sw.-,ffi'1i7-r!-r' - 7 ijv-' jvbjj" 7 ' '; 'mutpsw ' ""rjyn'
,- y .. -X17 -- npr sroiawp ftr"
M
JUI3Y-12; 19:12
The Commoner.
7
...
THE DEMOCRATIC PLATFORM FOR 1912
""--"Eg ' """"
Tho democratic platform unanimously adopted
by tho democratic national convention for. 1912,"
la as follows:
Wo, the representatives of the democratic
party of tho United States, in national conven
tion assembled,, reaffirm our devotion , to .tho
principles, of democratic government formulated
by. Thomas' Jefferson and enforced by ;a long and
illustrious, lino of democratic presidents.
TARIFF REFORM
We declare It to bo a fundamental principle
of tho democratic party that the federal govern
ment, under tho constitution, has no right or
power to impose or collect tariff duties, except
for .the purposo of revenue, and we demand
that the collection of such taxes shall be limited .
to the necessities of government honestly and
economically administered.
The high republican tariff is the principal
cause of the unequal distribution of wealth; it
is a system of taxation which makes the rich
. richer, and the poor poorer; under its opera
tions the American farmer and laboring man
are the chief sufferers; ft raises the cost of the
necessaries of life to them, but does not protect
their product or wages. The farmer sells largely
in free markets and buys almost entirely in tho
protected markets. In the most highl;- pro
tected industries such as cotton and wool,
steel and iron, tho wages of tho laborers are tho
lowest paid in any of our industries We de
nounce the republican pretense on that subject
and assert, that American wages are established
by competitive conditions and not by the tariff.
We favor the immediate downward revision
of tho existing high, and in many" cases, prohi- .
bitivo. tariff duties, insisting that material re
ductions be speedily made on tho necessaries of
life. Articles entering into competitipn with
trust-contro.lled products and ar.ticles jof Ameri
can' manufacture, which are sold abroad more
cheaply than at home, should be. put upon tho
free lis.t. ,,We recognize that ( our . system of
tariff 'taxation' is intlmejjr camiectejl with the (.
;. '.business, ot 'ho , country,, and we. f avor the ulti
mateaHainmentjq the .principles, we. advocate
by legislation. that will. ,not injure or destroy
legitimate', industry.
We denounce the ;actjIon of President Taft in
vetoing the bills to reduce the tariff in tho
cotton, woolen, metals and chemical schedules,
and the farmers' free list bill, all of which were
', designed to givo immediate relief to the masses
fronv the exactions of, the trusts,,
, (The Republican party, while promising tariff
revispn, has shown by its tariff legislation, that
such rp.yisiojn is not. to,be,.in the people's interest,
and having been faithless to its pledges In 1908,
,. it should).no longer mjoy,, the confidence of the
' nation., .We appeal ito the American people to
. .support ugjn. ouj;, demand for a tariff for revenue
, only.-- ' : ..-.
, . . ., IIIGH (DOST OF LIVING
.The high cost of. living is a serious problem
In every American home. The republican party,
in its platform, attempts to escape from respon
sibility for present conditions by denying- that
they are due to a protective tariff. We take
issue -with them on this subject and charge that
excessive prices result in a large measure from
the high tariff laws enacted and maintained by
the republican party and from trusts' and com
mercial conspiracies, fostered and encouraged
by such laws, and we assert that no substantial
relief, can be secured for the people until
import duties on the necessaries of life are ma
terially reduced and the criminal cdnsplracies
broken: up. '.
ANTI-TRUST LAW
A 'private monopoly is indefensible and in-
tolerable. 'We therefore favor the vigorous en
. f orcement of the criminal as well as the civil
law against trusts and trust officials and demand
the enactment of additional legislation as may
bo necessary to make it impossible for a private
monopoly to exist in the United StateSi
We favor the declaration by law of tho con
ditions upon which such corporations shall be
. permitted to engage in interstate trade, includ
ing, among others, the prevention of holding
companies, of interlocking directors, of stock
Tvatering, of discrimination in price and the
control by any one corporation of so, large a
proportion of any industry as to '.make it a
menace to competitive conditions.' ''
We condemn the action of the republican ad
ministration in ' compromising tyith the' Standard
Oil company and the tobacco trust and its failure
tb invoke the criminal provisions of the anti
trust law against tho officers of thoso corpora
tions after the court had declared that from tho
undisputed facts in tho record, they had violated
the crlminl provisions of the law,
We regret that tho Sherman anti-trust law
has received judicial construction depriving it
Of. muqh of its efficacy and wo favor the enact
ment of legislation which will restore to tho
statute the strength of which it has been de
prived by such interpretation.
RIGHTS OF THE STATES
Wo believe that tho most officiont results
under our system of government aro to bo at
tained hy the full exorcise by the statos of their
reserved sovereign' powers; wo denounce as
usurpation tho efforts of our opponents to de
prive the states of .any rights reserved to them,
and to enlarge and magnify by indirection the
powers of the federal government,.
We insist upon tho full exercls.e of all tho
powers of tho government, both state and na
tional, to protect tho people from injustice at
tho hands of those who seek to make the gov
ernment a private asset in business. There is
no twilight zone between tho stato and nation
In which, the exploiting interests can take refuge
from both. It is as necessary that tho federal
government shall exorcise the powers delegated
to. it as it is that tho states shall exercise tho
powers reserved to them, but wo Insist that
federal remedies for tho regulation of Interstate
commerce and for the prevention of private
monopoly shall be added to and not substituted
for stato remedies.
INCOME TAX AND POPULAR ELECTION
OF SENATORS
. We congratulate the country upon tho
triumph of two important reforms demanded in
tho last, national platform, namely, tho amend
ment of tho federal constitution authorizing an
income, tax and the amendment providing for
the popular election of senators, and we call
upon the" people of all the states to rally to tho
support of the pending propositions and secure
their ratification.
Wo note with gratification the unanimous
sentiment in favor of publicity before election,
of campaign contributions a measure de
manded in our national platform of 1908, and
at that time opposed by tho republican party
and we commend the democratic house of repre
sentatives for extending the doctrine of publicity
to recommendations, verbal and written, upon
Which presidential appointments aro made, to
the ownership and control of newspapers and to
the expenditures made by and in behalf of those
who aspire to presidential nominations, and we
point ,for additional justification for this legisla
tion to. the enormous expenditures of money in
behalf- of the president and his predecessor in
the recent contest for tho republican nomina
tion for president.
PRESIDENTIAL PRIMARIES
The movement towards more popular govern
ment should bo promoted through legislation In
each stato which will permit the expression of
the preference for the electors of candidates at
primaries.
We .direct that tho national committee incor
porate in the call for tho next nominating con
vention a requirement that all expressions of
preference ior presidenlal candidates shall bo
given, and the selection of delegates and alter
nates shall be made through a primary elec
tion conducted by the party organization in each
stato where such expression and 'election aro
not provided for by stato law. Committeemen
who are hereafter to constitute the membership
of the democratic national committeo and whose
election Is not provided for by law, shall bo
chosen 1n each state at such primary elections,
and tho service and authority of committeemen
however chosen shall begin immediately upon
tho receipt of their credentials.
CAMPAIGN CONTRIBUTIONS
We pledge the democratic party to the enact
ment of a law prohibiting any corporation 'from
contributing to a campaign fund, and any indi
vidual from contributing any amount above a
reasonable maximum. '
TERM OF PRESIDENT
We favor a single presidential term and to
that end urge the adoption of an amendment to
the 'constitution making the president of the
United States Ineligible to roolectlon and we
pledge tho candidate of this convention to this
principle.
DEMOCRATIC CONGRESS
At this time, when the republican party, aftor
a generation of unlimited power In Its control
of tho federal government, is rent into factions,
it is opportuno to point to tho record of accomp
lishment of tho democratic houso of representa
tives in tho sixty-second congress. Wo indorse
its action and challenge comparison of its record
with that of any congress which has been con
trolled by our opponents. Wo call tho attention
of tho patriotic citizens of our country to its
record of efficiency, economy and constructive
legislation.
It has, among othor achievements, rovisod tho
rules of tho house of representatives so as to
givo to tho representatives of tho American
people freedom of speech and of action in advo
cating, proposing and perfecting remedial legis
lation. It has passed bills for tho rollof of tho people,
and tho development of our country; it has en
deavored to revise the tariff taxes downward in
tho interest of tho consuming masses and thus
to reduce tho high cost of living.
It has proposed un amendment to tho federal
constitution providing for tho election of United
States sonators by tho direct vote of the people.
It has Becured tho admission of Arizoua and
Now Moxlco as two sovereign states.
It has required tho publicity of campaign ex
penses, both beforo and after election, and fixed
a limit upon the election expenses of United
States senators and representatives.
It has pussed a bill to prevent tho abuse of
tho writ of Injunction.
It has passed a law establishing an eight-hour
day for workmen on all national public work.
It has passed a resolution which forced tho
president to take immediate stops to abrogate
. tho.Jtussian treaty. ,
And! It' Has passed the great supply bills which
lessen waste and extravaganco and which re
duce tho annual expenses of tho government by
many millions of dollars.
Wo approve tho measure reported by the
democratic leadors in tho houso of representa
tives for tho creation of a council of national
defense. Which will determine a definite naval
program with a view of increased efficiency and
economy. Tho party that proclaimed and has
always defended tho Monroe doctrine, and which
stood for tho new navy, will continue faithfully
to observe tho constitutional requirements to
provide and maintain an adequate and well pro
portioned navy sufficient to defend American
policies, protect our citizens, and uphold the
' honor and dignity of tho nation.
REPUBLICAN EXTRAVAGANCE
Wo denounco tho profligato waste of tho
money wrung from tho people by oppressive tax
ation through tho lavish appropriations of re
cent republican congresses, which havo kept
taxes high and reduced tho purchasing power
of tho people's toil. We demand a return to
that simplicity and economy which befits a
democratic government and a reduction In tho
number of useless officers, tho salaries of which
drain tho substance of tho people.
'. RAILROADS, EXPRESS COMPANIES, TELE
GRAttfft AND TELEPHONE LINES
Wo favor tho efficient supervision and rate
1 regulation of railroads, express companies, tele
phone and telegraph lines engaged In interstate
commerce. To this end wo recommend the valu
ation of railroads, express companies, telephone
and telegraph lines by the Interstate commerco
; commission, such valuation to take Into con
sideration the physical value of the property,
the original cost, the cost of production and 'any
element or value that -will render the valuation
fair and Just.
We favor such legislation an will effectually
prohibit tho railroads, express, telephono nd
telegraph companies from engaging In business
which brings them into competition with their
shippers or patrons, died legislation preventing
the over-Issue of stocks, and bonds by Inter
state railroads, express companies, telegraph and
telephone lines and legislation which will assure
guch reduction In -transportation rates as condi
tions will permit, care 'bolhg taken to avoid reduc
tion that would comber a reduction of wafce,
( Continued on Pag 10.)
h
raiBPWi
;fjaSfcSifhifct Mirf,
W9"t"l.fc-i.'g." ' -
, , &