OCTOBER 18, 1912
5
THE DEMOCRATIC PARTY IS PROGRESSIVE
The Commoner.
The democratic party Is tho progressive
party and the republican party and tho third
party, insofar as they have taken on tho pro
gressive spirit, have simply been halting fol
lowers of tho democratic party.
Let facts be submitted to a candid public:
No need to remind tho voter that while repub
lican and third party leadors alike are admitting
tho necessity of tariff revision the democratic
party has from year to year and from oiie elec
tion to another pleaded for a relief to the con
sumers through a tariff revision that should be
made with the consumers' interest in view. In
this viow it sought 'through the pressnt demo
cratic house to pass the revision bills which a
"progressive" president of the republican type
vetoed.
The democratic 'party took the lead In tho
fight against CannoniBm, declaring in its plat
form of 1908 that the House of Representatives
had ceased to bo a deliberative and legislative
body responsive to the will of tho majority of
Its members but had como under the absolute
domination of the speaker who had entire con
trol of its deliberations and powers of legisla
tion. When the democratic pary succeeded to
the speakership it resisted the temptation to uso
the power, and following its principles, it sur
rendered that power and "Cannonism" perished.
The democratic party has consistently pro
tested against private monopoly and in its plat
form of 1880 it declared for free ships and a
living chance for American commerce upon tho
seas and on the land, no discrimination in favor
of transportation lines, corporations or mon
opolies. In 1884 It declared for "tho preven
tion of monopoly and the strict enforcement of
Individual rights against corporate abuses." In
1888 it said "the interests of the people aro
betrayed when by unnecessary taxation, trusts
and combinations are permitted and fostered
which while unduly enriching the few that
combine, rob the body of our citizens by depriv
ing them as purchasers of the benefits of
natural competition. All unnecessary taxation
is unjust taxation." In 1892 and in 1896 it
denounced the trusts and in 1892 demanded
"the rigid enforcement of the laws made to pre
vent aid control them together with such legis
lation in restraint of their abuses as experienco
may show to bo necessary." In 1900 it declared
that the product of truBts should bo put upon
tho free list In order to prevent monopoly under
the plea of protection. In 1904 it declared that
a private monopoly is indefensible and intoler
able. In 1908 the democratic party reiterated
Its declaration that "private monopoly is in
defensible and Intolerable," advocating the en
forcement of the criminal law against guilty
trust magnates and "such additional legisla
tion as may be necessary to make it impossible
for a private monopoly to exist in the United
States." Among these additional remedies it
specified a law preventing a duplication of
directors among competing corporations; a
license system, which will, without abridging
the right of each state to create corporations,
or its right to regulate as it will foreign cor
porations doing business within its limits,
make it necessary for a manufacturing or trad
ing corporation engaged in Inter-state commerce
to take out a federal license before it shall bo
permitted to control the product in which it
deals, the license to protect the public from
"watered stock; also a law compelling such
licensed corporations to sell all purchasers in
all parts of the country on the same terms after
making due allowance for transportation.
The democratic party has been a consistent
advocate of publicity as to the affairs of cor
porations. In its platform of 1900 it declared in
favor of requiring all corporations to show, be
fore doing business outside of the stato of their
origin, that they have no water in their stock
and that they have not attempted to monopolize
any branch of business or the production of any
articles of commerce.
The democratic party was a pioneer In tho
advocacy of Mississippi and other great river
improvements, declaring in 1884, for a syste
matic improvement of these waterways by tho
federal government. In 1892 it renewed its
declaration for general river Improvement and
advocated government aid "for a definite plan
of continuous work until permanent improve
ment was secured." In 1896 it renewed its
plodgo for Improvement of tho waterways. In
1908 it reiterated Its dcclarationr for water
ways improvement and advocated tho perfection
of tho system connecting tho groat lakes with
the navigable streams to tho nd that an inland
waterway to be navigated by vobboIs of standard
draught should bo established.
The democratic party was a pioneer in advo
cating federal aid to state and local authority in
tho construction and maintonanco of post roads.
It was likewiso a pioneer in tho suggestion for
tho regulation of tho rates and services of tolo
graph and telephono companies ongaged in tho
transmission of messages between tho states.
Tho democratic party was a pioneer in tho
advocacy of an Amorlcan canal, declaring In
many platforms for tho construction of that
enterprise. A democratic senator, Morgan of
Alabama, made that his llfo work.
Tho democratic party has stood for tho oxton
sion of agricultural, mechanical and industrial
education. In 1908 it declared in favor of tho
establishment of district agricultural and a
mechanical collego in tho several states.
Prom tho time of Washington, democrats
have opposed tho third term and In 1896 they
specifically declared In their national platform
"That no man should be eligible for a third
term for tho presidential ofllco." It was a demo
crat, William M. Springer of Illinois, who Intro
duced tho anti-third term resolution adopted by
tho house in 1875 which resolution provonted
tho nomination for a third torm of General
Grant.
Tho democratic party in 1908 stood for tho
physical valuation of railroads by tho inter
state commerce commission as a basis for rate
regulation. It also protested against railroads
engaging in business which brings them in com
petition with their shippers.
Tho democratic party was tho first of tho old
parties to oppose in its national platform tho
free pass and tho rebate declaring In 1908, "Wo
heartily approve tho laws prohibiting tho pass
and the rebate and wo favor any further neces
sary legislation to restrain, control and pre
vent such abuses."
Long ago tho democratic party stood tot con
servation declaring in 1880 for "public money
and public credit for public purposes sololy, and
public land for actual settlors." In 1884 it de
clared, "we believe that the public land ought,
as far as possible, bo kept as homesteads for
actual settlers; that all unearned lands here
tofore improvldently granted to railroad cor
porations by tho action of tho republican party
should bo restored to the public domains, and
that no more land grants should bo made to cor
porations or be allowed to fall Into tho owner
ship of alien absentees. In 1888 it renewed its
promise to devoto its energies to conservation
and pointed with pride to tho fact that under a
democratic administration ono hundred millions
of acres of valuable land had been reclaimed
from corporations and syndicates. In 1892 it
renewed its promise for conservation and re
clamation. In 1900 and 1904 It reiterated its
advocacy of conservation and reclamation and
declared In favor of systematic irrigation. In
1908 it declared that free grazing upon the
public land outside of forest or other reserva
tions should be left to tho people of tho state
in which such lands may be situated until these
lands should bo eventually disposed of. In
1908 it declared: "Wo repeat tho domand for
internal development and for the conservation
of our natural resources contained in previous
platforms, the enforcement of which Mr. Roose
velt has vainly sought from a reluctant party;
and to that end we insist upon the. preservation,
protection and replacement of needed forests,
the preservation of tho public domain for home
seekers, the protection of tho natural resources
in timber, coal, Iron and oil against monopolis
tic control, tho development of our waterways
for navigation and other useful purposes, in
cluding the irrigation of arid land, the recla
mation of swamp lands, tho clarification of
Btreams, tho development of water power and
tho preservation of electric power generated
by this natural force from tho control of
monopoly; and to such end we urge tho exercise
of all powers, national, state and municipal,
both separately in co-operation. We Insist upon
a policy of administration of our forest re
serves which shall relieve it of the abuses which
have arisen thereunder, and which shall, as far
as practicable, conform to the police regulations
of the several states where they are located,
which shall enable homesteaders as of rigm) to
occupy and acnulro title to all portions which
aro especially adaptod to agriculture, and which
shall furnish a systom of timber sales avail
able as well to tho privato citlzon as to tlia
larger manufacturer and consumor."
Tho dompcrntlc purty has consistently pro
tested against tho intorferonco In political con
ventions of federal officeholders. For Instnnco,
in 1892 it said: "Wo donounco a policy under
which fedoral officeholders usurp control of
party conventions In tho stato."
The democratic party took tho lead in genuine
civil oorvlce roform protesting In 1876 against
making public ofllco "a prlzo sought for at tho
ballot box, a brlof roward of party zoal, Instead
of posts of honor, assigned for provod com
petency." Tho democratic party has protested agalnnt
contributions by corporations, and In Its plat
form of 1908 domandod tho passage of tho
statute providing Imprisonment for any cor
poration offlcor who would contribute or pormit
tho contribution in furthering tho election of a
president or vice-prosldont or of any mombor
of congress.
Tho democratic party led tho way In favor of
publicity of campaign funds and in Its platform
of 1908 advocatod a law providing for tho pub
lication boforo election of all contributions
above a reasonable minimum.
Tho democratic party has always been tho
friend of labor and tho consistent champion of
progressive labor legislation. -In 1884 It
favored "tho repoal of all laws restricting tho
freo action of labor and tho enactment of laws
by which labor organizations may be Incor
porated and of all such legislation as will tend
to enlighten tho peoplo as to tho truo relations
of cnpltal and labor." It also protested against
the importation of choap foreign labor. In 1892
it said: "Wo favor legislation by congress and
state legislatures to protect tho lives and limbs
of railroad employes and thoso of other hazard
ous companies, and denounce tho inactivity of
tho republican party and particularly tho re
publican senate for causing tho defeat of
measures beneficial and protcctivo to this class
of wago-workcrs. Wo aro in favor of tho
enactment by tho state of laws for abolishing
tho notorious swoatlng systom, for abolishing
contract convict labor, and for prohibiting tho
employment In factories of children under 15
years of age." It was tho first of tho older
parties to declare against government by in
junction and donounco tho blacklist. It was tho
first of tho old parties to recommend that con
gress create a department of labor In charge of
a secretary with a seat in tho cablnot, making
that declaration in its platform of 1900. It has
regularly advocated the arbitration of differ
ences between employers and employes, declar
ing for that systom in Its platform of 189G, 1900
and others. It has consistently stood for tho 8
hour day, making that oxpllclt plodgo In its na
tional platforms. In 1908 It declared for a
general employers' liability act covering injury
to body or loss of Ufo of employe. At tho same
timo It reiterated its pledge to create a depart
ment of labor in the president's cabinet.
The democratic party protested in 1880
against centralization as is proposed by the third
party of today, referring to it as "that danger
ous spirit of encroachment which tends to con
solidate tho powors of all tho departments in
one and thus to create, whatever tho form of
government, a real despotism." In 1882 it pro
tested against "the tendency to centralize all
power at the fedoral capital" as a "menpee to
the reserved rights of tho states that strikes at
the very roots of our government under tho con
stitution as framed by the fathers of tho re
public." In 1896 It again protested against "tho
tendency of selfish interests toward tho centrali
zation of governmental power." In 1908 it de
clared for the preservation of our present system
by tho support of stato governments in all their
rights as the most competent administration for
our domestic concerns and the surest bulwark
against "anti-republican tendencies" and "in the
preservation of tho general government in Its
whole constitutional vigor as the sheet anchor
of our peace at home and safety abroad." In
that year it declared, "thoro is no twilight zone
between the nation and tho stato in which ex
ploiting Interests can take refugo from both; it
is necessary that tho federal government shall
exercise the powers delegated to it, as it is tho
state governments, shall use the authority re
served to them; but we insist that federal
remedies for the regulation of inter-state com-