The Commoner.
VOLUME 8, NUMBER 2 j
THE REPUBLICAN NATIONAL PLATFORM
I !
Chicago, Juno 18. Tho toxt of tho plat
form ns adopted by tho republican national con
vention is as follows:
"Onco inoro tho republican party, in na
tional convention assembled, submits its causo
to tho people, This great historic organization,
that preserved tho union, restored credit, ex
panded tho national domain, established a sound
financial system, developed tho Industries and
resources of tho country, and gavo to the nation
hor seat of honor in tho councils of tho world,
now moots tho now problems of government with
the same courage and capacity with which is
solved tho old.
REPUBLICANISM AND ROOSEVELT
"In this, tho greatest era of American ad
vancement, tho republican party has reached its
highest service under the leadership of Thoo
doro Iloosovolt. His administration is an epoch
in American history. In no other period sinco
national sovereignty was won undor "Washington,
or presorved undor Lincoln, has there been such
mighty progress in those ideals of government
which mako for justice, equality and fair deal
ing among men. Tho highest aspirations of tho
American pcoplo have found a voice. Their most
exalted servant represents the best aims and
worthiest purposes of all his countrymen. Amer
ican manhood has beon lifted to a noble senso
of duty and obligation. Conscience and courage
in public station and his standards of right and
wrong in privato life have become cardinal prin
ciples of political faith; capital and labor have
boon brought into closer relations of confidence
and intordopendoncy and tho abuso of wealth,
the tyranny of power and all the evils of privi
lege and favoritism have been put to scorn by
the simple, mnnly virtues of justice and fair play.
"Tho groat accomplishments of President
Iioosevolt have been first, and foremost his
bravo and impartial enforcement of tho law;
the prosecution of illegal trusts and monopolies;
the exposure and punishment of evil doers in
the, public service; tho moro effective regulation
of he rates and sorvico of tho great transporta
tion lines; tho complete overthrow of prefer
ences, rebates and discriminations; the arbitra
tion of labor disputes; tho amelioration of the
condition of wage-workers everywhere; tho con
servation of the natural resourced of tho coun
try; tho forward step in the improvement of
tne nuana waterways and always the earnest
support and defense of every wholesome safe-
bguard which hasu&sde more secure tho guaran-
T7L llTo7nberty and property. These are
iVarVi Invnmanla thot mill TnnVn Vt Ttinntlinn
-LflE$Volt lite nlup.ft in hlntorv hut mnrn thnn
all 'Site, the great things he has done will be
an inspiration to those who have yet greater
things to do, Wo declare our unfaltering ad
herence to the policies thus inaugurated and
pledge their continuauco under a 'republican
administration of the government.
EQUALITY OP OPPORTUNITY
"Under the guidance of republican prin
ciples tho Amorican people havo become the
richest nation in tho world. Our wealth today
exceeds that of England and all hor colonies,
and that of Franco and Germany combined.
"When the republican party was born the total
wealth of tho country was $16,000,000,000. It
has leaped to $110,000,000,000 In a generation,
while Great Britain has gathered but $60,000,
000,000 in 500 years. Tho United States now
owns one-fourth of the world's wealth and
makeB one-third of all modern manufactured
products. In the great necessities of civiliza
tion, such as coal, the motive power of all act
ivity; iron, the chief basis of all industry; cot
ton, the staple foundation of all fabrics; wheat
eorn and all the agricultural products that feed
mankind, America's supremacy is undisputed
And yet her natural wealth has beon scarcely
touched. Wo have a vast domain of three mil
lion square miles literally bursting with latent
treasure, still waiting tho magic of capital and
industry, to bo converted into tho practical uses
of mankind; a country rich in soil and climate
in the unharnessed energy of its rivers and in
all the varied products of tho field, the forest
and the factory. With gratitude for God's
bounty with prido in tho splendid productive
ness of the past and with confidence in the
plenty and prosperity of the future, the renub
lican party declares for tho principle that in
tho development and enjoyment of wealth so
great and blessings so benign, there shall bo
squal opportunity fQr all,
THE REVIVAL OT? TtTTGTXrwca
'Nothing so clearly demonstrates tho sound
basis upon which our commercial, Industrial
and agricultural interests are founded and the
necessity of promoting present continued wel
fare through the operation of republican poli
cies as the recent safe passage of the American
peoplo through a financial disturbance, whicli
if appearing in the midst of democratic rule or
the menace of it, might have equaled the fa
miliar democratic panics of the past. We con
gratulate the people upon this renewed evidence
of American supremacy and hail with confidence
tho signs now manifest of a complete restora
tion of business prosperity in all lines of trado,
commerce and manufacturing.
REPUBLICAN LEGISLATION
"Since the election of William McKinley in
1896, tho peoplo of this country have felt anew
the wisdom of entrusting to the republican
party through decisive majorities, the control
and direction of national legislation. Tho many
wine and progressive measures adopted at re
cent sessions of congress have demonstrated the
patriotic resolve of republican leadership in the
legislative department to keep step in the for
ward march to better government.
"Notwithstanding tho indefensible filibus
tering of a democratic minority in the house
of representatives during the last session, many
wholesome and progressive laws were enacted,
and we especially commend the passage of the
emergency currency bill, the appointment of the
national monetary commission, the employers'
and government liability laws, the measures for
the greater efficiency of the army and the navy,
the widows pension bill, the child labor law for
tho District of Columbia, the new statutes for
the safely of railroad engineers and firemen and
many other acts conserving the public welfare.
PLEDGE FOR THE' FUTURE
"The tariff The republican party declares
unequivocally for a revision of the tariff by a
special session of congress immediately follow
ing $10 inauguration of the next president and.
commends the steps already taken to this end
ii, f.ho work, assigned to the 'appropriate com
mittees of congress which are now investigating
the operation and effect of schedules. In all
tariff legislation the true principle of protection
is best maintained by the imposition of such
duties as will equal the difference between the
cost of production at home and abroad, together
with a reasonable profit to American industries.
We favor tho establishment of maximum and
minimum rates to b'e administered by the presi
dent under limitations fixed under the law,' the
maximum to be available to meet discrimina
tions by foreign , countries against Amorican
goods entering their markets and the minimum
to represent the normal measure of protection
at home; the aim and purpose of tho policy of
the republican party being not only to preserve,
without excessive duties, that security against
foreign competitors to which American manu
facturers, farmers and producers are entitled,
but also to maintain the high standard of living
of tho wage earners of this country, who are
tho most direct beneficiaries of the protective
system. Between the United States and tho
Philippines we believe in a free interchange of
products with suclr limitations as to sugar and
tobacco as will accord adequate protection to
domestic interests.
THE CURRENCY
' "We approve the emergency measures
adopted by the government during the recent
financial disturbance and especially commend
tho passage by congress at the last session of
tho law designed to protect tho country from
a repetition of such stringency. The republican
party is committed to the development of a per
manent currency system, responding to our
greater needs and the appointment of tho na
tional monetary commission by tho present con
gress which will impartially investigate all pro
posed methods, insures the early realization of
this purpose. The present currency laws have
fully justified their adoption, but an expanding
commerce, a marvelous growth in wealth and
population, multiplying tho centers of distribu
tion, increasing the demand for movement of
crops in tho west and south and entailing per
iodic changes In monetary conditions, disclose
the need of a more elastic and adaptable system;
Such a system must meet the requirements nf
agriculturalists manufactures, 'SSSSSanl
business generally; must be automatic in opera
tion,, minim zing tho fluctuations in Interest
rates, a"d above a,ll, must bo iti I 'harmony wfth
that republican doctrine which insists that every"
dollar shall be based upon and as good as cold
POSTAL SAVINGS
"We favor the establishment of a postal
savings bank system for the convenience of tho
people and the encouragement of thrift.
THE TRUSTS
"The republican party passed the Sherman
anti-trust law over democratic opposition and
enforced it after democratic dereliction. It has'
been a wholesome instrument for good in a wisa
and fearless administration, but experience has
shown that its effectiveness can bo strengthened
and its real objects better attained by such,
amendments as will give to the federal govern
ment greater supervision over and secure pub-
licity in the management of that class of cor
porations engaged in interstate commerce hav
ing power and opportunity to affect monopolies.
THE RAILROADS
"We approve the enactment of the railroad
rate law and the vigorous enforcement by tho
present administration of the statutes against
rebates and- discriminations, as a result of which,
the advantages formerly possessed by the largo
shipper over the small shipper have substan
tially disappeared; and in this connection we
commend the appropriation by the present con
gress to enable the interstate commerce com
mission to thoroughly investigate and give pub
licity to the accounts of interstate railroads.
We believe, however, that the interstate com
merce law should bo further amended so as to
give railroads the right to make and publish
traffic agreements subject to the approval of
the commission, but maintaining always the
principle of competition between naturally com
peting' lines and avoiding the common control
of such lines by any means whatsoever. We
favor such national legislation and supervision
as will prevent the future over issue of stocks
and bonds by interstate carriers.
RAILROAD EMPLOYES
"The enactment in constitutional form at
the present session of congress of the employers
liability law; the passage and enforcement of
safety appliance statute's, as well as the addi
tional protection secured for engineers and fire
men, the reduction in the hours of labor of train
men and railroad telegraphers; the successful
exercise of the powers of mediation and arbitra
tion between interstate, railroads and their em
ployes, and the law making a beginning in the
policy of compensation 'for injured employes of
the government are some of the most commend
able accomplishments Of the present session.
But there is further work in this direction to
be done and the republican party pledges it3
continued devotion to every cause that makes
for safety and the betterment of condition
among those whose labor contributes so much
to the progress and welfare of the country.
WAGE EARNERS GENERALLY
"The same wise policy which has induced
the republican party to maintain protection to
American labor; to establish an eight hour day
on the construction of all public works; to in
crease the list of employes whp shall have pre
ferred claims for wages under the bankruptcy
laws; to adopt a child labor statute for the Dis
trict of Columbia; to direct an investigation
into the condition of working women and chil
dren and later, of employes of telephones and
telegraph Companies engaged in interstate busi
ness; to appropriate $150,000 at the recent
session of congress in order to secure a thorough
inquiry into tho causes of catastrophes and loss
of life In mines; and to amend and strengthen
the law forbidding the importation of contract
labor will he pursued in every legitimate direc
tion within federal authority to lighten tho
burdens and increase tho opportunities for hap
piness and advancement of all who toil. The
republican party realizes tho special needs of
wage-workers generally for their well being
means the well being of all. But more impor
tant than all other considerations, is that of
good citizenship and we especially stand for the
needs of every American, whatever his occupa
tion, in his capacity as a self-respecting citizen.
COURT PROCEDURE
"The republican party will uphold at all
times tho authority and integrity of the courts,
state and federal and will ever insist that their
powers to enforce their process and to protect
life and liberty and property shall thus be pre
served inviolate. We believe, however, that tho
rules of procedure in tho federal courts with
respect to the issuance of the 'writ of injunc
tion should be more accurately defined by stat
ute, and that no Injunction, or temporary re-
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