Show j j f ir REGENERATED DEMOCRACY Democracy means the rule of oi the people The Den Democratic party was founded by the men whose whoso superb genius triumphed in the tho formation of our federal government and gave ave us the American Constitution The foundation laid so broad and deep by Jefferson and his workers co-workers stands to-day to the b bulwark of liberty notwithstanding the storms of a century L The Tho principles of Democracy and the fundamentals of liberty and popular government go are so interwoven interwoven interwoven inter inter- woven in the American heart that it is only necessary for the tho occasion occasion occasion occa occa- sion to arise to demonstrate their tremendous vitality Slavery an inherited curse went down in the throes of internecine internecine internecine inter inter- strife and left the foundations foundations foundations of the government broader and stronger than ever before Only those whose intellectual and moral statue falls below the true American level entertained doubt regarding the future of the American Americ Ameri Ameri- c can n republic American blood I will not pulsate indifferently when dangers are threatening Party ties are stron strong but are not strong enough to strangle that inborn love of liberty which permeates the American heart In 1861 the first shot fired on Sum Sumter tor obliterated political parties as such for the time being and the firing dine alone divided the people into two hostile camps An inconsistency in our political and social system was eradicated by bythe bythe bythe the sternest process known among men and the union of states made permanent and indestructible The grand American Union stands today and will stand let letus letus letus us hope through endless ages a monument to the heroism of a North and a South The memories inseparable from such a conflict are no no lon longer er perpetuated in anger and the te parties to the most terrific clash of arms in history accept the verdict verdi t and mutually mutually admire admire and share the honors due to heroism and und valor No defender of the Union decries the courage and manly qualities of the foe he ho metin metin met mot motin in Dixie while the loyalty of the themen the men of the South to American ideals is today challenging the tho admiration of the world and paralyzing the tongue of criticism In 1896 a new problem that had arisen since the civil war reached an acute stage demanding immediate immediate immediate im im- mediate action upon the part of the masses of the people to stay the hand of their despoilers and prevent the government passing passin irrevocably into the hands bands of an un oligarchy of b bondholders bondholders bond bond- nd- nd holders banks and corporations The problem now confronting the people unlike any that preceded i i r tr- tr it had no territorial d delimitation and therefore did not carry cairy in iti it s sn the inhabitants of a section neither did the leaders in contro control of either political party use tin the e party machine in defense of the th e masses but on the contrary y the machinery of both bott h political parties was in the hand s of the money power and corporations corpora t thus us divesting the uprising of the people of that spirit of partisan partisan par par- bias that blindly sweeps sweep s millions in its train The political revolution of 1896 proceeded proceed d from individuals am and d cut in all all directions receiving its it s momentum from the intellect an and d conscience of each Republicans Republican s sought to force their party t tc to tomake o make the issue Democrats denounced denounced denounced de de- the action of the President President President dent they elected as a betrayal o othe oi of f the people and fought for e integrity of their party against t the patronage of the federal government Many despairing of being able to redeem their respective respective respective re re- parties from monopoly y control formed an independent silver party while others others- allied d themselves with the Peoples People's party part y The test was a crucial one O On n one side wealth and privilege was wa s the aggressor wielding the machinery machinery machinery ma ma- chinery of both political parties cracking their whips over the tho heads of the voters and conjuring in the name and by bj the traditions of both the Republican and Democratic Democratic Democratic Demo Demo- cratic parties Opposed to them we find at first individual voters members of both parties but in control of neither without organization organization organization organ organ- having no press and und numbering in their ranks but few possessed of sufficient means to enable them to contribute to the cause Defying ridicule and laboring against odds that tried mens men's souls the movement for moneta monetary ry independence independence independence in in- dependence and industrial emancipation emancipation emancipation pation spread among the rank lank and file of all tall parties until in 1896 numbering its votaries by hundreds of thousands it throw down the gauntlet to all political parties and forced a new political alignment The battle of 1896 was a battle worthy of Americans The national character was not only sustained but popular popular popular lar government and free institutions institutions institutions were vindicated The fruits of a century of freedom and universal universal universal uni uni- versal education became manifest and plutocracy awoke from its revel to read its doom In that grand struggle in which the masses of the voters in the Democratic party rose in rebellion against a corrupt leadership and repudiated an m administration mini tr tion placed in power by their own wn votes re registering the water high-water I mark of civilization the people of r i j i 1 i v k k I ff 1 s I tilO the South acted a lea leading g gix ix part rt and won th greater eater glary The Democratic party p purified I and i regen stands as a rock lock of adamant against the forces of monopoly im imp imperialism and militarism It is the custodian I and defender of f the fruits of the I struggles and triumphs of the fathers of the republic It of right claims the allegiance of all who believe in the government of j the people for forthe the people and by bythe the people It is the only party that in the coming contest will l stand by and maintain as sacred j truth every precept of the immortal immortal immortal im im- mortal Declaration of It will win because in the coming I struggle it represents the interests interests interests inter inter- ests of the masses of the people and is the only instrumentality that can be bo used for their deliverance de do- I liverance from slavery to organized organized organ organ- greed National National Watchman |