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The Commoner.
Aug. i, 196a
11
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IN THE POLITICAL FIELD.
i 'I 1 1 .i 1 M H 1 .
Missouri held two state conventions
this year. The first one was held at
Springfield and was called the judi
cial convention. At that convention
candidates for the supreme court were
nominated. It will ho remembered
that the resolutions committee in the
Springfield convention reporteda plat
form which ignored the national plat
form. A minority report providing for
the indorsement of the Kansas City
platform was prepared hy David R.
Ball, and the minority report was
adopted by a vote of 601 to 199.
The second convention was really
the state 'convention proper and met
at St. Joseph, July 22. This conven
tion nominated John A. Knott of Han
nibal and Joseph Rice' of Moberly to
be railroad and warehouse commis
sioners and William T. Carrington
of, Springfield to be state superinten
dent of public schools. The platform
adopted indorsed the administration
of Governor Doclcery and related
largely to state affairs. No fight was
made on those sections of the plat
form dealing with national affairs.
That portion of the Missouri (St.
Joseph) platform referring to national
1 questions was as follows:
First The democrats of Missouri
in representative convention assem
bled at St. Joseph, indorse and affirm
the democratic national platform
adopted at Kansas City in 1900.
Second We are opposed to the
Fowler bank bill, the new republican
financial measure which has been fav
orably reported by a republican com
mittee and is now pending before con
gress, having the indorsement of re
publican leaders.
Third We condemn the dishonest
paltering with the trust evil by the
republican administration and we espe
cially condemn the subserviency to the
trusts of our "strenuous" president,
who, only a few days before Mr. Mc
Kinley's assassination, boldly pro
claimed in public speech at Minneap
olis that trusts are an evil which the
jmblic , safety requires should be
promptly and mercilessly destroyed,
but who, jince his accession to the
presidency, has strucfc not one effec
tive blow against them, although hold-
ing in his hands all the necessary pow
ers of government, and who, instead
of executing his threat to extermin
ate the trusts, talks now only of reg
ulating them.
Fourth We condemn the alarming
waste of the people's money In ex
travagant appropriations by a republi
can congress, now amounting to more
than $1,000,000,000 per year, and we
heartily approve the course of our
democratic representatives in congress
in sturdily resisting this riotous pro
figacy and in standing steadfastly
for economy in public expenditures and
for just principles of government.
Fifth The assassination of the
president of the United States by a
self-confessed anarchist Is deeply de
plored. The recent assassination of
thegovernor of Kentucky by political
anarchists who fled to Indiana, where
they are now protected by the gov
ernor of that state, is also deeply de
plored. We denounce anarchy in all
its forms and declare that it should
not be permitted to find an abiding
place in this country.
The democrats of North Carolina
held their state convention July 17.
That portion of the North Carolina
platform relating to national questions
is as follows:
We reaffirm our allegiance to the
democratic party and its policy as
enunciated in its national platform.
We denounce the policy of imperial-
tional administration, and declare it to 1
be obnoxious to our forms of govern
ment and fraught with danger to the
very existence of the republic.
We denounce as oppressive and il
legal those combinations of capital
known as trusts and monopolies that
stifle competition, throttle individual
effort and destroy the generous spirit
of rivalry that should exist in the com
mercial world.
We denounce the deceptive and il
lusory courso of the republican party
in congress, in furthering the exist
ence of the trusts by its refusal to en
act legislation restraining them and to
enforce in good faith the existing laws
against them, that party being In full
control of all branches of the govern
ment We denounce the present iniquitous,
unjust and trust-creating protective
tariff, imposed upon the people by the
republican party and demand Its Im
mediate revision to the end that all
unjust burdens shall be removed, and
especially those upon necessaries of
life. Its provisions enable the trusts
to oxtort from the people unreasonable
profits and to sell their products to
consumers at homo at greater prices
than are charged for the same goods
to the foreign consumer. We demand,
therefore, that all such trust-made
goods be placed on the free "list.
14
Josephus Daniels, editor of the Ra
leigh News and Observer, wired to his
paper an interesting account of the
North Carolina convention, from which
account the following is taken:
The chief discussion In the commit
tee and in the convention grew out of
the minority report signed by H. A.
London and, N. A. Sinclair on the
question of indorsing the Kansas City
platform. The plank as presented by
the committee read thus:
"We reaffirm our allegiance to the
democratic party and its policy as
enunciated in its national platform."
The minority presented this substi
tute: "For the words 'we reaffirm our al
legiance to the democratic party and
its principles as enunciated in its na
tional platform,' the words 'we reaffirm
our allegiance to the fundamental
principles of the democratic party.' "
There was much debate in the com
mittee over the proper wording of-this
declaration.
Quite a number of the party leaders,
most of whom were ardent believers
in the Kansas City platform, believed
itv wisest, all thines considered, to
make a general declaration of alleg
iance to "fundamental democratic
principles," rather than to specifically
declare "as enunciated in its national
platform." Before the committee they
asked to be heard, they made their
argument, the committee considered
their well presented views, and then
wisely resolved to let the plank stand
"as enunciated in the national plat
form." Those who were zealous for
a general declaration were so strongly
of the opinion that their position was
correct that they carried the fight on
the floor of the convention, and sought
to secure the adoption of the minority
declaration. The debate was partici
pated in exclusively by men whose de
votion to the Kansas City platform was
not open to question. Some strong
speeches were made on both side3,
notably those by C. M. Busbee, A. C.
Avery and C. L. Abernathy, for the
minority, and for the majority by Sen
ator Ward, Senator Caremon Morri
son, J. J. Loughingiiouso, R. L. Stev
ens, and Congressman W. W. Kitchen.
It is no lack of praise of the other
speeches to say that the speech of Mr.
Kitchen was "the" speech of the con
vention. A synopsis has already ap
peared in these columns. I have not
missed a democratic convention since
Governor Scales was nominated, and I
do not hesitate to say mat I have
never heard a speech, in a democratic
convention that surpassed Mr. Kitch
en's speech last night.
It would have been most unfortun
ate and unwiso, after tho direct Issue
had been raised, to nave voted down
a declaration reaffirming the national
democratic platform, and the conven
tion sustained its general reputation
for wisdom by voting to indorse it by
a large majority. Tho last national
platform is tho party's chart until an
other is written, ana any action that
would indicate any back down from
the declarations in Hint platform
would have put the democrats on the
defensive from the opening to tho close
of tho campaign.. It may bo, as somo
of our leaders believo, that tho dis
cussion did good. But If the vote had
been against reaffirmation, it would
have been, in my judgment, tho one
mistake of tho convention. As it voted
to sustain the majority report, all is
well.
The New England democratic league
opened the campaign at Nantaskot,
Mass., July 24. Mayor Patrick A. Col
lins of Boston presided, Edward M.
Shopherd of New York, Senator Ed
ward M. Carmack of Tennessee, and
W. J. Bryan of Nebraska addressed
the gathering. Col. A. W. Gaston an.l
Charles S. Hamlin, rival candidates for
the democratic gubernatorial nomina
tion in Massachusetts, were also pres
ent, while Lewis Nixon of New York
and Congressman Wilson of Now York
and Congressman John R. Thayer of
Massachusetts wero also conspicuous
among the guests.
A Bpeclal dispatch to the Omaha
World-Herald under date of Boston,
July 24, says: That the "way down
east" leaders of democracy realize the
importance of the "harmony" task
that is before the party was unmistak
ably evidenced at the Now England
democratic league dinner at Nan
taskot this afternoon. Mr. Bryan's
address was a gem of careful diplo
matic Utterance. Hl trilmfA tn ninvn.
land dissenters was as stinging as it
was artistic and as nicely rendered au
it was studied.
The banqueters had a day of perfect
weather and the audience at this
speaking represented tho best type of
New England democracy.
Two things were made plain In tho
tone of the affair at Nantaskot:
First That- Mr. Bryan still has a
powerful hold on eastern democracy,
and, second, that party is with him in
the conclusion that anti-imperialism
is the paramount issue In tho coming
national campaign.
Despite the effort and care of the
promoters to distribute to a certainty
the honors of the day, the league din
ner came very near resulting as a spe
cial tribute to Mr. Bryan. 'The ap
plause and enthusiasm for him kent
steadily increasing and wound up with
an impromptu reception for him at the
close of the speech-making.
The Fly In tho Amber.
This is the day we celebrate.
This is the day that we celebrate the
independence of the United States of
America.
It has been more than a hundred
years since we threw off the British
yoke and started out to paddle our
own canoe. .We have paddled very
successfully up to the present time.
Since that original Independence
Day we have branched out a bit and
" To say a pleasant
word to anyone was
almost impossible."
I was troubled with femole weakness for
eight years ; niul suffered more thmt I can tell,
writes Mrs. Gust. Moccr of Ovnnclo. Rccrfodge
Co., Mont. My disposition was affected to cttch
Mil wAimi nun iu say
a pleasant word to
anyone was almost
impossible.
"I had two opera
tioiifl nprfnrmril tiv
oiicoftlie most skilled
. .-..- r t. ......
nuiticuil.iui IIIC tVCH,
but did not get relief.
Then, against my
doctor strict orders,
I commenced taking
Dr. Pierce's Favorite
Prescription and
'Golden Medical Dis
covcry,' and also fol
lowed the advice
given iu the Common
Sense Medical Ad
viser.
"I contiuued thin
treatment for three
months, and to-day
am an healthy and
well as a woman can
be. I cannot thank
Doctor Pierce enough
for his kind letters
to me."
Womanly dis
eases, as a rule,
spoil the "disposi
tion," because of
the extreme nerv
ousness and suffering they cause. Hap
piness as well as health is restored to
the woman whose diseased condition is
cured by the use of Dr. Pierce's Favorite
Prescription.
After eight years of suffering and two
fruitless operations, three months' use of
"Favorite Prescription" restored Mrs.
Moser to perfect health. This great
remedy for woman's ills, establishes
regularity, dries weakening drains, heals
inflammation and ulceration and cures
female weakness.
The Common Sense Medical Adviser,
1008 large pages, in paper covers, is sent
free on receipt of 21 one-cent stamps to
pay expense of mailing only. Address
Dr. R. V. Pierce, Buffalo, N. Y.
1- 11 m
WANTED Active canvassers main
and female, whole or spare time, for
the sale of Mr. William Jennings
Bryan's new book, just published. It
is a splendid seller and we allow lib
eral terms. A big commission to those
who want to earn manev. Ar1rftv
The Abbey Press, Publishers, 114
rnui Avenue, wew YorK- wty.
have come into possession of isles in
the distant seas isles peopled by a
people who have tho same longings
for liberty that once actuated us to
fight for that liberty people who havo
hearts and consciences who have
homes and ambitions people -who
lovo and hate and live and die Just
as wo do.
Today President Roosevelt,, tho
chief executive of the nation, which
is noisily celebrating the anniversary ,
of its independence, Issues a proclam
ation freeing tho political prisoners of
the islands of the far seas, into which
we have entered as owners. A gen
eral proclamation of amnesty Is Is
sued and those who fought for tho
liberty that we once fought for go free.
But they do not get the liberty.
They do not secure the same treat
ment that we compelled England to
accord us on and after one moment
ous Fourth of July. They do not get
tho representation In the government
of their own islands that wo com
pelled England to grant us, unwilling
ly though she did it. They do not
even get the promise of independence
as Cuba did. They don't even havo
a chance to have a Bostpn tea party.
They are released from jail. That's
all. We have grown greedy since tho
tea party In Boston harbor, and aro
doing the same things now that Eng
land did in the long ago. We aro
governing a people by force and
against their will.
But still we celebrate. This Is tha
Fourth of July. This is Independenco
Bay for every one beneath the star
and stripes except the Filipino.
Hurrah! Hamilton (O.) Sun, July 4.
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