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About The commoner. (Lincoln, Neb.) 1901-1923 | View Entire Issue (July 10, 1908)
The Commoner. JULY 10; ISM 5 THE DEMOCRATIC NATIONAL PLATFORM Tho democratic national platform Is as follows: Wo rejoice at the increasing signs of an awakening throughout the country. The various investigations have traced graft and political corruption to the representatives of predatory wealth and laid hare the unscrupulous methods by which they have debauched elections and preyed upon a defenseless public through tho subservient officials whom they have raised to place and power. The conscience of the nation is now aroused to free the government from the grip of those who have made it a business asset for seeking corporations; it must become again a people's government, and be adminis tered in all its departments according to the Jeffersonlan maxim of "equal rights to all and special privileges to none. Shall the people rule? Is the overshadow ing issue which manifests itself in all tho ques tions now under consideration. LABOR AND INJUNCTIONS The courts of justice are the bulwark of our liberties and we yield to none in our pur pose to maintain their dignity. Our party has given to the bench a long line of distinguished judges who have added to the respect and con fidence in which this department must be jeal ously maintained. We resent the attempt of the republican party to raise a false issue re specting the judiciary. It is an unjust reflec tion upon a great body of our citizens to as sume that they lack respect for the courts. It is the function of tho courts to interpret the laws which the people create, and If the laws appear to work economic, social or political in justice, it Is our duty to change them. The only basis upon which the integrity of our courts can stand Is that of unswerving justice and pro tection of life, personal liberty and property. If judicial processes may be abused, we should guard them against abuse. Experience has proven the necessity of a modification of the present law, relating to in junctions and we reiterate the pledges of our national platforms of 1896 and 1904 in favor of the measure which passed the United States senate in 1896, but which a republican congress has ever since refused to enact, relating to con tempts in federal courts and providing for triaL, by jury in cases of indirect contempt. Questions of judicial practice hav arisen especially in connection with industrial dis putes. We deem that the parties to all judicial proceedings should be treated with rigid im partiality and that injunctions should not be issued in any cases in which injunctions would not issue if no industrial dispute were Involved. The expanding organization of industry makes it essential that there should be no no abridgement of the right of wage earners and producers to organize for tie protection of wages and the improvement of labor conditions to the end that such labor organizations and their members should not be regarded as illegal combinations in restraint of trade. We favor the eight hour day on all govern ment work. We pledge the democratic party to the en actment of a law by congress - far as the fed eral jurisdiction extends for general employ ers' liability act covering injury to body or loss of life of employes. We pledge the democratic party to the en actment of a law creating a department of labor, represented separately in the president's cabi net, which department shall include the subject of mines and mining. TARIFF We welcome the belated promise of tariff reform now offered by the republican party in tardy recognition of the righteousness of the democratic position on this question. But the people can not safely entrust the execution of this important work to a party which is so deeply obligated to the highly protected interests as is the republican party. We call attention to the significant fact that the promised relief is postponed until after the coming election an election to succeed in which the republican party must have that same support from the beneficiar ies of the high protective tariff as it has always heretofore received from them; and to the further fact that during years of uninterrupted power no action whatever has been taken by the republican congress to correct the admitted ly existing tariff iniquities. We favor immediate revision of the tariff by the reduction of import duties, articles en tering into competition' with trust controlled products should be placed upon the free list, and material reductions should be made in the tariff upon the necessaries of life aud especially upon articles competing with such American manufac tures as are sold abroad more cheaply than at home, and a gradual reduction should bo made in such other schedules as may be necessary to restore the tariff to a revenue basis. Existing duties have given to the manu facturers of paper a shelter behind which they have organized combinations to raise tho price of pulp and of paper, thus imposing a tax upon the spread of knowledge. We demand the im mediate repeal of the tariff on wood pulp, print paper, lumber, timber and logs and that these articles be placed upon tho free list. ARBITRARY RULE OF SPEAKER The house of representatives was designed by the fathers of tho constitution to be the pop ular branch of our government responsive to tho public will. The house of representatives, as controlled in recent years by the republican partv has ceased to be a deliberative and legislative body, responsive to the will of a majority of it -. mem bers, but has como under the absolute f omlnn tion of the speaker who has entire control of Its deliberations and powers of legislation. We have observed with amazement tho popular branch of our federal government help less to obtain either the consideration or en actment of measures desired by a majority of its members. Legislative government becomes a failure when one member in the person of the spenker is more powerful than the entire body. We demand that the house of representa tives shall again become a deliberative body, controlled by a majority of the peoples' repre sentatives and not by the speaker and wo pledge ourselves to adopt such rule3 and regulations to govern the house of representatives as will enable a majority of its members to direct its deliberations and control legislation. PUBLICITY OF CAMPAIGN CONTRIBUTIONS We demand federal legislation, forever ter minating tho partnership which existed between corporations of tho country and tha republican party under the expressed or implied agreement that the receipt of large sums of money whereby to purchase elections they should be allowod to continue in their efforts to encroach upon tho rights of the people. Any reasonable doubt as to the existence of this relation has been forever dispelled by the sworn testimony of witnesses examined in the insurance investigation In New York and the open admission, unchallenged by tho repub lican national committee of a single individual that he himself at the personal request of the republican candidate for the presidency raised over a quarter of a million dollars to be used In. a single state during the closing hours of the last convention and campaign. In order that this practice shall be stopped for all time we demand the passage of a statute punishing with Imprisonment any officer of a corporation who shall either contribute on behalf of or con sent to the contribution by a corporation of any money.or anything of value to bo used In further ing the election of a president or vice president of the United States or any member of congress thereof. We denounce the action of tho repub lican party having complete control of tho federal government for its failure to pass the bill, introduced In the last congress, to compel the publication of the names of contributors and the amounts contributed toward campaign funds and point to the evidence of their insincerity, when they sought by an absolutely irrelevant and impossible amendment to defeat the passage of tho bill, as a further evidence of their in tention to conduct their campaign In the coming contest with vast sums of money wrested from favor-seeking corporations, we call attention to the fact that the recent republican national con vention at Chicago refused, when the issue was presented to it, to declare against such practices. We pledge the democratic party to the en actment of a law prohibiting any corporation from contributing to a campaign fund and any Individual from contributing an amount aboyo a reasonable amount and providing for the pub lication befdre election of ell contributions above a reasonable minimum. RAILROAD UKGULATION We assort tho right of congre to exerciss complete control over Interstate cotmwerco ami tho right of onch state to exercise like control over commorco within Its borders. Wo demand such enlargement of tho pow ers of tho Interstate commerce commission as may bo necessary to compel railroads to par form their duties as common carriers and pre vent discrimination and restore confidence. We favor tho efficient supervision and reg ulation or railroads engaged in interstate com morco. To this ond wo recommend tho valua tion of railroads by tho Interstate commorco commission, such valuation to take into con sideration tho physical vnluo of tho property the original cost and tho cost of reproduction and elements of vnluo that will render tho valuation fair aud just. Wo favor such legislation n8 wm prevent the railroads from engaging In business which brings them into competition wlfi their ship pers; also legislation which will assure such re duction In transportation rates ns conditions will pormlt, caro being takon to avoid reduction that would compel a reduction of wagos, provont lu adequato sorvlco or do Injustlco to logltlmato in vestments. Wo heartily approvo tho laws prohibiting tho pass and tho rebate and wo favor any f irthor nocossnry legislation to restrain and correct such abuses. Wo favor such legislation ns will incroaso tho powor of tho intorstato commorco commis sion, giving to It tho Initiative with referonco (o rates and transportation charges put Into offoct by tho railroad compnnles, and permitting tho intorstato commorco commission on Its own In itiatlvo to declaro a rnto illegnl and ns bolng moro than should bo charged for such sorvlco. Tho present law relating thoroto 1b Inadcquuta by reason of tho fact that tho Intorstato com morco commission Ib without power to fix or In vestigate n rate until complaint has boon mado to It by tho shipper. Wo furthor declaro that all agreomonta of traffic or othor associations of railway agents nffoctlng Intorstato rates, service or classifica tion should bo unlawful unions filed with and approved by tho intorstato commorco commis sion. Wo favor tho onactmont of a law giving to the Interstate commorco commission tho powor to Inspect propoBod railway tariff rates or aohod-;, uIob boforo thoy shall tako offoct and if they,, be found to bo unreasonable to initiate nn ad-, justment thereof. ECONOMY IN ADMINISTRATION Tho republican congress In the Houston Jiuit ended has made appropriations amounting to $1,008,000,000, exceeding tho total expenditures of tho past fiscal year by $90,000,000, and loav ing a deficit of moro than $00,000,000 for tho fiscal year. Wo donounco tho hoodlcas waato of tho peoples' monoy which has resulted in this appalling lncrenso as a shamofnl violation of all prudent conditions of govornmont as no loss than a crime against tho millions of working men and women from whoso earnings tho great proportion of theso collosal sums must bo ex tortod through excessive tariff exactions and other indirect methods, tl Is not surprising that in the faco of this shocking record tho re publican platform contains no roforonco to economical administration or promlso thoroof in tho future. Wo demand that a stop bo put to this frightful extravagance and insist upon tho strictest economy in every department com patible with a frugal and efficient administra tion. BANKING Tho panic of 1907, coming without any legitimate excuse when tho republican party had for a decade been In comploto control of tho fed eral govornmont furnishes additional proof that it Is oither unwilling or incompetont to protoct tho interests of tho genornl public. It has so linked tho country to Wall Street that tho sins of the speculators aro visited upon tho wholo people. While refusing to rescue tho wonjth producers from spoillation at tho hands of tho stock gamblers, and speculators in farm pro ducts, It has deposited treasury funds, without interest and without competition In favorite banks. It has used an emergency for which It is largely responsible to force through congress a bill changing the basis of bank curroncy and Inviting market manipulation and has fallod to k .1 Air." v jr.rt'.4feir , n" i , i. "jj-t- WE. . J..--
