Jasper County Democrat, Volume 7, Number 29, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 22 October 1904 — Page 4 Advertisements Column 4 [ADVERTISEMENT]

The Republicans are putting up a game of bluff in an effort to inspire the party with confidence, yet many of the men who are now claiming the state for Roosevelt were equally as loud in proclaiming that he would prove a weak candidate. It was not expected that Governor Durbin aiid other Indiana Republicans of the office-holding variety would like Judge Parker’s letter. Well, hardly. The average citizen would say that It is an outrage to override the decision of the local boards of review and, increase the assessments ona land In a county 50 per cent and at the same time take the Judgment of railroad corporations on the value of their property and fix the appraisements accordingly. But this is what a Republican tax board has done, and one of the consequences is that railroad property is assessed on a valuation of $23,000,000 less than It should be. But, worse than this, the board has really reduced these assessments $16,000,000, when Increases In trackage are considered, in the past nine years. When a Republican speaker advocates the increase of our merchant marine he means to subsidize certain large corporations, and when he talks

of industrial combinations he means the trusts. These are but the polite terms that the “grafters” require the Republican orators to use when speaking of them. The words “trust” and “ship subsidy” have come to be obnoxious to the people, and the Republicans are now employing the milder terms. Every Democrat admires William Jennings Bryan and the most zealous of his followers will feel on election day as Mr. Bryan feels now when he says: “If Judge Parker could vote for me when the money question was paramount. I can vote for him when we are confronted with another and greater-issue than the money question.” The State Grange of Pennsylvania has asked Republican politicians the following question: “Will you, if elected, assist in passing legislation which will enable American citizens to buy Amercan products as cheaply, at home as they are sold abroad?” Why don’t the farmers of Indiana ask the same question? Senator Fairbanks declares that the Republican party may be trusted to deal with the subject of a ship subsidy “in a- patriotic and sensible way.” Unfortunately the two Indiana Senators have demonstrated by their votes for the ship subsidy steal just what a “patriotic and sensible way” is. It was President Roosevelt who declared that a cowboy 1s a better companion than small farmers, mechanics or laborers, but Mr. Roosevelt was not * candidate then.

Edwin St. George Rogers, the well known Indianapolis lawyer whom the Populists recently placed upon their state ticket as the candidate for attorney general, has sent a letter to the cahirman of the Populist committee declining to make the race. Mr, Rogers is a Democrat and favors the election of Judge Parker. He to also conscious of the fact that it Is the duty of every Democrat to stand by his party and attempt to bring the country back to the recognition of those great principles of governtqent that obtained before the Republicllns came into power. Mr. Rogers also recognizes the fact thkt every vote cast for a third party by men who are in no sense in sympathy with the Republican principles Is *n aid to the Republicans and against the Democrats. The honor of a nomination under such circumstances has do attractions for him. Hon. Iffcnry G. Davis touches on many important questions in his letter of acceptance, but his utterances on imperialism are specially cogent and should bo borne In mind by every lover of his country. "Imperialism,” he declares, “Is hurtful and abhorrent in a free government and subversive of free institutions. The policy of imperialism—ls It can be said to have a policy—ls always dangerous to liberty. Its powers are first exercised In faroff territory and on conquered people, but once adopted for acquired and distant* possessions, it becomes, sooner or later, the rule, of the home government. Liberty and free government have always been secured at the cost of great sacrifices, but history teaches us that both can be easily 'lost without the knowledge of the people." '