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About The independent. (Lincoln, Neb.) 1902-1907 | View Entire Issue (Sept. 22, 1904)
Jl 1 r V mm, Mm' ii 1 Vol. XVI. LINCOLN, NEB., SEPTEMBER 22, 1904. Nci. 18 THE JEDFFEDR.SOBJ OF' 1904 Speech of Thomas E. Watson xt Louisiana Monument, World's. Fair, September 6, 1904. 9 N. To a vast throng that gathered to hear him at the Louisiana Monument, World's Fair grounds, St. Louis, Sep tember 6, 1904, Thomas E. Watson, the people's matchless candidate for president, spoke as follows: Fellow Citizens f I desire to bear testimony and render thanks now to the broad mind and generous heart of the ex-governor of this grand old state of Missouri, who can so lift himself above party affiliations as to extend the courtesies to me as he has done on this occasion. If I were to consult my own feel ings, I would not make a speech this afternoon. v You see how .unfavorable the conditions are here for an address based solely on political ideas. When H people come to a great exposition such as this they do not come for the pur pose of hearing a political sermon, but to see and learn from the. magnifi cent educational exhibition which has been, provided for them. " For myself, I am exceedingly tired. A partisan speech makes me tired enough; but yesterday, on Labor day, I made a non-partisan speech, and a non-partisan speech just wears me out. Owing to what was thought to be the proper thing, and not wishing to , violate the ; canons of good taste, I confined myself to what is called a non-partisan speech, and I feel t as though I had been splitting rails. , When I make a speech, I love to say something: and when I go up against my adversary, -A love to strike him so mat tne way-ianng Samaritan, though a fool,' would know wnerato pour nis ointment, or suck nis piaster. Today I hardly know whether I should make a political speech, (Cries of . "Yes, go ahead.") May I make a partisan speech on such lines as' I may desire? ("Yes.") May I take the crime orr ana let myseir gor ( -yes ). All right, I will tell you exactly where I stand and , what I stand for,' and stand up for it as long as I know how and hit the blows with all the power there is in me. - - v Does anybody here intend, to vote . for Mr. Roosevelt? (Cries of "Yes, N sure.") Why? because you are re publicans and believe in the princi ples ana policy or xne republican party? (Cries of 'Yes, that's the rea son.") Right, that is the way to speak right out. If you are fair and square . out, republicans ana oeiieve in re publican nrinciDles and reoublican policies, you do exactly right when you proclaim to tne. world your intention - to vote for Mr. Roosevelt. And if I were a reoublican and believed in re- publican principles and policy, I would vote ror Roosevelt, too. But is there any man here who will vote for a candidate who claims a right to demo cratic votes, and yet does not venture to say wherein he differs from Mr Roosevelt? The Question in this cam paign is: Do we need two republican parties? Isn't one of them quite enough! (Cries of "Yes, too many.") To those who believe In republican policies and principles, Is there any reason why Teddy isn't enough in one year? Should not the men who rant something different from Roosevelt de mand a candidate who is brave enough and honest enough to tell us wherein he differs from Roosevelt? Don't let us try to fool, the American ieoi!e' Let us write our principles upon our Toreheaas where they may be scon, and , let us stand up for principle as against pretense, I lay down this proposition: That Jn hli speech of acceptance, Judge Par fcer ha not told the American people. In plain word, wherein he differs from Theodore Joosevelt on any queftllon - of principle or policy. There la the great question of Imperialism. Mr. Hoosevelt diactissea It; Judge Parker discusses It. Tell us what in the dif ference bet wren the two men. It re late to the Philippine llan.l. The republican position Is that they will rive. them home nil and If-Roiern moat ai soon aa they are prepared for it; Judge Parker's position Is that we will give them self-government when they are ready for it; and there you are. What is the difference V They don't set the time, neither of them. They don't tell us whether it will be next year, next generation cr next century. Now, I will give you my, opinion, and that is that the peo ple or the Philippine islands will get their independence when the piuto crats of America, who are now en gaged in the commercial exploitation of the islands, are ready for them to have it, and not before, no matter which party is in control, and I will take you Into my confidence far enough to tell . you further that 1 don't think- it will materially anti cipate the time when Gabriel blows nis trumpet. On the ouestion of national hanks how does Mr. Roosevelt stand? He is in favor of them. How does Judge Parker stand? He is In favor of them Where is the difference? On the Question of. trusts Mr Roosevelt says he will break up the illegal trusts: Parker savs ' he will break up the illegal trusts. Roosflelt does not enumerate the Illegal trusts, Ann Pnrlror Hnea int enoHfw thorM Where is the difference? . . 'On the question of; money where, is tne ainerence? The remibiicans are ior tne goia standard ana a telegram was received here In St. ' Louis in dicating: that somebody else was in favor of the gold standard, too." On the negro Question what is the difference' between Mr. Roosevelt and Parker? Tell us in plain words so that we will know what you mean. You say that Mr. Roosevelt lunched with Booker Washington. Will 'judge Parker say that he wouldn't do it? Will he come out and say it? He Is a northern man ' and a distinguished company of northern men lunched Booker Washington .only last night. Will Judge Parker cut "loose from them, or will he appoint negroes to pmce m , the south? is he - In favor of mixed schools ' in ' New York, as Grover Cleveland was? If not, let him say so. In other' words, let him get votes on his own platform and not .by pretending to be "lust as good" as Mr. Roosevelt is; If you want the real, genuine- republican principle, vote for Roosevelt; if you want to vote for- an article that - is '; branded just as- good," vote for Judge Parker. If you are a Jeffersonian democrat, there is one ' of two things von have got to do you have got to abandon your lifelong convictions, or you have to follow the lead of a new party. We say that our party is the only one that stands for the old faith the faith of our fathers the faith we were taught to believe was identified with the tnm weirare or the south. Jefferson was m tavor of an income tax, not only because it would put the burden nf government on those who get the most benefits out of it arid are best aoie to near the burdens, but for the reason that a graduated i nrnmo fair gradually increasing as the income' grows larger, would pour back into iue common rund whatever one man got beyond his legiti Where does Mr. Roosevelt stand ori me income tax? He is against it. Where dbes Judge Parker etand? til is against it. Where Is the dtfTerence mhu iu iwo men. on the ticome tax? Or between the two "jrHCa? The people's nartv fa l taKing the taxes-off the nr.ei.i ... ... . ' "vvs-OOOIIUO u. ,u wnicn tne people must have, we are in favor of outline th of government upon the rich. It was up sons arram that the poor man should pay no taxes. How does Roose velt stand on It? He is in fnvnr rf protective tariff with Incidental revl- ...II, how an men. How does Parker stand? He also would like to revise he tariff, tut if he Is elected he says years and in that time he wouldn t be t(l do wht ho would like to do l" ,nir. Therefore, th demo- liuic nominee ntandi whxr t...i. doea on the tariff. We are against national t.ont,. 'inuuu wrji. Ul r tkK 1 1 Inn ln.Uu on the money Question and national Jn..TW8f1??' l Precisely what the h.uh o toe uryao cleraocratJ haa been for the last eight years. You have been preaching it all over the country; your editors wrote for it; your ministers prayed for it. You went to Chicago in 189G and appro priated our platform. For eight ears you worked for it. You got six and a half million votes for it. Bryan demo crats, where do vou stand todav? Did you think you were right?,Do you think you were right? If you did and it vou do, as I believe you did and do now, wnere are you going to go to iind the representative of your prlncinles? If you were right then, we are right now We want every honest Bryan demo crat of the country to help us light this battle against plutocracy. We sav that these vast railroad corporations which oppress the people and exercise a power of taxation through exces sive charges that the government itself can not do? ought to betmued by the government and run in the inter est of the people. We say that the labor conditions need . refm.-n. l freely declare Jhat I am in favor of the eight-hour day. I f reelv declare against the slavery m which our 'Chil dren are made to work at tender age, connnea in mills, factories and mines 1 neneve that we are degrading our own youth and degenerating our race wnen we grind up our children at too tender an age In order that more dividends shall come to th nap. whn have already more than their share. .iv uuuuu uugui uj uevour ito own young. v .i v , , The people's party Is also onnoKeH to government Dy injunction. We want to stop the usurpations and enmnnrh ments of the federal judges. And thfi renaeay we propose Is to give the peo ple the imperative mandate as well as the right to elect all Officers 'ilirtirial or otherwise, by a direct vote of the people. When we do that tho fun. tions of the government will be In fact" in the hands of th are Jn favor of the initiative and" ref- erenaum. u the law-making power refuses to enact laws which th nCi pie need, let: the people themselves compel such laws by petition. If the law-makers pass laws which the peo ple do not aDDrove. let theoo in k referred back to -the people and voted down. That is the initiative and-refer-endum. ' ..: , Why, isn't that good democracy? nh VAll ooir w n . . . i oaj, tb ouuruve or mar . mf it' get the reform inside j the democratic pany. ine aemocratic nnrtv k y.uuseu io certain reforms since 1892 , , AOJ0 ana they, were pledged against national in 1902 they rechartored the national vmciiij- years, in they . , "cucu lo a revision of the tar iff in favor of the neonle us a tariff that was against the people "...w iu ivui ul me monopolists. '. In 1S92. thev nlerifeH ii,0m..,i'..' j favor of states' rights and homo rule- ..i io, urover uevelana 'sent tae United States armv inir. ..-i- of Illinois, against .th. n,u., 2?? the- pe0J,Ie f that, demo- vxayi; nlaie. over the written and re peated protests of the rf Zl violation" - wsuls oi tne laborer to get inuiseu. mo record of the fera.t,04 Part.y -13 that ot a pledge "uo"'. i anieage krennr run. "'uuc Bway irom reform than we were in 1892. Isn't ttma .J" fn i, . . are trying something else? You have cot lT.iy wuu Iioovelt as no U'HUaiP. IT VOIl U-nnf 4 K npies to succeed, voir, fn t.',: ?! te.ff Park"' ani no matter" who - rePul,ucan ' Principles win In 1S92 Wall Street spnt t ir i son and demanded thnt h ftln pledgea. The demand was made through Senator iia. JL". e President Harrison rf.,-i i niuireu pieuges. Grover ntc. land was elected nrii.Un .... snw he rottenest adrolnltraUon the .uiu, pnpiA ever hada4mlnla iraiion or WAI tireet i - Cleveland. Van Allen wanted to m to .r?JlU!n ",irtK,n: contributed w.w ui me rampaiKn fund. tnr Kan. loimont and tho HothahUdj nammi uonu anu wanted to r.fu. ter the national banka, CUrelaad cavo them the bonds in a midnight deal, a secret scheme, without competition, be-,' low, the market value, robbing the peo-' pie of 110.000,000 on what the bonds were actually worth. Where is the sense of honor of the southern people? Can they endorse things like that? When Senator Gorman got through with the Wilson bill, we had a meas ure which put a burden of $45,000,0C3 on the backs of the Deoble alone, and the sugar trust - the Havemevers' which had contributed . $250,000 to the democratic campaign fund In New York alone., got a differential tariff which Was worth., millions to them every year, and at your expeu&e and mine. The same men thai ot around- Grover Cleveland then around Judge Parker now. Morgan is there, and he is Belmont's, partner; The one controls the L. & N, and the iher the Southern. One is driving Boot velt and the other Parker. No matter ho is elected, the Dartnershin will tmt hurt. There is Olnev. whh kent th United States troons into liinnia There is Gorman, the senatorial agent of all the democratic trusts Thor is Belmont the Rothschilds' agent; mere is iamont. the railroad monopol ist, and there is Carlisle, the whisky trust agent. We know what Grover Cleveland promised them In 4i2v h. " cause we saw the goods delivered. The same crowd being around FarUer ought we not to ask, what has Parker promised to do? Is Parker too good to do what Grover Cleveland Hiri? i say nothing against his personal char acter, i throw no mud. I try to con-i duct my campaign on tho highest plane. But when I come to his noun. cal character, I will quote against him tne words of Hon. Wil iam .1 . itrvn the man, who for eight years has been your leader and prophet. What did he say about him on April 23, 1904' uui year, dui last spring when those leaves were turning to theirj. charms to the southern sun. Bryan said: "We now have evid enough; to. convict him .-,6f : total unfit ness for the democratic nomination." Mr. Parker then stood upon the Now York platform, which crooked Tiriv Hill had put together. Bryan said that "nobody but an artful do could stand on the New York demo cratic platform." Don't take my word for Parker's political character. You may remind me that Brvan is now aim- porting him. He is after a fashion. But if any explanation Is needed that explanation is not due from fiie, but due from Mr. Bryan. ' What else? Not onlv was the Nnrr York- platform upon which lhe was made to stand made for an artfni dodger, but the telegram he sent .to at. louis bears strong evidence nt being all pre-arranged by looked Dave Hill before he came, ready to be sprung on the convention affcr tho dangers of the two-thirds rale had been passed; and no matter how much they gagged at the pill, they had it to swallow. That address of accent- ance, if anything, was a little more uougery than the New York plat form. You all know Dave Hill's r ronu. edness. Parker has been sitting Hill's political knee, and been ahrh. lag his political gospel from David B. lull for the last twenty years. The time will come when the soi;th- ern people will understand the vorlc I am tryrac to do for them. Wa win not win this time, but In the name of the Jeffersonian democracy, we will make this fight and we will atinr.nl to all these who are Jeffersonian in nrin. clple to come with us. hvery vote given to me In this cam. patgn will be an encouragement n inspiration to reformers ever wttere. To the extent that you give me your help,.yo-4 Hrecgthen tho arms of thoHa who must lend th rrand arn7 iif trim democracy In 1908. Let every citizen have the ennrn to vote his convictions. If you thlsSt I am wrone in principle Vote votir rnn. vletion. If you think I am rl2ht. vnt your conviction. iu a man not a party slave. t nleJi each cltkcn will be l.rav enough to aupport leaJeni who are believed to be right, U will be lmtr.. ble to aetomplinh theae refortnt whi- are o much needed. J)