Gloucester County Democrat. (Woodbury, N.J.) 1878-1932, 1898-11-03
STATE PLATFoRrl.

and he was heartily cheered. Three
cheers for Edwards" shouted one en-
thusiastic delegate as the senator took
the platform. Mr. Edwards then read
the resolution, which was as follows:
We, the representatives Of the Demo-
cratic party in state convention as
sembled, reaffirming our devotion to all
the great and vital principles of the
Democratic party on national issues,
and believing, however, that the COM
ing state campaign should be fought
out on state issues, and for the re-
demption Of the state from Republican
extravaganza. corruption and misrule,
declare the paramount issues in the
campaign to be:
Equal taxation. home rule, honest
state and municipal government, the
adjustment of useless and expensive
state commissions. the reduction of the
large present expenses of the state gov
eminent to the economical standard
maintained for years under Democratic
rule, the reduction of official salaries,
the adjustment of the fee system and
the placing of all officials on salary
basis, the enactment of laws in the in
terest of organized labor and for the
protection of the wage workers of the
state, the repeal of all laws that abridge
the rights of juries to fix the amount
of damages in cases where the death of
a person is caused by wrongful act,
and the release of The administration
of state affairs from the control of cor
porations and their restoration to the
authority of the people.
We demand that the tax laws of this
state be amended to provide for the
lqual taxation of all property, real and
personal. not used for religious. charit-
able or educational purposes. in ac-
cordance with the mandate of the con-
stitution, which says:
Property shall be assessed for taxes
under general. laws, and by uniform
rules. according to its true value.
We charge the Republican party,
which had complete control of all
branches of the state government DUR
ng the past three years, with having
violated the pledges it made to the
people before being entrusted with
power.
REPUBLICAN EXTRAVAGANZA
We charge the Republican party with
having created useless and needless
state commissions at the expense of
thousands of dollars to the people Of
this state, and pledge the Democratic
party to the enactment of laws that
will secure their adjustment.
We charge that the Republican party
has been guilty of gross extravaganza
in the administration of state affairs
and that the expenses of the state gov
eminent under Republican rule have
been increased nearly half a million
dollars annually and are now largely
in excess of what they should be for an
honest and economical administration
of the government, and beyond the
annual revenues of the state by thou
sands of dollars. We pledge the Demo-
cratic party to a reduction of expenses
and an economical and business like
administration of the affairs of state.
We charge that the salaries of pub
lie officials are far in excess of what
they should be, and pledge the Demo-
cratic party to the enactment of laws
that will secure the reduction of the
same.
We pledge the Democratic partv IN
Jne enactment or laws unaI Will aDoilsn
the fee system in all state and county
offices, and place all such public Of
ficials on salary basis, thereby saving
to the people of this state thousands of
dollars, which will revert to the pub
lie treasury instead of the pocket of the
officeholder.
We condemn the action of the recent
Republican legislatures which refused
almost every request made for legisla-
ton in the interest of organized labor
and repealed acts passed by Demo-
cratic legislatures for the protection of
the wage workers of New Jersey; and
we pledge our party to give proper con-
sideration to the views adopted by the
councils of organized labor.
VOORHEES, LABOR'S ENEMY.
We charge Foster NJ Voorhees,, the
Republican candidate for governor,
with being an enemy of organized labor,
and that he has proved his hostility by
his official acts while acting as gov
ernor of the state.
We favor the repeal of all laws
abridging the right of juries to fix the
amount of damages in cases where the
death of person is caused by wrongful
act, and condemn the brutal opinions
filed by Republican judges in constru-
ing such laws.
We favor an amendment to the laws
of the state providing severe penalties
for discrimination in the fixing of rates
for transportation of freight in any wise
injurious to the farmers or other people
of this state.
We charge that the Republican party
is under the domination and control of
the corporations and trusts of this
state and refer the voters to the numer-
GUS acts passed by recent Republican
legislatures for the benefit of corpora
tions, foreign and domestic, at the ex-
pense of the people; and to the rail-
road acts passed ostensibly in the in
terests of the boroughs and villages,
but really in the interests of the cor
porations; and also call attention to
the silence of the platform adopted by
the recent Republican convention upon
all questions in anywise affecting the
interests of trusts and corporations.
We declare that the state of New
Jersey owes to every child within it's
borders an education unsurpassed by
any other state. We demand for our
school children ample and suitable ac-
commodation in every city. town and
village, SO that every child may attend
school the whole of every school day;
the establishment of a thorough kinder
garten system for the younger children
and compulsory education law which
will require attendance by every
healthy child of school age.
THE TEACHERS FUND.
We advocate the passage of a law
which will require the state treasurer
to become the custodian of the teach
crs' retirement fund, without expense
to the fund. We congratulate the teach
ers upon their successful effort to care
for the members of their profession in
old age or sickness out of their own
funds. We favor the construction of
good roads and of proper state aid
therefor.
We declare that the thanks of the
people of the state and nation are due
to the soldiers and sailors of the army
and navy of the United States, who
have imperiled their lives in defense of
their country. and in vindication of the
honor OF It's flag in the recent Spanish
war; that the nation owes to them per-
manent recognition of their patriotism
and their valor, and ample and per-
manent provision for those of their
survivors who have received disabling
and honorable wounds in the service of