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The Commoner.
The Platform of the Nebraska
'' " Reported to the democratic state convention,
hold at Omnha, Juno 1, by Mr. Bryan, chairman
of the committee on resolutions, and unanimously
adopted:
We, tho democrats of the state of Nebraska, In
convention assembled, reailirm our laltli in demo
cratic principles as those principles were set forth
in tho last national platform of the party, adopted
lit Kansas City in 1000.
Democracy means the rule of the people a
government resting upon the consent of the gov
erned and administered according to tho will, and
in tho interest of the people.
With an Increasing love for the principles of
democracy and an increasing confidence in their
final triumph, we look upon tho present time as
opportune for their earnest and courageous pro
mulgation. With a chief executive who has dis
regarded constitutional limitations, stirred up an
tagonism between the races, employed all the
powers of his office to secure a renomination and
purchased political support by turning tho treas
ury department over to the financiers and putting
tho law department in tho hands of the trusts
with such a chief executive and with republican
leaders openly and arrogantly In alliance with
organized wealth, tho country imperatively needs
a return of tho government to positive and clearly
defined democratic principles. Democracy as
taught by Jefferson and exemplified by Jackson is
the hope of tho republic and offers the only relief
from tho plutocracy which now dominates the re
publican party, and through that party, the
country.
Democracy would oppose as inimical to the
welfare of tho people all private monopolies, and
would exterminate them by the enforcement of the
remedies suggested in the Kansas City platform.
Tho failure of the present administration to en
force the existing laws or to suggest more effec
tive laws, is conclusive proof that it lackB the de
sire, tho intelligence or tho moral courage to at
tack tho conscienceless combinations of capital
that have flourished during recent years.
Democracy would relievo the country of tho
menaco of militarism and imperialism by follow
ing the example set by this country in its dealings
with Cuba, and giving the Filipinos an immediate
promise of ultimate independence. The adminis
tration of a colonial system according to mon
archical principles is repugnant to our theory of
government and cannot be defended without tho
assertion of doctrines' which, if carried out, will
' andormino free government in the United States.
Democracy would restore the tariff to a rev
nnuo basis and administer it for revenue only,
thus demolishing the legal bulwark behind which
tho predatory trusts have found refuge.. Protec
tion for protection's- sake is an ingenious device
for tho exploitation of tho masses by the priv
. ileged classes; it has brought great injustice to
the consumers and has been tho fruitful source of
widespread political corruption.
Democracy would administer the treasury de
partment in behalf of the public, not, as now, in
the interest of Wall street. It would prevent tho
recolnago of legal tender silver dollars into lim
ited legal tender subsidiary coin; it would secure
to the people a volume of standard money suffic
ient to keep pace with the demand for money; it
would favor paper money issued by the govern
ment without tho intervention of national banks;
it would resist tho attempt to establish an "asset
currency and branch banks, and it would oppose
tho loaning of government money to favorito banks
a scheme by which tho people's money is em
ployed to lay a foundation for a campaign fund
and to bribe the financial interests to oppose any
reduction of taxation. The present administra
tion of the treasury department is progressively
"beneficial to the capitalistic class and progressively
harmful to the producers of wealth
Democracy would make taxation more equit
able by collecting a part of the revenues from an
income tax, secured by a constitutional amend
ment, and would bring the government nearer to
the people by the popular election of United States
senators and by direct legislation.
Democracy would strictly regulate the rail
- roads, thus protecting farmers and merchants from
excessive rates and discriminations.
Democracy would safeguard the interests of
strikes and lockouts and by restoring the right of
trial by jury, now suspended through government
by injunction.
Democracy would securo to the surviving sol
diers and sailors and their dependents generous
pensions, not by an arbitrary executive order, but
by legislation which a grateful people stand ready
to enact.
Democracy would construct an isthmian canal
without a violation of treaty obligations and with
out exciting suspicion among our sister republics
of Central and South America.
Democracy would regard public office as a
public trust, provide for an honest and economical
administration of the government, and punish
with severity any betrayal of official duty.
Domocracy has nothing to gain from ambiguity
and nothing to fear from the light. Democratic
platforms should, therefore, set forth democratic
principles, policies and purposes with frankness,
clearness and definiteness. Those who champion
the prjnciples embodied m a truly democratic creed
can appeal to tho moral sense of the country, and
trust for vindication to the awakened conscience
of Jin intelligent and patriotic citizenship.
The delegates chosen hy this convention to the
democratic national convention are hereby in
structed to vote as a unit on all questions, pro
vided that the unit rule may be suspended by a
majority vote of the delegation.
Separate resolution introduced by Hon. Edgar
Howard and also unanimously adopted:
"The democracy of Nebraska heralds to the
democracy of the nation its steadfast respect for,
confidence in, and loyalty to Nebraska's great
champion of pure democratic principles, and bids
him God-speed in his splendid efforts to prevent
the national organization from falling under tha
"baneful control of the enemies of the real dem
ocracy. In presenting the platform as chairman of
the resolutions committee, Mr. Bryan said:
I respond to uie call for a speech; not because
it is necessary to say anything in defense of this
platform, but because I am always glad to speak
to the democrats of Nebraska.
This platform, unanimously reported by your
committee and so cordially received by the con
vention, is a democratic platform. It is brief and
concise, but so clear and easily understood that "he
who runs may read." Your committee recognizes,
as you recognize, that the supreme issue running
through the minor questions is the issue between
democracy and plutocracy, the issue between a
government "of the people, by the people, and for
the people," and a government such as we have
now under a republican administration a gov
ernment of the corporations, by the corporations
and for the corporations. No matter to what sub
ject we address ourselves we find the same strug
gle between organized wealth and the masses.
In 1892 the paramount issue was the tariff ques
tion. There the issue was between the consumers,
who constitute the bulk of the population, and the
producers of protected articles who profit by high
tariff. In 1896 the money question was paramount
and there, too, the issue was between the masses
of the people who desire a stable, currency, and
the money changers, who are interested in manip
ulating the finances of the government for their
own profit.
In 1900 the paramount issue was imperialism,
and in this the same contest between plutocracy
and democracy was apparent. Imperialism disre
gards the right of tho Filipinos to self-government
and it also disregards the right of the people of
this country to a government administered in be
half of the people at large, for the expenditure of
enormous sums on tho army and on the navy,
and for carpet-bag government in the Philippines,
is not in the interest of the voters or America,
but in the interest of the syndicates that exploit
the islands and in the interest of the few who
will find official positions there.
So with tho trust question, which is growing
into greater and greater importance, the issue is
between corporate wealth, organized in the form
of monopoly, and the people who are the victims
of extortion and whose sons are denied the hope
of independence in the industrial world The
controversy between labor and capital distinctly
.involves this issue. In fact, you may turn in any
direction, you may consider any subject you like
and you cannot avoid this issue between the man
and the dollar. The democratic party takes the
blue or the man.
Jl!S?-Wh? haTe falt? in thQ righteousness of
tho wage-earner and the artisan by providing for democratic nrinclnlim m 7 Sus"ess
an eight-hour day, by substituting arbitration for and patriotism .of the people" are glad to make
-.VOLUME 4, NUMBER 21,
Democracy.
their principles known, because they believe that
the betiw-the principles are known the strong
they will become with the people. The NobraaM
pmtform speaks tho honest convictions of demo
crate who have faith in the persuasive power of
the democratic principles to which they adhere
The platform presented to you reaffirms faith
in the fundamental principles of democracy and
those principles are dear to the -hearts of Nebraska
democrats. If I were an artist I would draw a
picture which would represent the present situa
tion. It would be a picture of a tree; upon its
trunk I would inscribe "Democracy." Upon tho
various branches of the tree I would inscribe
"Anti-Monopoly," "Anti-Imperialism," "TaritS
Reform," "Bimetallism," "Labor Legislation," "An
Income Tax," "Popular Election of Senators,"
"Direct Legislation," etc, I would represent Wall
street in the act of cutting the tree down, using
reorganization as the ax. The Kansas City plat
form democrats, nurtured in the democratic faith,
revering the democratic creed as the gospel of frea
government, and strong in their confidence in its
ultimate triumph these I would represent as a
man ready to protect the tree, and I would have
this. representative of militant democracy entering
his protest in the words of the poet
"Woodman, spare that tree,
Touch not a single bough;
In youth it sheltered me,
And I'll protect it now."
There never was a time when democratic
principles were more necessary or when the de
fenders of the faith had more reason for earnest
ness and courage. The democrats of Nebraska
who for so many years adhered to their principles
in the face of overwhelming defeat, are not dis
posed to surrender now no matter what others
may dQ. They beliave that both principle and ex
pediency demand progress rather than retrogres
sion. "When Mr. Bryan was, elected by acclamation
as a delegate to the national' convention, he was
called out again, and. in thanking the convention
for honoring him, said:
"I felt complimented when my precinct se
lected me as a delegate to the county convention;
I felt complimented again when my county sent
me a delegate to the state convention, and I ap
preciate the honor you do me in making me a
delegate to the national convention. I shall en
deavor to carry out the wishes that you have ex
pressed, and I have such confidence in the intelli
gence and patriotism of the voters of the party
that I believe that when their representatives
meet at St. Louis they will be able to write a plat
form and select a ticket which will command tho
support of those who believe in democratic prin
ciples as you understand them.
SJJ
A Popular Platform.
Do the leaders of the New York democracy
know what is popular in New York? The La
Crosse (Wis.) Leader-Press tlirects attention to
the democratic vote cast in New York for 1891!
and for evejy state election thereafter until 1902,
as follows:
Total
Year. Democratic candidate. Democratic vote
1892 Cleveland, president 654,808
1894 Hill, governor . 517,710
189G Bryan, president 551S,
1897 Parker, court of appeals o54,0bu
1898 Van Wyclt, governor G43,9l
1900-Bryan, president,, 078,386
1902 Coler, governor- , . . t553y8
The Loader-Press says that at only two of
these elections 1892 and 1897 were the demo
cratic candidates successful and that in 1900 the
democratic nominee for president received tho
largest vote cast during a. decade for any candi
date. In other words, in.i900 the democratic na
tional ticket received 23,518 votes more than Mr.
Cleveland received in 1902; 160,000 more than Mr.
Hill rqceived in 1894 and 123,000 more than Mr.
Parker received when, he was ' elected to the
bench in 1897.
Do these figures indicate that the Kansas City
platform is unpopular? . ,
Can New York democrats improve tho chance
of success by repudiating that platiornu
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