Democratic Sentinel, Volume 14, Number 21, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 13 June 1890 — ILLINOIS DEMOCRATS. [ARTICLE]

ILLINOIS DEMOCRATS.

GEN. JOHN M. PALMER NOMINATED FOR UNITED STATES SENATOR. The Largest and Most Enthusiastic Convention tn the History of the State—A Winning Ticket Placed in the Field—A Ringing Platform— Speech of General Palmer. The Illinois Democratic Convention, ■which met at Springfield on Wednesday, the 4th inst., was the largest, most enthusiastic, and most harmonious the party ever held in the State. The Democracy of Illinois, represented by its ablest leaders from all sections of the State, met in this convention and enunciated a declaration of principles and nominated candidates which will bring success to the party in the Prairie State at the coming election. Led by th t fearless old campaigner, General John M. Palmer, whose every utterance alike inspires the Democracy with confidence and strikes fear to the heart of the Republican leaders, the party of Illinois needs only that unity which seems already assured to redeem the State from Republican misrule. Joseph B, Manner, of Danville, who was made temporary Chairman of the convention, delivered an eloquent speech. A letter was read from Grover Cleveland, declining with regrets an invitation to be present and address the convention, but expressing a hope of success for the ticket to be chosen. It was received with loud cheers. Judge E. S. Wilson, of Olney, was nominated on the first ballot for State Treasurer, and Henry Raab, of Belleville, was nominated by acclamation for Superintendent of Public Instruction. Richard T. Morgan of Livingston, John H. Bryant of Bureau County, nnd N. W. Graham of Jackson County were nominated for Trustees of the State University. A resolution indorsing Gen. Palmer for United States Senator was ?assed amid great applause, and Gen. 'aimer was cheered to the echo on his appearance. He spoke as follows: Gentlemen of the Convention : In 1883 the Democracy of Illinois paid me in full for all the services I had ever rendered, for they gave me every vote they could command. No party ever did better or can do better than that. The Bern icracy of Illinois have to-day paid me in full in advance for all that I can hereafter do for them. They have nominated me as their candidate for United Stat's Senator. They have not promised to elect me. They have given me a •commission to get out and make battle for the Democracy, and have promised to do all they can to help me. That is all any of us can do But it must not be understood that the Democracy of Illinois intend that I shall go out • and light everybody; my mission is a very pe■culiar one,' The Democracy of Illinois have commissioned me in their name to make an •a tempt to popularize the Senate of the United States. I am not, as has been said by some of ■my friends who write for the newspapers—l am not bound as an expositor or definerof Democratic faith. There are thousands of Democrats in the State who attend to that job whenever required. It does not need any special champion. The fact is, there is a growing feeling throughout the country, not •confined to Illinois, that the national Senale is •becoming an element of danger instead of good. It is the only body of officials that is not responsible to anybody. Tho President, when nomi■uated by the national convention, although he takes but a small part in the canvass that precedes the election, is made tho subject of criti•cism, his whole life is examined, his business relations are discussed and at last the peoplq pass upon the man whose name is presented to them. Not so with a Senator. Sometimes, as is found in this State when the Governor uses his patronage while occupying the position of Chief Magistrate of Ihe State, and later on secures a majority of the Legislature; when the Legislature assembles the party caucus actually nominates him; he ceases to be Governor and becomes Senator, and from that time forth he is responsible to nobody. He travels through the State during State elections and criticises 'the State, but is responsible to nobody. It is the purpose of the Democracy of Illinois that hereafter when the Senator comes into the State •somebody shall take care of him. It is intended hereafter that the Senators from Illinois slyill give an account of them selves. Heretofore, as I have sa : d, they have traveled through the State, responsible to nobody. National expenditures are increasing at a fearful rate; the new State of Montana is organized and two Senators stolen, and we are threatened now with an election law which is to make our Representatives just what the partyin )>ower may ch lose it shall be. Our Sena ors •will take part in this, but when they come into Illinois it is the purpose of tho Democracy that they shall answer for those acts at the bar of public opinion. They shall ba asked, “Why is it the people of the Stats of Montana are not to be allowed to have Senators that represent them?" They will be required to respond to those questions. They will be asked: “What have tho people of the Slate of Illinois done that the power and control over their own elections shall be taken from them and placed in the hands of irresponsible Federal officials ?’ They will not escape by wrapping their senatorial toga—don’t they call it that—around them. It is the intention of the Democracy that these men shall be compelled to answer. Here they will be surrounded by the representatives of 400,0X1 Democratic votes, and an answer will be •demanded. Than is the intention of your Action to-day—not to-provide a champion for l emocratic principles, not the sending forth of knight errants to one: unter wind-mills. The purpose is that hereaf er these Senatorial men shall be made responsible, their acts shall be inquired into, nnd they shall be called to respond for them just as other people are required to do. That is tho purpose of the movement. It is to popularize tho Senate of the United States. In other States gentlemen have found an evidence tbav satisfies many people, and iu some of those States the request of a senatorial car didate for votes is expressed in the form of a check. It will be the purpose of tne Democratic party that such checks snail not pass current m senatorial elections hereafter, but that the official conduct of those officials shall be investigated. They shall, for the first time in our history, be made responsible for their conduct. "We know that in the earlier history of the republic the senator was regarded as so much of a servant of the State that legislatures instructed them as to their duty and tho common Jaw of politics of the party required that the senator should obey the instructions given by the hgislature or resi.-n, and tho legislature would elect some one else who would repect the , wishes of the people who sent him. But all tnat has passed by, and no .v those gentlemen are responsible to nobody. Thp party caucus actually makes the romiration. the majority elects him for the time being sena.or, and the senator is under no obligation to answer for his conduct to anybody, aud in this case 1 say this action on the part of the Do.r.ocratic party of Iha State is a warning to Mr. Cullom, u monition to Mr. Far well ana to those mtn generally of the Republican party that when they think proper to nominate a senator they will do it. Well, this commission may be a charge to me, and you must take care that your principles are enforced. There are thousands of Democrats all over the Si ate, while this work on this charge is being performed, who will take care of the followers behind. That is the mission upon which, you have sent mo. Gentlemen of the convention, I trust during the cam ass I may be able to render an additional service to the Demociatic party—that is, to assure them of my belief that Illinois is today a, Democratic State. It is to assure the Democracy'o'f the State that the time has come when they mat be Democrats without forfeiting their social standing or injuring their character as members of churches. That now public opinion has so far changed that not only is that true, but the intellect and intelligence of the country is now with the Demociatic party and that the work of the party from this time forward requires but this, that the old men should r .member they still ojve duties to

their country which will last as long as they live- that the men in middle life will feel that good government must be maintained for the welfare of their children, that it is upon the young men we must depend in this struggle, and I, for one, will say in this campaign I want to be regarded as a captain Ipr on 6 purpose. I want to say to every young Democrat in this State that you have the right to go forth and fight this battle for good government, and if you fight it earnestly you will win it. Most of the Republican party believe they should stand by the men in power, and their patriotism requires that the older they get the more money they should receive. They have succeeded to all the patriotism of the old soldiers in the army, and still require that you shonld provide for them for their noble services to the country. That is not true with the young man, and you now will have to fight for the principles of- the Democratic pa ty. Gentleman of the convention, it is not necessary that I should say 1 thank you most profoundly for this additional evidence of your confidence. I thank you with my whole heart for your kindness. I have retd with the greatest interest the proceedings in your county conventions and the kind words spoken of me, and I have felt grateful to all of you. and I shall enter into this canvass atd upon this contest with all the energy I can employ in that direction. I believe sometimes I read a newspaper published by my young friend Mr. Medill, who designates me as'a decrepit old man. 1 have only to say that if he dees not quit that I will treat him as the prophet did the boys—l will set the bears on him. I will set the bears after these juveniles who follow me. I shall endeavor to make a good fivht for the good cause, and I shall call one and all of you to do your full share in this work. There is to be no off year in politics in Illinois any longer. The Democracy of Illinois does not require the incentive of a Presidential election to bring them out to work, This should be no off year. It should be one of labor for the cause of right and justice, and that the people may be delivered from the terrible oppression under which they now labor. Gentlemen, I repeat my thanks, and with that I am done. The convention then adjourned amid enthusiastic cheering.

The Platform. The following resolutions were unanimously adopted by the convention: The Democracy of Illinois, in convention assembled, reaffirm the principles of the party as laid down in the platform adopted by tho national convention in St. Louis in 1888. Realizing that a tariff is a tax, we insist now, as heretofore, that such a revenue as is required to honestly and economically administer the Government should be raised from internal revenue taxes and duties upon articles of luxury, thus exempting and making cheaper all articles needed by the masses of the people. The admission of the fraudulent Senators from Montana and the unseating of Representatives duly elected, in order to add greater strength to the Republican majority, are precedents alike dangerous to the safety and perpetuity of the Government. lor over a quarter of a century the finances of the State of Illinois have been in the hands < of the Republican party. Every year more taxes are levied than are called for by the laws passed by the Legislature. It is time for a change in order that there may be an overhauling of the books. We denounce the Republican party of Illinois for its broken promises and pledges made to the farmers and laborers of the State; not so equalizing the taxes as to compel the large corporations and trusts to pay their equal proportion of our State, county, and municipal tuxes is a crime against the farmer and laborer that loudly calls for redress. We domand of the State Board of Equalization an honest enforcement of the law as interpreted by the Supreme Court, in order that various corporations of the State shall no longer escape the payment of their just proportion of taxes. The imposition of over 75 per cent, of the taxes upon the lands of the Stiue is a wrong which calls loudly for redress, and is u just cause for complaint by tho already overburdened farmers of the State. Knowing that there is no calling in the State so hazardous as that of tho coal miner, we demand the enactment of a law a' olisbing forever the system of truck stores, the enactment of u law for the examination of mine busses, the enactment of a law providing for the examination or stationary engineers, tho enactment of a law providing for the weighing of coal before screening, and the amendment of mining laws so us to provide for the inspectors of tne respective inspection distric.s or some other competent person to act us sealer of weights und measures for the adjustment of scales upon which coal is weighed at the mines. We are in favor of tho eight-hour work day. We cannot Hird language strong enough to condemn the McKinley tariff tax bill, considering it a crime and conspiracy against the toilers of America which is intended to impoverish the masses and benefit a' small class that ore already millionaires. We recognize in it the consummation of an unjust agreement between tne Republican party and manufacturers and others profiting by the protective tariff, which agrrement we suspected at the time of the last Republican national convention and charged In the last campalgrr. We demand absolute economy in all the various departments of the Stats and National Governments, and the discharge of all unnecessary employes who are kept upon the pay-roll merely because they are partisan favorites. ■ We favor the adoption of the Australian ballot system, so as to provide a fair and secret ballot. Ever since the Republican party have had control of the office of State Treasurer, public moneys of Illinois have been deposited in banks outside this State, without profit to this State or its people. The Democratic partv pledges itself that all deposits of State funds shall be in Illinois banks, and that the interest thereon shall ba paid into the State Treasury, aud that such legislation as is necessary shall be enacted to carry this resolution into effect. We favor the election or United States Senator by direct vote of the people. We demand that all unnecessary restrictions be removed from the coinage of silver. We are in favor of the election of the Railroad and Warehouse Commissioners by direct vote of the people. We are opposed to class legislation in every particular. We denounce the bill now pending in Congress known as the ship subsidy bill as a species of vicious and unjust class legislation, and we deny the right of Congress to tax the whole people to raise money to pay a subsidy or bounty to this or any other private enterprise. Whebeas, There has long been a combination between publishers of school books to avoid competition aud extort exorbitant prices, therefore we favor the preparation and publication of a series of school books and furnishing the same to the school children of this State at actual cost. Resolved, That the Democratic party in convention assembled heartily indorse the public school system of the State of Illinois, and it declares that the parental right to direct and control the education of the child should forever remain inviolate, and that the provision of the law of 1889, commonly known as the compulsory education statute, impairing that inalienable right, should be at once repealed. Respecting this subject we adopt the following propositions and hold them to be self-evident truths : 1. To determine and direct the education of ths child is a natural right of the parent. 2. There arises out of this parental right the duty to provide education. 3. When one who by natural or humane law owes a duty to another fails to perform that duty the State can (a) enjoin or compel performance, (b) punish for non-performance, (c) supply the lack where the injury of society by non-performance is wrongfully persisted in. 4. Wise statesmanship encourages general popular education, but does not mean or require unjust or unnecessary interference with those who are educating their children according to the best of their ability aud conformably to tho condition in life of parent and child.

5. Compulsory education, in ttio sense that parents who violate or neglect their parental duty may be compelled to its performance or punished for non-performance, is licit. 6. Compulsory education, in the sense of controlling or sacking to control or dislodging from their rightful place those parents who are discharging their parental duties commensurately with the state of life of parent or child, is not allowable even to the state. 7. For the education of his children one parent may select the public school, another may select the private or denominational school, still another may furiflsh proper education without the aid of any school, and each of the Hires in so doing exercises a right protected by the law of the land as well as by the law of nature, and for doing which he need offer neither excuse nor apology. 8. The public and private or denominational schools are in law neither related* nor are they

subordinate one to the other, nor used they bo antagonistic. We favor and pledge onr selves to the enactment of statutes, first, to require parents who are not performing their duty in respect to educating their children to do so; second, to correct incorrigible truants by providing- means for their amendment and to minimize the evils of truancy by sending truant children to such schools ae ihs parents may designate; third, to prohibit child labor, with all its debasing consequences.