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The Commoner.
FEBRUARY 18, 1910
STERLING P. BOND'S PLATFORM
Sterling P. Bond, a well known lawyer of
St. Louis, has written to Harry M. Rubey, chair-
man of the democratic state committee, Macon,
Mo., a letter in which Mr. Bond announces his
candidacy for the nomination of United States
senator from Missouri on the democratic, ticket.
In this letter Mr. Bond says: "No party, bo it
the democratic or republican party can stand
upon its record of the past, alone, but it is upon
what it proposes to do and shall carry out in
the future, in policy and law, for the welfare of
the American people, that will perpetuate or
efface the name of one or both of these great
parties. Let us see to it that the name of the
democratic party is not effaced."
On the tariff question Mr. Bond says: Imme
diate revision of tho tariff downward.
The last national democratic convention de- -clared
for a tariff on a revenue basis that "We
favor immediate revision of the tariff by the
reduction of import duties. Articles entering
into competition with trust controlled products
should be placed upon the free list."
Convinced that free iron ore is an "article en
tering into competition with the trust controlled
products" of the iron and steel trust, the great
est iron and steel trust in the United States and
the world, I will, if nominated and elected to
tho United States senate, vote for free iron ore,
not only from the standpoint of my convictions,
but from the standpoint of the democratic plat
form obligation.
The last national democratic convention de
clared that "We favor an income tax as part of
our revenue system and we urge the submission
of a constitutional amendment specifically au
thorizing congress to levy and collect taxes upon
Individual and corporate incomes to the end that
wealth may bear its proportionate share of the
burdens of the federal government."
A few months ago some men met at Saratoga
New York, and declared that they were opposed
to an income tax that authorized congress to
levy and collect taxes upon corporate incomes
to the end that this kind of wealth might bear
its proportionate share of the burdens of the
federal government.
This, notwithstanding that the most promi
nent man among them was one of the commit
tee on platform, who, a little over a year ago,
assisted in framing the national democratic plat
form at Denver, in which it declared for an in
come tax not only on individual, but corporate
Incomes.
I am in favor of the Denver platform on the
income tax question. I do not believe in the
Saratoga brand, and if elected to the United
States senate, I will vote for an income tax .not
only on individual but corporate incomes.
Endorsing the tariff plank of the last national
democratic platform, I believe, with the greatest
living democrat, that the next democratic plat
form in this state should, among other things,
declare for:
Free wool and the reduction of the woolen
schedules.
Free lumber, free wood pulp and free paper.
Free hides, leather, harness, boots and shoes.
Free oil, and the products of oil. .
Free iron ore, structural iron and steel ready
for use.
Free material for bridges, free steel rails,
nails and articles entering into competition with
the articles whose prices are controlled by the
iron and steel trust and all other trusts.
Free binding twine, cotton ties and cotton
bagging.
Free farming implements, barbed and fence
wire, mechanics and miners' tool&.
Free coal and free powder used in mining
' cpal and minerals. Reduction in the cotton
schedules and in the tariff upon all other neces
saries of life, upon articles sold abroad more
cheaply than at home, the aim being to put the
lowest duty on articles of necessity, and the
highest on articles of luxury.
TARIFF AND COST OF LIVING
Speaking on the resolution to investigate food
prices, Senator Stone of Missouri declared that
the Payne-Aldrlch tariff bill is largely respon
sible for the enhanced price of many of the
"necessaries of life. The following report of
Senator Stone's remarks is taken from the As-,
sociated Press report:
Contrasting the delay in reporting the Elkins
resolution with the dispatch in bringing in the
Lodge measure Mr. Stone declared that there
had been a vast "amount of monkey business in
connection with tho consideration of the sub
ject," ,. -,
Saying he had been greatly puzzled to know
the 'meaning of the 'methoVl of proceeding he
declared it had the complexion of a "purpose
to conceal rather than to discover."
If not, why, he asked, did the republican mem
bers of the finance committee come rushing
headlong into this business and exhibit an over
woeniug anxiety to take charge of tho proposed
inquiry?
"If the remarkable things dono hero have
given to this business tho sinister aspect of a
scheme on the part of certain senators to or
ganize a committee that would start in primarily
to hold the Payne-Aldrich tariff law blameless
for the evils the- country complairts of,' then tho
senator from Massachusetts ami his republican
associates on the finance committee have only
themselves to blame.
"Is it the purpose of tho great senators who
have thrown themselves into this breach," he
proceeded, "to put the proposed investigation
under the control of senators who were chiefly
instrumental in framing the new law and most
concerned in exempting it from all responsibility
for the higher prices which have followed its
enactment? A deep laid apprehension to that
effect has been expressed by many newspapers
and by many people in different parts of the
country."
He said he knew of nothing which stood in
such great need of a coating of whitewash as
tho tariff law. Asserting that there had been
a rapid enhancement of prices sinco the passage
of the tariff law, he declared that neither an
increase in the demand for food, nor an Increase
in the gold supply could explain these advances
in so short a time.
This point was made in response to sugges
tions in a recent speech by Senator Lodge and
quoting one of the Massachusetts senator's re
marks concerning the gold standard, Mr. Stone
declared that it must have been taken from one
of the 1896 speeches of Mr. Bryan.
In all probability, Mr. Stone continued, Mr.
Lodge would head the committee of investiga
tion and Mr. Stone expressed apprehension that
that senator would hesitate to follow out any
line of inquiry which might substantiate Sec
retary Wilson's contention that American food
products are sold more cheaply abroad than in
the United States.
Mr. Stone quoted from letters and newspapers
to show a general increase in the necessaries
of life since the enactment of the Payne-Aldrich
bill. Among the letters was one from a St.
Louis merchant saying that cotton goods had
increased in price from 12 to 33 per cent;
linens 7 to 10 per cent, and on hosiery 10
per cent. Every man of common sense ought,
,he saidr to know that "the enormous profits
accruing to investors in these industries are
the result of artificial conditions created by
law.
"I "don't see how it can be contended," he
continued, "that these artificial conditions from
which the consumers of the country are, thank
heaven, beginning to become the impatient suf
ferers, are chiefly for the benefit of the Ameri
can wage earners employed in those industries.
I assert with the greatest confidence that the
tariff rates as a rule are far in excess of any
difference in the labor wage in America and
the chief competing countries of Europe; and I
assert with equal confidence that the benefi
ciaries of this system are the men who employ
this labor, as the chief sufferers are the con
sumers who are the victims of their monopolies.
"I would not contend that the tariff is the
sole cause and excuse for exorbitant prices, but
I do Insist that a practically prohibitive tariff,
such as we have, is at least one of the chief
causes that make exorbitant prices for human
necessities a possibility. It may be that trusts
and combinations put up the prices; I think they
do. But at the same time I believe the old
contention to be true that a high protective
tariff is the mother of trusts."
begun to take a more kindly view of Mr. Taft
and to regard him as earnest and sincere in
his determination and efforts to carry on true
reform policies." Thosb gentlemen are cer
tainly easily pleased if they can find any com
fort in wostern opinion concerning Mr. Taft's
special mcssago and in tho attitude towards tho
course generally of the Taft administration.
TRUE TO LIFE
Herbert Johnson, t the' talented cartoonist for
the Philadelphia No'rth American, has given a
number of striking pictorial arguments relating
to the high cost of living. It can not bo acci
dental that Mr. Johnson's high cost of living
is always represented by a shadow in the form
of an elephant. It Is certainly true to life and
places tho responsibility largely where It' belongs.
FEELING GOOD
Walter Wellman, Washington correspondent
for the Chicago Record-Herald, says that Presi
dent Taft and all his associates are feeling good
over the reception which his special message
has had in the west; also that they are greatly
pleased to learn "that the country has already
.
THE ONLY WAY TO
DEMOCRATIC SUCCESS
"Define Democratic Principles In a Spe
cific Platform and Place the Standard
In the Hands of Democratic Leaders
Who Will Face the Foe and Not Play
Hide and Seek in tho Enemy's Camp."
Editor Tho Commoner: Webster's
Dictionary defines a platform as a declar
ation of the principles upon which a per
son, a sect, or a party proposes to stand.
The up-to-date ofilceseeker seems to
agree with the follow who said it was
like tho platform of a car only made
to get in on but not to stand on.
Ts not violating the platform pledges
breaking tho fundamental law of the
party? Then who can violate such a law
and bo worthy of holding a position of
honor and trust in tho councils of that
party? Has a man tho right to take a'
political vow and break It at will any
more than a marriage vow or church
vow? How many grades and degrees
are to bo found in obligations of any
kind?
There Is but one way, in the writer's
opinion, to get tho country democratic
that is to define democratic principles
in a specific platform and place tho
standard in tho hands of democratic
leaders who will face the foe and not
play hide and seek in the enemy's camp.
In other words, a man who disregards
the platform is like a tramp steamer
with no fixed port for which to steer but
on the trackless ocean makes any and
every port with self Interest as the pro
pelling force and expediency for his
compass.
The democratic ship will continue
drifting so long as it continues to trust
such seafarers with self made charts.
It will be recalled that some repre
sentatives, pleading justification for vio
lating platform pledges on the tariff
said that as they were "on tho spot"
they could use better judgment than tho
authors of the platform. Is it fair to
assume that tho democrats of the coun
try could not judge of democratic needs
in a democratic convention as well as
could those who were elected as demo
crats? Can a" few men in Washington
practically in the enemy's country,,
know more than tho great body of
democrats? Is it not an admission of
their Ignorance and that they were late
in getting important information? The
trade winds must blow rather strong In
Washington as the expressed opinions of
presidents seem to veer 'considerably.
If Washington is a training school for
democracy, would It not be better for
all democrats to go to that Mecca of
learning to got true expert democracy
rather than depend on the nostrums of
the stay-at-homes?
It is a serious question to decide the
limit of free will which should be al
lowed a representative before we decide
that he ceases to represent.
It has been further contended that
those who were in office at the time the
platform was made are not bound by
tho present platform. If the people can
reassemble in their sovereign capacity
to amend or remake a platform, have
they Lot tho right to do so without con
sulting those in office or being in danger
of being repudiated by their own
servants?
It is similar to an officeholder taking
oath of office under the constitution of a
state when during his terih a new con
vention makes another, .yet he has to
take tho oath under the new one. Other
wise there would be two constitutions in
operation. Two or more platforms would
present the same anomaly.
BRAXTON II. TABB.
Richmond, Va., January 30, 1910.
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