Jasper County Democrat, Volume 9, Number 26, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 29 September 1906 — JUDGE DARROCH [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

JUDGE DARROCH

Formally Accepts Nomination for Congress. ♦ A STRONG AND SENSIBLE LETTER. Democratic Candidate Tells Chairman Risk Why Me Accepts the Honor Conferred Upon Him. Mr. James K. Risk, Democratic Chairman of the 10th Congressional District, Lafayette, Ind.: Dear Sir: The time is at hand when perhaps it is proper, that I should say something to you, and through yon ah district chairman, to the voters of the 10th Congressional District of Indiana touching the Democratic nomination for congress so generously and unexpectedly tendered me last Jnly. Sensible of the high honor conferred I feel some distress from a consciousness that the little of time and thought I have heretofore given and can now give toward an active political canvas will be but a poor apology for what is usually required and expected. My inclination has never been in the direction of political campaigning. What little of energy and ability I possess has been given up to the exacting duties of of a business life among the people with whom for many years I have bad the good fortune to be associated. My inclination in that direction is fixed and strong, and I bad reached the conclusion not to be drawa into the vortex of political action.

It is true, however, that where people are sovereign the exigencies of publio affairs require that personal inclination must often give way to public duty. The principles of a political party would be of little value if the voters of that party be deprived of the privilege of expressing their convictions at the polls. To give expression to political convictions candidates are necessary, and at this time when the conscience of an active Presidqpt is impelling him, without the mandate of his party, to force a republican Congress to enact democratic measures into public law, it is especially important that the voters of each congressional district have the opportunity and privilege of voting for a candidate who, from principle and political belief, can act with the President along democratic lines in the correction of evils engrafted into the body-politic by the political heresies of republicanism. It its also eminently fitting that in a democratic convention the candidate should {be selected by the people delegated thereto rather than be permitted to force himself upon the convention with all the arts, efforts and cunning known to political craft, ahd in suoh a self-asservative way as to warrant the conclusion that he was controlled by a consciousness that he was born tp rule rather than to serve. Self exploitation for political nominations rarely involves the solution of any principle of political faith; but usually involves only a personal effort for selfaggrandizement. If for the time the self-seeker is rewarded with success at the eleotion, public office beoomes prostituted to private pecuniary gain; or if ambition be the goal it then becomes . but the stepping stone to a higher station, and in either oase leads from publio duty and is alike demoralizing. The problem of chiefest concern now seems to be the repression and regulation of the evil methods of men and corporations of great wealth. That their evil tendencies exist is oonceded by all, and that they are a proper subjeot of government policy is denied by none. The position of the present administration in that regard is reactionary; not in harmony with past party aotion, nor with present avowed party policy. The subject of taxation is always important, because always exacting. The policy of protection for protection's sake, as engrafted into our revenue laws, teaohes that be who may enjoy its direct benefit shall have the law-

ful right to claim and receive for' his prc ducts more than their fnirj market value; that he may exact somethng for which no equivalent! in value is returned or expected to! be returned, Carried into logical! effect we have the authorized tak- i ing of the labor and the products of the labor of one citizen for the enrichmennt of another, and without full, fair compensation. Such a policy teaches that thrift in private business undertakings by legislative enactment is legitimate business; that the use of the taxing power of the government to enrich individuals and corporations is proper. Persons engaged in industries not thus directly protected sought to evolve a business scheme whereby they might also thrive at the expense of others, and trusts and trade combinations were formed to destroy competition, regulate the output and fix the price thereof without special regard as to the cost of production.

Trusts and trade combinations for increased profits are formed for protection; are a part of a general scheme of protection, only less baneful than protection through the taxing power, because not clothed with the respectability of legislative enactment. If we are to assail the evils of the one system of protection why not the other. Since the break has been made and from a republican quarter, why not now return to one of the fundamental principles of this government that there should be no special privileges to any, and say that no policy wljich violates that principle is a safe policy, however plausable it may be maintained. With our boundless resources of natural wealth in all its various forms, with our genius for accomplishment, we have long permitted ourselves to be duped and misled by the dazzling spectacle of prosperity, as if that were a surprising thing and an unexpected thing. Seasons of greater prosperity and material development have always followed with the increasing volume of the medium of exchange circulating as money, and under these oonditions will exist in spite of trust protection or tariff protection. This republican polioy of thrift by legislation has existed so long, has been supported with such constancy and the return* flowing from it have been so fixed and sure that the profit sharers of its bounty have come to regard it ah a vested right; and thus it was that it became natural and perfectly easy for a United States Senator, who had grown rich through the senseless tariff on lumber, to openly declare on the floor of the Senate that his aotion as a United States Senator on a statehood bill was effeoted by bis private investments in the territory involved. While to him this position may

have seemed natural and proper, to the ordinary citizen it is certainly suggestive of moral mendacity or mental decay, When occurrences like this can be published broadcast to tbe country, bf a United States Senator without exciting indignation in the ranks of the party, with whom be is affiiliated, it is fitting and proper that the subject of “Civic Righteousness” be inducted into tbe politics of that party as a proper subject of popular debate. Mr. Chairman, the President of the United States having been compelled to subject himself to the just criticism of violating his executive duty and encroaching upon the legislative branch of the government, for the purpose of securing a little beneficial and purely democratic legislation, the people should see to it that he be relieved frpm further criticism ou that by electing democrats to Congress. It is the duty of every voter to inform himself well on all public questions and to vote bis honest convictions thereon. In the persuit of that information it is doubtful if the best results will be obtained by committing political education to candidates for public office. Their advice usually comes in the heat of a political canvas, and as a rule is charged with fervid declamation calculated to inflame rather than to advise and instruct.

It is believed by some and is now being urged that tbe Advisory Initiative should be applied to questions of public concern; that is to say, the measure or proposition shall be stated in specific terms and determined by a direct vote of tbe people; .that if this course be persued it will create a mfire general and rational enquiry into public questions and give to tbe individual voter a larger inter, eat and a greater responsibility in publio affairs. Any proposition that gives to the individual citizen the largest measure of personal liberty, and the largest measure of individual politioai liberty and power, violates no rule of true democracy and ought to receive the endorsement of every true patriot. Whether one man is eleoted or whether another man is elected is a matter of small concern to tbe general public; but it is of concern that men be elected to\Congress who favor general and not special interest; economy and not extravagance in the" administration of public affairs; tbe largest measure of liberty and power reserved to the individual citizen that is consistent with good government; a revision of the taxing law, not by the friends* of protection, but by the friends of tbe people and the friends of revision; the right of trial by jury unimpaired'; the repression of all svUb and abuses of corporate wealth,

even to the extent of invading the right of contract or the right of corporate existence, if the extent of the evil justify and the general welfare of the people require it. Entertaining the views here expressed and obedient to the mandate of the people who nominated me, I now formally accept the nomination tendered and shall cheerfully abide by whatever decision tbe voters may render at the coming election. Very truly yours,

WILLIAM DARROCH.

JUDGE WILLIAM DARROCH.