Southern Mercury. (Dallas, Tex.), Vol. 24, No. 36, Ed. 1 Thursday, September 8, 1904 Page: 1 of 8
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SOVTHERN MERCVRY.
Vol. XXIV. No. 36
Dallas* Texas, Thursday September 8, 1904
$1.00 Per Annum
i*-
r
r;
J
TOM WATSON'S FIRST GUN
Fop The Populist Cause In Geopgia.
will unite the 8outh and the West, and i Texas and thua Jet the light of hope, words, they had to economize. ODDress
which will break the yoke which New into the hearta of the struggling masses and hustle to get money. This prun- j
York money kings have placed "POO .JJJtJLSSii.... 2??J! knlf« ©' economy was not applied
the necks of both the two old narties 4 * 1!$ intermeddling with to benefit the property or the public.
AT*. I".*".." economic conditions beyond our con- but It was so desperately thrust and'
ail fta gashes so Inhumanely made In
to the vitals of labor and Into the
heart of commerce for no other pur-
Ihe facts can be
on August 1, 1904, Judge Parker him- who trampled upon stale rights in II- ■ 'JViJiTti *= I lr 1 am wrong, the racts
self, in writing to the negro. James A. i linois, who refused to veto the infa- ."aderahiD waa oieli to me IwaLed i Iff" ,!!, ln, Texa*, um°"K A Qood Ex^pla.
Ross, addressed him as 'My dear sir,' mous Gorman bill and who made that ' . th«rr> wi,™ n„m „ Lfnw'mVt i i* c',"ylnR. ,.tbe' -Reference to tl^nc iuwn mm meir
; , t, j uu. unnji„ W!*h,tfie "attle there. When Democrats complaints abroad. Let the specialists Pfr^t« u nv«fi< ii^Hh^mtAiv f, r H ™
secret deal in government bonds with nn(, Republicang unite(, to ( nl0 oul , who flunky around as corporation boot-' el*?nur"se f . ,, , to no nt .
J. P. Morgan and August Belmont, so f offlco"and m , to utera. j licks, meet the charge. I may be ,PhUe Pdu,y o? thePpeopTe as to hii
vehemently for Parker? Iture and waged the battle there. The ; troubles in t' w When I speak
just as though Ross had been a white
man.
Facts Wanted About Parker.
"The South should demand to know
the facts about Judge Parker. How
"Same Old Cry
"Democrats are told that they must
question? Is his position at all differ
ent from that of Roosevelt? If so, in
what respect? The South should de-
mand explicit reply to the following
questions before it votes for him upon
the assumption that he differs from
velt on the negro question:
"1. Would you refuse to eat at the
same table with Booker Washington?
"2T. Would you refuse to appoint ne-
groes to joffiee in the South ?
"3. If elected, will you refuse to re-
ceive on terms of equality, at the
white house, such negroes as Bishop
Turner, Booker Washington and T.
Thomas Fortune?
"4. Do you approve the mixed
schools of New York, inaugurated un-
der Grover Cleveland—in which social
equality is practically made a matter
of compulsion?
"5. If such schools—wherein black
children and white children are edu-
cated together—ar^, a good thing for
your native State of New York, would
they be a good thing for Georgia and
South Carolina? If not, why not?
"Why did the national Democratic
leaders surrender to Belmont and Wall
Street?
"Senator John W. Daniel, of Vir-
ginia, let the cat out of the bag when
he declared in the committee on reso-
lutions that he was 'tired of being in
the minority!' Not afraid of Roose-
velt's militarism? No. Not afraid of
Roosevelt's niggerism? No. All that is
fudge and subterfuge. 'Tired of being
in the minority!' There was the milk
in the cocoanut!
"Not tired of being In the wrong?
No; he did not even pretend that he
had been in the wrong. Simply be-
cause they have been in the minority,
they are ready to drop the principles
which they have sworn tor eight years
were right, and adopt those which
even now they do not dare say are
right. Great God! What an attitude
for the leaders of a great national
party!
"Men, of the South, will you follow
the lead of those who have renounced
Jeffersonian principles for no better
reason than that they are "tired of be-
ing in the minority?' You are not
bound by their action. Agents who
misrepresent their principals should
be repudiated in politics as well as in
business. Revolt against the surren-
der! Let your stewards know that
whenever they go wrong they must ac-
count to you, their masters.
"Party names to me are nothing.
The doctrine is everything. I call upon
all Jeffersonian Democrats to help me
make this fight against the two Repub-
lican parties, headed by Roosevelt and
Parker. What do we need with two
parties committed to Wall Street? Let
us have one for the people.
"It I could become politically tipsy
enough to vote for Parker, on the
platform of 1904, as constructed by
Parker himself, I would take one more
drink—a small one at that—and vote
for the other twin, Roosevelt. Give
me the original every time, rather than
the blurred, indistinct eopy. Give me
the genuine article, rather than the
Bpurious substitute. Especially in
Georgia are the people not bound to
support Parker for the reason that
they were not consulted in the ap-
pointment of delegates. The people of
Georgia were for William R. Hearst,
the untiring, fearless and consistent
champion of Jeffersonian principle*
The party bosses were against Hearst.
Therefore the delegates to the St.
Louis Convention were appointed by
the machine, and never were passed
on by the people. In other words, the
machine In Georgia has put an end
to popular self-government.
"Why should Georgians support Par-
ker, of ttow York, rather than a fellow
Georgian? What do you know of Par-
ker? What hag he done that was
notable? What has he said that was
memorable? What has he ever written
that stamped him with individuality?
"David B. Hill declared at St. Louis
that he had been intimate with Parker
for thirty years, and that he did not
know how Parker stood on the money
question. Was this statement true?
If so, Parker is the most negative pub-
lic man on the American continent.
Was the statement false? If so, David
B. Hill is the boldest liar between the
two oceans. Think of a man living
on intimate terms with Alec Stevens
or Abe Lincoln for thirty years and
not knowing how he stood on the
greatest political question of the day!
"Why should Alcott, who is at the
head of so many national banks and
trust companies, go over to Parker?
Why Is Pat McCarren, lobbyist of the
Standard Oil Company, so close to
Parker? Why is August Belmont,
agent of the Rothchllds and manager
of the Loui8rille and Nashville rail-
road, so urgent for Parker? Why is
and that wp will all go to work for re-
form after the election. It is the same
old cry: 'Vote for us this time!' How
can any man reasonably hope to se- j
cure reforms in the Democratic party
play. You captured
1900—now let
If we were
nor surrendered. I claim the support I
of every
up the corrupt
ter and
State and its constitution are being
trampled upon by that corporation.
"I am, and always have been, a Jef-
fersonian Democrat: learned it from
He Addresses a Packed House in Atlanta.
THOUSANDS UNABLE TO SECURE SEATS,
Hundreds of men and women throng-
ed the hall of the house of representa-
tives last Thursday night to hear the
Initial campaign speech of Hon. Thom-
as E. Watson, People's party candi-
date for president.
The speech was regarded as a mas-
terpiece of political "oratory, and at
frequent intervals the speaker was in-
terrupted by cheering that all but
shook the thick walls of the capitol
building.
When Judge Hines arose to intro-
duce the distinguished speaker the
great concourse of people in the hall
broke into vociferous applause. Hats
went into the air and the whole audi-
ence joined in the cheering. Judge
Hines' introductory remarks were very
brief. He merely spoke of Mr. Wat-
son as one of Georgia's greatest sons
and a patriot now championing the
primitive principles of Democracy.
Then Mr. Watson himself, Blight of
figure quiet, not impressive at first
sight, stood up before his magnificent
audience to deliver the first speech of
bis campaign for president of the
United States. There was another
ovation, more vociferous, more tumul-
tuous than the first, and when the hall
was silent again the speaker began his
talk.
The crowd was attentive, though
noisey at intervals. At times the
noisy at intervals At times the
was interrupted by questions from the
crowd. One man cried out:
"How do you stand on the gold ques-
tion?"
And the speaker shouted back:
"Where the Democratic party has
stood for the last eight years."
There were cheers and shouts of
"Watson" mingled with shouts of
"Parker."
The whole speech was like that, sal-
lies by the sneaker at men and plat-
form, questions and cries from the
crowd and now and then a burst of
general applause. But when it was
ell over every one present, Democrat,
Populist and what not, gave Thomas
E. Watson the credit of having deliver-
ed an able and masterful address.
HU speech in full was as follows:
"In the campaign the Democratic na-
tional leaders have prostituted the
renie of Democrat, and are demanding
that they shall be blindly followed, in
spite of the fact that they have re-
r'umced every principle of Democracy.
Will the real Democrats follow the
name rather than the principle?
"In the south we are told we must
Bi'bmit to the surrender to Wall Street
l ecause the 'nigger.' What a blessed
t" Ing it is for Democratic leaders that
they- always have 'the nigger' to fall
1-c.k on! For thirty years they have
l>een doing business on 'the nigger,'
r-rt to-day he is their only stock in
tiade.
"Notp the hypocrisy of it! In their
national platform of 1872 they solemn-
ly protested their allegiance to the
drctrine of 'equality.' regardless of
rcce or color, and pledged themselves
to maintain the emancipation and the
enfranchisement of the blacks.
"In 1876, at S . Louis—Henry Wat-
terson being chairman of the conven-
tion—they solemnly declared their 'de-
votion' to the constitutional amend-
ments growing out of the civil war.
The Negro Question.
"In 1880, in 1884, in 1888, the nation-
al conventions of the Democratic party
reaffirmed these declarations on the
negro question, and thus stood pledged
to 'oppose any reopening of the ques-
tions settled by the thirteenth, four-
teenth and fifteenth amendments.' Yet
after all these formal pledges, we are
now browbeaten and intimidated by
Democratic "leaders who say we must
indorse their capitulation to Belmont,
David B. Hill and Pat McCarren be-
cause of 'the nigger.' What can the
Southern negro do? He has been dis-
franchised in nearly every Southern
State, excepting Georgia; and in Geor-
gia he has been 'white prlmaried.' In
Georgia they do not dare to disfran-
chise him, because the men who con-
trol the Democratic machine in Geor-
gia know that a majority of the whites
are against them. They need the ne-
gro vote to beat us with. For that
reason the Georgia Senate, a few days
ago, killed the Australian ballot law,
which would have thrown the elections
entirely into the hands of the whites.
Why do Democrats fn Georgia refuse
to disfranchise the blacks? Why do
they kill election laws which would in-
sure the political obliteration of the
blacks? There can be but one answer.
. Organised Democracy in Georgia can-
not be maintained by the white vote.
Therefore the cry that we are In dan-
ger from 'the nigger' Is the most hypo-
critical that unscrupulous leadership
could "Invent. Grant, Sherman and
Sheridan, with all their armies, could
not reverse the law of nature in the
prostrate Sonth. The white man is
muster—whprever he plants his foot,
the world over. Do you tell me that
Roosevelt can do against the recuper-
ated South what Tbad Stevens could
not do against the exhausted South?
Boosevelt could not do it even if he
would!
' "The Democratic leaders who talk
this stuff, and the editors who write it,
laugh and wink at one another as they
P«sa—they know what a humbug it all
Is, and how It is being used to make
the people forget, or condone the in-
glorious surrender to Wall Street
The time once was when the South tro]a
was led to greatness by men who were Causes of 8trlkss.
not 'tired of being in the minority'—j Almost all of the Important strikes
men who nobly sought to know what have been by the employes of corpora-; pose than to gratify the deman'ds^for
was right, and then fought for It with j tlons. In nearly every instance they j interest and dividends on watered'
have been precipitated by actual or! bonds and stocks. With the ch&mre1
threatened reduction of wages, or by of the laws and their vigorous en-
the unjust increase of daily hours of forcement so that the stamp of honesty '
labor, or by the wanton, arbitrary dis- was put upon every such railway bond
charge of employes. Indifference to or and stock thereafter Issued, these con- !
negligence of duty on the part of the anions changed. As a consequence1
etale is the primary cause of these wages became fair and stable, rates
all their strength. Once our glory
was to follow leaders who cried 'Lib-
erty or death,' and we showered hon-
ors upon the ragged, half-starved sol-
dier, who marked the path of duty
W"AmW dlrfeat^nd^dtecouragement I ,rhouble8!. Undoubtedly this is a serious bec"aine"reasonabVe'and"*fixed."'the'voN
nuou « iiiohiiiiuH * charge, for which a howl of censure ume of commerce swelled n,i inni,
which they made at S. Louis. In the | John G. Carlisle, who wrote the sugar ostracism I hate tran8,U over the nearest' llnee, the de-
West Virginia Democratic Convention, ' schedule for Havemeyer in 1894, and J? tlmnt^ fLf. Pr^2 mand for l"bo'- doubled, rate wars
the State of the Democratic nominee who has always been the repre^ua-j J®* thj>^h^ Regardless oMempta- ^.SSinloSS guUural ^^rUy^nSver'**witnessed' before
/or Vice President, the white suprem- tive of the whisky trust, be so hearti- y T I refrain, sing back, "Yes, biothers; but came to remain with us so lonir as the
acy' resolution was voted down! and , ly for Parker? And why is Cleveland., ra,™'d ag fa|> „j j wag nblo , have 1 ' Cam® - remu,n w,th u" 80 lon* the
from
that is the truth!"
people keep the reins of their govern-
ment out of corporate hands.
Good Example.
■Reference to these laws and their
'sacred torch'
w . i for them to show it.
has never ceased to be permit me to my I
rinps*nnH unnn tliis VI1 eireri neero ! Riin^rtThe national ticket this time the Ii,?ht by wh,ch 1 have steered. Ami ; wrong by mistake und have it proven "i*
^i liv ^ J all lovers of right and just govern-, on me. than to be rlxht from policy.
And right here f ih
had rather get
!•> 1 !"aii every voter In
Ills dut.v in to have adopt- |
null -v 'forced similar laws to gov-
ment, I appeal for the aid which "«d keep the secret - my heart. There ^n.®Vv' Vt!?hfhnn!i
should be no padlock uii the mouth of. Ran, electric light unci water
any public man In free Texas. niH'company in the state. Rvery such
strengthens, for the encouragement
which inspires.
voice for the people should flow on
company enjoys public franchises, ob-
"The corporations have decided tho and on as the pellucid S.in Marcos until > ,n,no<^ almost without cost from the
when we see it bossed by the same old pe<1P'e order that they may rule the swell tide of public opinion £>«i ?tnle n<* cities. These special prlvl-
when we see It boshed Dyine same oi l ,)hem firgt wUh th<j RepnbIlcana then rls„ and rema|n iukH. up to the level l<?Kea nre to load themselves
rf.r- ! * h the Democrats. No matter which Justice,.hat the state's
Cleveland s second administration. one Qf thege wj
Bryanhas been fighting ^^ormin- ]oge Un)egg „Je , ' ,
side the party and is farther off from 0 tQ gee ^ Bn(, can be nfted
success than ever before. I from out 0f tj,e Spe|] 0f party names.
republic 1. lo
mere heartless and soulless despotism
of wealth.
"1 pray God that the people may be-
partiality to corporations and Inhu- hindrance of the law. They usuady
inanity to man shall never come to rust put them nt "bout six times the cost
or value of the property and stand
ready to Increase them at the will of
every combination of manipulators
opporobrium on her fair name.
The Laws and Facts.
No corporation can organize and op-
erate In Texas without the states con-, who "*• further speculation on the
sent. Under the constitution she Is credulity of the people within the pos-i
requ'red to overlook their affairs and slbllitles of their nefarious schemes,
to see that they do not misuse or abuse After these companies have Issued
their privileges. The ■ ople created their Interest-bearing, thoiiRh fruud-
the state and lii turn the state, by ulent bonds, they must pay the Interest
charter, creates the corporations Every on them according to promise or fore-
and Hearst, and Bailev. and Tillman. ° e of them must live by and up to closure proceedings und recelvershlpH
— ■—* - ' ■ are had.
In dull times they resort to the old
luciuseives 10 suppon mc >11 njio rnnsl<lprnttnn tn n tho rtomrmlnnHnr, 1,. uy l"e cnarier granted oppressive practice of entailing the
for I alone represent those convictions. ld®'Poatl°° 1^ ,lt' ,f ln "ny m'lle,'lnl Instance It hardship, the burden on labor by cut-i
Rrvan Hpmocrnts' Turn about is fair uve Ihe reP"blic from ,he violates or exceeds or neglects any ol ,lnK down wages, reducing wages and
Bryan Democrats, rum about is fair whJch threateng R an(, may yet rt,pu. tht.ae obligations, it is the duty of the Increasing the hours lo be counted in
. „ vml diate the foul attempt to bunco the state, acting through her proper otn- tt day's work; and unless they have
et us capture you aw hue. people with the falfee Democracy which ('ers. to hove it charter forfeited und *onf> 10 the ,hey rake ,he P"bl|c
right In 1896, when you p H Cleveland crowd cl-ilm to will(* 11 u through u receiver. No through the skin lo the quick by rals-
rt*ht t« i«ni Wo and tne Cleveland crowd claim p|„|nol. lliw wa„ nver wrltten thu„ th)s Ing their mites or tolls as high as the
of the Bryan Democrats;
them in 1896 so far as I was allowed,
I helped to carry Nebraska for them;
helped to break up the come wise enough to see this. And
fus on in Texas. If the Bryan. Demo-. j pray that the ,pader8 )lke Dpyan
w"hlpVi Hha v^Hai'med to hold for 31,(1 ^ear8f' an<l Bailey, and Tillman. "• wicin muni live oy ana up to
which they [ and Folk, may rise to that noble height i btut.,not or violate the powers 1
the last eight years, they owe j* ' 0f patriotism which sinks every other 1 rlBbtB' Privileges and obligations sef
themselves to support me in this fight, confiid„ratlon !ntn thp forth in writing by the charter granted ;
SSSsatm!i• '■ ? ™,d'Se,fr00™^'tsis SS s
us for this fight. We have been con- j * r® U,an
sistent all along: have never recanted
us for this fight We have been con-!, , h. nothing i^ore than a shoddy ; are Imposed on by the corporations are '"w- We are then regaled dully through
us ror tniB ngni. we , | imitation of Repul licanlsm. helplesw. iri this condition they often tbo corporate press with high moral
Ristpnt all nlnaer: navfi never recanted I ... r 1. . _ . .... i.._
snssi'sss.srsE -2
resort to harsh measures In mlsap- strains against the evils of union la-
prehension of their rights and duties ; bor "_nd their wanton strikes. Every.
And right here begin the strikes. Labor
Is abused; corporate wrongs arc un-
seen or overlooked; innocent women
-l criminal act of Idle thugs; every an-
archistic bomb that is thrown; every
Incendiary utterance of the back-alley
"Is public morality dead? Is honor
long-
the an-
dearer to
them than life? i and" children 'Buffer' and'"BUUwart"n!en Kabbler ,H «t the door of labor.
"Wasn't it a So ithern statesman— ktow resentful, Intolerant, as day by ,fhese guardUins of public conscience
Virgianian by birth like John W. Dan Jay their losses cut deeper Into their to P"1''1
iel—who thrilled lis time, and after , fr"Kil1 « vings. j side. They do not tell us of :h. de-
SteDhens and Jefferson- will not sur- bV <he declaration that he would i 1,1 which corporations corporations through their vicious acts
rcn^o it and Jefferson wiii not sur rather be right than president? Wasn't "!? i"d ah„uid nn ,an,ln.ter" °* consolidation. They do not tell us
render it at the dictation of WaII, k A!ec stevens who said, 'I am afraid tt in a lawful w^v tw iI. /le. l.ire of thelr watered bonds and stocks, to
Street Hamlltonians. 1 challenge any ^ nothing on earth except to do Biutes ar< rnAieni?v wVnnJ' .t1 ni°^ pay which the public must be aklnned.
man to show that I have ever made P 1 [ anrt ^ 8ub: They do not tell us that these corvor-
a speech, written a line or cast a vote -Wasn't it Unhurt if loo lla a conseouence mmh Snr! llT /J'l -nlons are getting free franchises from
antagonistic to Jeffersonian principles. I the peop^ " '"JUry 'S d°"e the cities am# towns and special legls-
Vou need not fear that you will defeat ™Wer of .ao"^n manhood that ever, ln® ^ tho„ lalion through the Influence of passes
Parker by voting for me—Parker has
no chance of being elected. When tho
Democrats at St. Louis yielded to
Parker's telegram and thus assumed
the position that they had been utter-
ly wrong for eight years on the most
important question before the Ameri-
can people, they threw away in ad-
vance every hope of success. They
spiked their own guns; they locked
their own wheels: they banked their
fires in every furnace of enthusiasm;
they stultified themselves in a manner
never before known in politics; they
confessed that for two campaigns they
events the practice
and stocks on these -
should be limited to public
never to exceed the fair talue
corporate assets.
Such bonds like city, county
state bonds are public bonds,
burdens, that must be paid by
taxes collected from the
As the public ■
to these corporatle
to levy and collect
public should throw tv4uy
around them to keep them
pressing the people throufh
demands, and from imposing on their
operatives.
When they are permitted to issue
excessive bonds then their right to levy
excessive rates and to cut down forces
and wages as may be necessary, to pay
them cannot be successfully contro-
verted. No more reason or justice can
be found In the execution of a Hctl-
tlous corporation bond than In Issuing
a county bond. They both Involve pub-
lie Integrity and must be paid by the
public; the one by a tax called a rate
levied on commerce; the other by a
tax called a tax levied on property.
Should any commissioner's court Is-
sue fictitious county bonds the people
would rise up and put them In the pen-
itentiary. The practice, however, of
issuing fictitious corporate bonds has
become so common that the people
treat it with indifference. Public bonds
of all kinds find their pay day with
posterity. This appears to be the
quletlnf? reason why so little objection
Is raised to them by the present gen-
eration. People seem to feel that they
are shuffling these debts on somebody
else; that unborn generations will come
along to pay them. This Is so But
why should nny man with a spark of
justice In his heart be willing to let
men of to-day or men yet to come be
robbed in any way. especially through
the abuse of a public franchise or char-
ter? The sordid motto of "Let the fu-
ture take care of Itself" will do for pub-
lic robbers who grow rich in rounding
up the legislature, or. by healing mu-
nicipal councils for special advantages,
but no man who loves his country couli
approve this any more than the dese-
cration of Ood's sanctuary.
The future cannot take care of itself
If we permit these outrages to continue.
Whilst we have the power we had bet-
ter act. Towns of to-dny will become
cities twenty-five years from now. As
these towns grow the valuable fran-
chises will be grabbed and these long
time bonds multiplied, so that poster-
ity will be fettered and helpless under
the load. It is enough for the people
of to-day to face these questional.
Those to come will find it practically ■
impossible to do so.
As tears flow from sorrow's purifying
spring to llRhten the hearts of the af-
flicted. so the unrestrained evils of to-
day flowing from corporate abuses
must pass on to draw tears from the
contaminating springs of anarchy to
pester the hearts of disgusted posterity.
| Unless these corporate wrong? are
cheeked we must examine the infinite
thermometer of human misery to un-
, derstand the suffering of unborn gen«
erutidns that shall follow trw ti p inevit-
able result.
As a Southern man I am ashamed
of you—just as 1 am ashamed of hear-
ing the world say that the South
can't help herself; that she must
crouch to New York whether she
wants to or not, and that she would
'vote for a dead dog on the Democratic
ticket.'
I am ashamed of it, tired of It, and
i revolt against it.
h.„ be., either or dj-ho..., |. ^or.^.n
Occupying that Pliable position _of. eager for offlce (hat we Btand roady
self-confessed imbecility they certain-. to geJ) Qur birthright for a mess of
ly could not cherish any rational ex-! pottage?
pectation that the American people) each choose for h)m(,olf_but
would drive from control the men who : )et him understan(1 tha, |f ho do vj(>
had been right, to make way for the; ]ence to hjg 8enBe of rjBi,t. the whip-
men who virtually confess that hey , nordR of olltraged conscience are as
had been wrong. Parker has no! cer(aln as fat0
— * A a A K..U a i . IU1IUI1 IIUUUK" mc iniiutriicv ui I'Huncn
blossomed, who said. 'The sublimest a r"VLthpy n.r® created nnd en- ulul fr„nkH „tuffed Into the pockets of
word in the language is duty?' Lowers whi. h r'.nnnl"gnJorr)rn®nt>l1 aldermen and, legislators.' They do not
"Go your ways. Mr. Politician, Mr. ' The cltlren and are let fo do i ^ te" ,IR ,hnt ,be VPry men who are given
Timeserver vou who are 'droit of bo n« ii,id<> and deal these franchises and are permitted lo
l «r'=r.., ufw „Pl? e, WJtb0ut feur of ,he rob the public through these fictitious
ng in the minority. straining hand of the government that securities, remain abroad and curse
"Ao n Q/\.itkf>Mn mam V 1 j irii \m ll.am llr.> > > >,. 1 ..I a . . ' ....
chance, and deserves to have none. If
Republican principles are right a Re-
publican should reap the reward; if
"Better far to stand In the minority
—In the outer darkness, with the stars
| of heaven smiling down upon you, and
H0G6'S LABOR DAY SPEECH
At Houston.
spoke as follows
Labor Strikes.
I shall not discuss labor strikes or
suggest the causes and remedies for
them, except where they directly affcct
real Democratic principles are right, a j the jnflnite of Q d 'ur ^art
real Democrat should reap the reward. | _than to hol{] a glrtlty R(fat the
The peculiarity of Parker s position is , l)anquet o( (1)0 V|ctorB whose tri
that he ^nnot justly lay claim to the. umpj, fluB your ^ui w]th the damning
genuine Republican vote, nor to the, conviction that you have helped at
truly Democratic vote. In trying to (be vlct f w
ride two horses at once, each going in
an opposite direction, he must accept
the usual results. Parker simply occu-
pies an 'impossible' situation.
"At St. Louis every empty honor
that was worth absolutely nothing was
given to Southern leaders. In return
for childish gratification—chairman-
ships, etc.—they delivered both the
South and the West to Wall Street.
Southern leaders, who should never
have done It, denounced Bryan ln com-
mittee and on the floor, and helped to
knife the Jeffersonians. Oh, the shame
of it! And now because David Hill
allowed John Sharp Williams to have
a chairmanship, and John W. Daniel
a chairmanship, the whole South must
be driven under the lash of party dis-
cipline away from the gospel of our
fathers and into political slavery to
the Hamlltonians of New York.
"If national Democratic leaders had
spent half the efforts to win Illinois
and Indiana that they have wasted
upon New York, the party would not
now be the footmat of Dave Hill—the
man who ln 1888 elected himself gov-
ernor of New York by a colossal sell
out of the national Democratic ticket
—the man who at Chicago In 1896 was
not allowed to have the empty honor
of the temporary chairmanship!
He Leads a Revolt.
"Come weal or woe. I am going to
lead a revolt against these Democratic
leaders who have abandoned the true
principles of Democracy. I call upon
all true Democrats to support me. And
to every people's party roan, north,
South, East and west I send forth the
summons, "Throw off your discourage-
ment; put under your foot all heslt*
tlon and fear—get up, get up, brother;
and follow me.'
"The effort will not be lost. The
example will not be in vain. Let us
begin the glorious movement which
gave them life and placed them In
power over man.
When a corporation lives within Its
charter powers In all respects, no
complaint Is found or nfide against !t.
Abuse of corporate privileges Is the
fruitful source of strikes and in near-
ly every instance Is the direct cause
of them. Right here Is where the
state fails of her duty by permitting
the corporation primarily to take the
illegal step and to go on unrestrained
In Its own offenses to provoke resent-
ment among men Individually and col-
Texas, because some of her laws keep
them from robbing the people further.
They do not tell ua that to prevent
corporate strikes we must stop cor-
porate frauds. No! Not They do not
speuk of such small matters. The mo-
ment one of them should do this It
would be kicked out of business cir-
cles as a red-handled anarchist! Its
editors would be black-listed and
driven Into penury and wunt forever.
Remedies.
In the absence of newspaper recom-
______ mendutlons, and us no office seeker has
lectlvely. So long as It Inflicts wrongs any suggestions to make on the sub-
on the whole people It is seldom that
any action Is taken; but when It Im-
poses upon Its employes they com-
plain, and, finding no relief in this,
they strike. Yes, they strike! And
thus at last the public (ccclves the
blow and must suffer. ThH' must pay
for not having their government take
timely action to correct the first
wrong. Going down to the root of
such troubles It is evident that the
ject, the Held Is open, and I obtrusively
enter it and say that in Texus strikes
curt be materially lessened, if not.
wholly prevented, by putting Into law I
und enforcing the following provisions: '
1. That no street or other rullwayi
company, or telephone, telegraph, elec- j
trie light, water, gus or other corpora-
tion engaged in the public service for,
toll shall authorize or issue bonds and'
failed to adopt proper luws and to
keep its corporate creatures under re-
straint. It has created them, endow-
ed them with extraordinary powers,
made them stronger than any man cr
set of men, breathed Into them per-
petual life, guaranteed to them the
protection of luw and sent them forth
In gum shoes, Invisible, Intungible, lo
stalk among the people unheard, un-
seen, and never felt until they Impe-
riously pass out from their charter
powers into the Independent realm
where successful defiance of all law
La Porte, Tex., Sept. 5.—The feat- make them the people's oppressors,
ure of the Labor Day celebration here Step by sten, In our cities they have
was the speech of Former Governor '"'fulled easements, franchises and
Janie- S Ho** , Privileges with doubtful legislative
After thanking the laborers for the ,,boy b?vc h"™™ al-
compllment paid to hlrn and discuss-; i' ??,IHJaW ot
Ing their condition In general, «dvls- v. rights. 1 hus fortified, they can
ing them how lo raise and educate "tan"la.labor^ conflirt arid make the
their children, acquire and embellish , ,'1 "J* , . b"'"' Quite ail the
their homes and to go Into politics, he J",. * years have occurred
_____ stocks In the aggregate to exceed the!
government Is at fault wherein It has ' reasonable value of Its
with local corporations In the cities.
Hut the welfare of the people all over
the state is more or less affected by
them.
In many ways they seriously Involve
the people of Texas. True! we were Jhe general public; they produce bit-
deeply concerned in the Pullman strike i among Innocent people;
of 1884, which gave occasion to the.'hey lead to lawlessness or vicious
president, elected as a Democrat, to| men; thcy beMttje municipal govern-
cut down state lines and thrust the
military arm into the vitals of the con-
stitution; and It is true that we were
interested In the anthracite coal strike
of 1902, which afforded a Republican
president a chance to Ignore thut prec-
edent and to play his first hand of di-
plomacy on the striking laborers and
by his magic wand to lull them Into
docile submission and peaceful servi-
tude to the merciless coal barons; and
furthermore. It Is true that the people
everywl.ere ate conceme 1 In the
dreadful conflicts of late years between
organized labor and the trusts, from
which such enormous losses occur and
the tranquility of our civil Institutions
Is menaced; but after all, we must keep
within our sphere, attend to our do-
mestic affairs, put our own house first
In order andi probably our neighbors
will follow the excellent example to
their own advantage. All that we can
write and say; all the scolding and
complaining we may do, and all the
advice and lectures we may give can
not affect the people's affairs Ih other
states. Rectify wrong conditions In an
ment; they encourage contempt for
state authority; they aggrandise the
powers of the federal government,
and they sow the seeds of discord and
resentment In the feelings of the
workmen's children who know that !n
the contest, won or lost, all the blame
and damage are laid at the poverty-
stricken door of labor. It Is high
time these evils are being remedied.
How? you ask. My answer Is to pass
other corporation laws by which the
causes that provoke or produce them
shall be prevented. Puttern after a
good example long ago set with rail-
ways In this state. Our laws govern-
ing them are models. Since their
adoption, more than ten years ago, we
have had no strikes among their oper-
atives. Before these laws were passed
we had frequent, stubborn "tie ups"
among them. In those days when hard
times came the managers were com-
pelled, at the behests of their for-
eign superiors, to cut wages, to re-
duce forces, to increase dally hours
of labor, and to raise traffic rates to
intolerable degree. In other
properties to
be uffected thereby.
2. Thut every such corporation shall,'
under the supervision of the railroad'
commission, make an itemised price,
list of Its assets, duly- sworn to, which
shall be by it filed with the secretary I
of stale as a public declurutlon of Its
properties and their values.
3. That on presenting the price list;
of assets to the railroad commission j
the said commission shall approve it;
If it Is correct. If tt Is not, then the
commission shall have an expert to
pass on and report as to the said prop-!
orty and values In the same way, un-|
der the same rules andi regulations gov-1
ernlng like service as to railways and:
j their properties.
4. That said price list so filed shall
be held and accepted by all tax as-1
sessors and boards of equalization as
prima facie evidence of the fair values
for taxation of the company's assets.
i 6. That no such company on penalty!
j of forfeiting Its charter, shall Issue, |
; give or grunt lo any person, firm, cor-'
' poratlon or compuny, a frank, free
pass or free rate of toll, or a less toll
or rate to any one less than to another;:
except to Its own officers and employes,
a list of whose names, slating their lo-
calton and the nature of their employ-
ment Jn which they are severally en-
gaged, shull be filed with the secretary
of state.
6. That no two or more of such cor-
porations whose business Is or may
become probably competitive, or whose
lines are purallel or cortlpetlng shall in
any way consolidate their business,
property, franchises, lorces or manage-
ment.
7. That no corporation shall have
grar.te<l to It by single or several acts
or ordinances, any franchise or cor-
porate right to extend longer thun thir-
ty years from its original act of in-
corporation; but that any renewal
thereof at expiration Of the first grant
shall be subject to the sole discretion
of the council or legislature having
control qf the subject.
8. That a board of arbitration to bs
composed of, say, the secretary ft
state, the commissioner of agriculture
and the adjutant general or president
of the University, shall be created and
given power to Investigate and sett's
all strikes by the employes of corpo-
rations In this stste.
Some such laws as these should be
Mssed bv the next legislature. At all
It Is true that the man who eats his
bread In the sweat of his face Is the
one whose shoulders these burdens are
now and In the future must rest, yet
the general public, responsible for the
wrongs, must stand a greater afflic-
, tlon.
| Following nre some extracts from
other parts of his speech;
i In time of war It Is the duty of a
| patriot to defend his country against
; encroacning armfes nnd to protect the
j defenseless women and children as well
as the non-combatants whtf are too
cowardly to shoulder a gun or un-
slieath a sword against a common foe.
I In time of peace the patriot's duty is
to protect his country against the leg-
ilslatlve encroachment of corruption-
Ists and to shield the defenseless wo*
men and children as well as the hordes
or men who are too cowardly to vote
or to publicly express their political
sentiments.
A patriot finds more difficulty In pro-
tecting his country in times of peace
while the people are slubbering in the
cradles of harmony than It Is to defend
It In time of war when they are shocke J
by bnttle's carnage Into life and action.
As poets In their fancy commum
with uiigels to bring back sweet mu-
sic to human souls, so should publlb
men cast their minds Into the future
to bring back to the living the tidings
of what should be done to leave pos-
terity the heritage of good govern-
ment.
When the triplicate forces of human
power, the heads, hearts and hands,
nre zealously combined by the patriots
of Texas In support of salutary re-
forms the corporate henchman and
lobbyists must change their songs,
shift their places, and step aside to
make way for the people s will. They
did this Is 1892. They will do It again
when some fcurless man rises to lead
ilia way.
The statesman looks down through
the eyes deep into the heurts of count-
less posterity to leurn their Interests
and hopos In government, and works
to accommodate them, as well as to
help the living.
The politician keeps his eyes on pub-
lic office (ind schemes to get It.
With the ballot's monkey wrench,
the laborers should tighten the taps
of governmental machinery so that
no loose laws may fly about to hurt
them.
To preserve liberty against these
special privilege grabbers you must
keep your hand on your ballot, your
eye on your legislator, and your mind
on the course of your government.
To crave sympathy is humiliating.
To deserve respect is elevating.
In distress let your tears trickle
Into und soothe your own heart, for
they are brine to other people.
Send your children to school. Edu-
cate them. Teach them that this gov-
ernment 1s theirs, but that U they ex-
pect to keep special privilege freeboot-
ers from stealing it they must be vigl*
hint in their political affairs.
Teai-h your chlldreVi to obey tb«
commands of Qod, to love good gov-
ernment and struggle to make it bet-
ter.
There, is a small black cloud
an electric wink encircling It
above the political horizon,
warns the lobbyists, consolldat
and their servile sansculotters,
typhoon of ballots is coming to i
them from the legislative halls
as Into contempt and Ignominy T
ever. '
Let the pure air of Heaven '
benighted souls that '
a Just opinion of
M
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Park, Milton. Southern Mercury. (Dallas, Tex.), Vol. 24, No. 36, Ed. 1 Thursday, September 8, 1904, newspaper, September 8, 1904; (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth186064/m1/1/: accessed July 17, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; .