the popular election of senators, while find ing increased expression, did not in come a dominant sentiment. A con stltutli.nal amendment had from tinu to time been suggested and the matter had been more or less discussed in a few of the states, but the movement had not reached a point where It man! fested Itself through congressional no tion. In the Fifty-second congress, however, a resolution was report. -.1 from a house committee proposing the necessary constitutional amendment, and this resolution passed the liouso of representatives by a vote which was practically unanimous. In the Fifty-third congress a similar resolu tlon wns reported to. ond adopted by the house of representatives. Roih the Fifty-second and Fifty-third con grosses were Democratic. The Repub licans gained control of the house as a result of the election of Ism nnd In the Fifty-fourth congress the proposi tion died In committee. As time went on. however, tile sentiment grew among the people, until It forced a Republican congress to follow the example set by the Democrats, and then another and another Republican congress acted fa vorably. State after state has endorse 1 this reform, until nearly two-thirds of the states have recorded themselves :i lis favor. The United Slates senate however, iiipudently and arrogantly obstructs the passage of the resolution, notwithstanding the fact that the vot ers of the United States, by an over whelming majority, demand It. And this refusal Is the more significant when it is remembered that a number of senators owe their election to great corporate Interests Three Democrat . national platforms the platforms of lOtni. I'.m-l and P.tOS-speclneally call for a change in the constitution which will put the election of senators In the hands of the voters, and the proposi tion has been endorsed by a number of the smaller parties, but no Repub lican national convention has been willing to champion the cause of th" people on this subject. The siiblect was Ignored by the Republican natioi.nl convention In RMHl; It was Ignored In 1001, and the proposition was explicit ly repudiated In RXiS. for the recent Republican national convention, by n vote of to 114. rejected the pl-ink endorsing the popular election of sena tors and this was done In the conven tlon which nominated Mr. Tnft. few flelegntes from his own state voting for tho plank. Personal Inclination Not Sufficient In his notification speech, the Repub lican candidate, speaking of the elec tlon of senators by the people, soys "Personally, I am inclined to favor it. kut It to hardly a party question." What Is necessary to make this a party question? When the Democratic con vention endorses a proposition by a unanimous vote, and the Republican convention rejects the proHsitlou by a vote of seveu to one. does it not be come an issue between the parties? XIr. Taft ean not remove the question from the arena of politics by express ing a' personal Inclination toward the Democratic position. For several years he has been connected with the administration. What has he ever mi id or done to bring tbls question be fore the public? What enthusiasm has he shown In the reformation of the senate? What Influence could he exert lu behalf of a reform which his party has openly and notoriously con demned iu lis convention, and to which be is attached only by a belated ex pression of personal Inclination? The Gateway to Other Reforms. "Shall the people rule?" Kvery remedial measure of a national char acter must run the gauutlet of the senate. The president may personally incline toward a reform; the house may couseut to it; hist as long ns the senate obstructs the reform, the peo pie must wait. The president may heed a popular demand; the house may yield to public opinion; but as long as the senate is defiant, the rule of the people Is defeated. The Democratic platform very properly describes the popular election of senators as "the gateway to other national reforms." Shall we open the gate, or shall we allow the exploiting Interests to liar the way by the control of this branch if the federal legislature? Through a Democratic victory, and through a Democratic victory only, can the peo ple secure the popular election of sen ators. The smaller parties are unable to secure this reform; the Republican party, under its present leadership, is resolutely opposed to It; the Democratic party stands for it and has boldly de manded It. if I am elected to the presidency, those who are elected upon the ticket with me will be. like my self, pledged to this reform, and I shall convene congress lu extraordi nary session immediately after Inau guration, and ask. among other things, for the fulfillment of this platform pledge. House Rules Despotic The third nstrumeiitn-Uty employed to defeat tho will of the people Is found in the rules of the house of rep resentatives. Our platform points out that "the house of representatives was designed by the fathers of the consti tution, to be the popular branch of our government, responsive to the public will," and adds: "The house of representatives, as controlled In recent years by the Re publican party, has ceased to be a de liberative and legislative body, respon sive to the will of a majority of the members, but has come under the ab solute domination of the speaker, wh has entire control of Its deliberations, and powers of legislation. "We have observed with amazement the popular branch of our federal gov ernment helpless to obtain either the consideration or enactment of meas ures desired by a majority of its mem bers." This arraignment Is fully Justified. The reform Republicans in the house of representatives, when iu the minor ity In their own party, are as helpless to obtaiu a hearing or to secure a vote upon a measure as are the Democrats. In the recent session of the present congress, there was a considcralilo ce ment iu tile Republican parly favorable to remedial legislation; but a few lead ers, iu coutrol of the organization, despotically suppressed these mem bers, and thus forced a real majority iu the house to submit to a well organ ized minority. The Republican national convention, instead of rebuking this attack upon popular government, eulo gized congress and nominated as the Republican candidate for vice president one of the men who shared in tho re sponsibility for the coercion of the house. Our party demands that "the house of representatives shall again become a deliberative body, controlled by u majority of the people's repre sentatives, and not by the speaker," and Is pledged to adopt "such rules and regulations to govern the house of representatives as will enable a ma jority of Its members to direct Its de liberations nnd coutrol legislation." "Shall the people rule?" 'I h.-y cau not do so unless they cau control the house of representatives, and through their representatives In the house, give expression to their purposes anil their desires. The Republican party Is committed to the methods now lu vogue in the house of representatives; the Democratic party U pledged to such a revision of the rules as will bring the popular brauch of the federal government Into harmony with the Ideas of those who framed our consti tution and founded our government. Other Issues Will Be Discussed Later. "Shall the people rule?" I repeat, Is declared by our platform to be the overshadowing question, and as the campaign progresses, I tdiall take occa sion to discuss this question as It man ifests Itself In other Issues; for whether we consider the tariff question, the trust question, the railroad question, the banking question, the labor ques tion, the question of lliiierlntlsm, the development of our waterwnys, or any other of the numerous problems which press for solution, we shall Ond that the real question involved in each Is, whether the government shall remain a mere business asset of favor seeking corporations or I an Instrument lu the bands of Uie people for the ad vancement of the common weal. Democratio Party Has Earned Con fidence. If the voters are satisfied with the record of the Republican party and with Its management of public affairs we can not reasonably ask for change hi administration; If, however, the voters feel that the people, as whole, have too llttle lnfluence in soap.) Ing the policies of the government; If; they feel that groat combinations of capital have encroached upon the. rights of the masses, and employed th Instrumentalities of government to se-j cure an unfair share of the total wealth produced, then we have a right to es pect a verdict against the Republican party and Id favor of the Democratic party; for our party has risked defeat' aye, suffered defeat In its effort to arouse the conscience of the public and' to bring about that very awakeuing to which Mr. Taft has referred. i Only those are worthy to be entrust ed with leadership In a great cause who are willing to die for it. and the. Democratic party has proven Its worthi ness by Its refusal to purchase victory by delivering the people Into tK bands of those who have despoiled them. Ia this contest between Democracy on tbt one side and plutocracy on the other,' the Democratic party has taken its po sition ou the side of equal rights, and invites the opposition of those, who ase politics to secure special privileges and governmental favoritism. Gauging tb progress of the nation, not by the bap-! plness or wealth or refinement of a few, but "by tho prosperity and a'-1 vancement of the average man," tl j Democratic party charges the Repobj lican party with lielng the promoter of present abuses, the pouent of neces sary remedies and tb only bulwark of private monopoly. r. Democratic par! ty affirms that In this campaign It Is' the only party, hnvli g a prospect of success, which stands for Justice in government and for equity In the divi sion of the fruits of Industry. Democratic Party Defender of Honest Wealth. We may expect those who have com mitted larceny by law and purchased immunity with their political lnllueuce, to attempt to raise false Issues, and to employ "the livery of Heaven" to con ceal their evil purposes, but they cau no longer deceive. The Democratic party Is not the enemy of any legiti mate Industry or if honest accumula tions, it is, on the contrary, a frleuJ of Industry and the steadfast protector of that wealth which represents a serv. ice to society. The Democratic partj does not s.-ek to annihilate all corpora tions; It simply asserts that as the gov ernment creates corporations. It must retain the power to regulate and to control them, ami that It should not permit any corporation to convert Itself into a monopoly. Surely we should have the cooomtlon of all legitimate corporations in our effort to protect business and Industry from the odium which lawless combinations of capita, will. If unchecked, east upon t jo;ii I Only by the separation f the g.vnl' from the bad can the good U- made secure. ' Not Revolution, but Reformation. The Dei.i .iTatic party seeks not revo lulioii but reformation, and I need hardly remind the student of history that ceres are mildest when applied at once: tl. it remcties Increase iu severity, as their application Is postponed. RIihk! poso!:i'ig I! ay be stopped I y the loss of a linger today. It may cost an arm tomorrow or a life the next day. So poiscti in. the body politic cau not U removed too soon, for the evils pro dueel bv it Increase with the lapse o! time That there are abuses which need to ho remedied, even the Repub ; lican candidate admits; that bis pun.' is tmabie to remedy them, lias been fully demonstrated during the last ten' jears. I have such co:i!'.den.e In the' intelligence as well as the patriotism' of the people, that I can not doubt theiri readiness to accept the reasonable re forms which our party proposes, rather, than- permit the continued growth of existing abuses to hurry the country on to remedies more radical and more, drastic. : Our Party's Ideal. J The platform of our party closes with n brief statement of the party's ideal.! It favors "such au administration of! the government as will Insure, ns far1 as human wisdom cau. that each clti- zen shall draw from society a reward) commensurate with his contribution to the welfare of society." Governments are good In proportion os they assure to each member of so ciety, so far as governments cau, a re-, turn commensurate with individual, merit. The Divine Law of Rewards. j There Is a Divine law of rewards. : When the Creator gave us the earth, with its fruitful soli, the sunshine with Its warmth, and the rains with their; moisture. He proclaimed, as clearly as If Ills voice had thundered from the clouds, "Go work, aud nccordiug to your Industry nnd your Intelligence, so shall be your reward." Only where might lias overthrown, cunning under mined or government suspended this law, has a different law prevailed. To conform the government to this law ought to be the ambition of the states man; nnd uo party can have n higher mission than to make it a reality wher ever governments can legitimately op erate. Justice to All. Recognizing that I am Indebted for ray nomination to the rank and Die of our party, and that my election must come, If it comes at all, from the un purchased and unpurcbasable suffrages of the- American people, I promise, If entrusted with tho responsibilities of tbls high olllco, to consecrate whatever ability I have to the one purpose of making this. In fact, a government In which the people rule a government which will do Justice to all, and offer te every one the highest possible stim ulus to great and persistent effort, by assuring to each the enjoyment of his just share of the proceeds of Lis toll, no matter In what part of the vineyard he labors, or to what occupation, pro fession or calling be devotes hlmsajf. ,
The Courier (Asheboro, N.C.)
Standardized title groups preceding, succeeding, and alternate titles together.
Aug. 20, 1908, edition 1
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