Cbe Conservative ,
of strength and safety. For the first
time in our history and co-evil with the
Philippine conquest , has there been a
whole departure from our time-honored
and approved system of volunteer or
ganizations. We denounce it as un-
American , undemocratic and unrepub-
lican and as a subversion of the ancient
and fixed principles of a free people.
Private Monopoly Evil.
Private monopolies are indefensible
and intolerable. They destroy compe
tition , control the price of all material
and of the finished product , thus rob
bing both producer and consumer. They
lessen the employment of labor and
arbitrarily fix the terms and conditions
thereof and deprive individual energy
and small capital of their opportunity
for betterment.
They are the most efficient means yet
devised for appropriating the fruits of
industry to the benefit of the few at the
expense of the many , and unless their
insatiate greed is checked all wealth
will be aggregated in a few hands and
the republic destroyed. The dishonest
paltering with the trust evil by the re
publican party in state and national
platforms is conclusive proof of the
truth of the charge that trusts are the
legitimate product of republican poli
cies ; that they are fostered by republi
can laws and that they are protected by
the republican administration in return
for campaign subscriptions and political
support.
Control of Trusts.
The failure of the present administra
tion , with an absolute control over al
the branches of the national governmen !
to enact any legislation designed to pre
vent or even curtail the absorbing
power of trusts and illegal combinations
or to enforce the anti-trust laws already
on the statute books prove the insin
cerity of the high soundiu g phrases o :
the republican platform. Corporations
should be protected in all their rights
and their legitimate interests should be
respected , but any attempt by corpora
tions to interfere with the public affairs
of the people or to control the sov
ereignty which creates them , should be
forbidden under such penalties as wil
make such attempts impossible.
Breeder of Trusts.
We condemn the Dingley tariff law
as a trust-breeding measure , skillfully
devised to give the few favors which
they do not deserve , and to place upon
the many burdens which they should
not bear ,
We favor such an enlargement of the
scope of the interstate commerce law as
will enable the commission to proteo
individuals and communities from dis
criminations and the public from unjns
and unfair transportation rates.
American Finance for Americans.
We reaffirm and indorse the princi
pies of the national democratic platform
adopted at Chicago in 1896 , and we re-
terate the demand of that platform for
an American financial system made by
ihe American people for themselves ,
which shall restore and maintain a bi
metallic price level , and as part of such
ystem the immediate restoration of the
'roe and unlimited coinage of silver and
gold at the present legal ratio of 10 to 1
without waiting for the aid or consent
of any other nation.
We denounce the currency bill en
acted at the last session of congress as a
step forward in the republican policy
which aims to discredit the sovereign
right of the national government to issue
all the money , whether coin or paper
and to bestow upon national banks the
power to issue and control the volume
of paper money for their own benefit.
A permanent national bank currency ,
secured by government bonds , must
mve a permanent debt to rest upon and
if the bank currency is to increase with
population and business , the debt must
also increase. The republican currency
scheme is therefore a scheme for fasten
ing upon the taxpayers a perpetual and
growing debt.
No Watered Stock.
We pledge the democratic party to an
unceasing warfare in nation , state and
city against private monopoly in every
form. Existing laws against trusts must
be enforced and more stringent ones
must be enacted providing for publicity
as to the affairs of corporations engaged
in interstate commerce and requiring all
corporations to show , before doing busi
ness outside of the state of their origin ,
that they have no water in their stock
and that they have not attempted and
are not attempting to monopolize any
branch of business or the production of
any articles of merchandise and the
whole constitutional power of congress
over interstate commerce , the mails and
all modes of interstate communication
shall be exercised by the enactment of
comprehensive laws upon the subject of
trusts. Tariff laws should be amended
by putting the product of trusts upon
the free list to prevent monopoly under
the plea of protection.
Retirement of Bank Notes.
Debt for the benefit of the banks we
are opposed to this private corporation
paper circulated as money , but without
legal tender qualities and demand the
retirement of the national bank notes as
fast as government paper or silver cer
tificates can be substituted for them.
Senators by The People.
We favor an amendment to the fed
eral constitution providing for the elec
tion of United States senators by direct
vote of the people , and we favor a direct
legislation wherever practicable.
No Government by Injunction.
We are opposed to government by
injunction ; we denounce the blacklist
and favor arbitration as a means of set
tling disputes between corporations and
their employees ,
Department of I < abor.
In the interest of American labor and
the upbuilding of the workiugman as the
corner stone of the prosperity of our
country , we recommend that congress
create a department of labor , in charge
of a secretary , with a seat in the cabinet ,
believing that the elevation of the
laborer will bring with it increased
production and increased prosperity to
our country at home and to our com
merce abroad.
Liberal Pensions.
We are proud of the courage and
fidelity of the American soldiers and
sailors in all our wars , wo favor liberal
pensions to them and their dependents
and we reiterate the position taken in
the Chicago platform in 1896 that the
fact of enlistment and service shall be
deemed conclusive evidence against
disease and disability before enlistment.
We favor the immediate construction ,
ownership and control of the Nicaraguan -
guan canal by the United States and we
denounce the insincerity of the plank in
the republican national platform for an
Isthmian canal in the face of the failure
of the republican majority to pass the
bill pending in congress.
Surrender to England.
We condemn the Hay-Panncefoto
treaty as a surrender of American rights
and interests ( not to bo tolerated by the
American people. )
i
Statehood.
We denounce the failure of the repub
lican party to carry out its pledges , to
grant statehood to the territories of Ari
zona , New Mexico and Oklahoma , and
we promise the people of those terri
tories immediate statehood and home
rule during their condition as territories ,
and we favor home rule and a territorial
form of government for Alaska and
Porto Rico.
We favor an intelligent system of
improving the arid lands of the west ,
storing the waters for the purposes of
irrigation and the holding of such lauds
for actual settlers.
We favor the continuance and strict
enforcement of the Chinese exclusion
law and its application to the same
classes of all Asiatic races.
Land-Grabbing Condemned.
Jefferson said : "Peace , commerce and
honest friendship with all nations , en
tangling alliances with none. " We ap
prove this wholesome doctrine and
earnestly protest against the republican
departure which has involved us in so-
called world politics , including the di
plomacy of Europe and the intrigue and
land-grabbing of Asia and we especially
condemn the ill-concealed republican