The Portland daily press., 1898-06-24

the powers Of the Interstate commerce
committee, TO prevent trusts and spoels.
%: 1t favored just claims for deserving
Union soldiers and endorsed the acts OF
the acting Pension Commissioner.
q. 1t opposed life tenure in public
service, unless provided by the Copstitu-
ton, and favored appointments based on
merit and for fixed term of Office
lt favored the adm ission of all terri.
tories having the necessary population
and resources and held that territorial
officials should be appointed from bona
f1de residents
8. 1t declared the Monroe Doctrine
to he permanenJ part of the foreign
policy of the United States.
9. 1t advocated home rule, public lands
Tor free homes to American settlers, that
Aiaska have representative in Congress
and that the timber and land laws be ex-
tended to that territory.
III. 1t denounced arbitrary interference
by the Federal authorities in local affairs
and especially objected to government
by injunction and asked for a trial by
jury in certain cases of contempt of
court.
l1.sIt opposed the issue of interest bear
ing bonds, in time of peace: demanded
that all legal tender paper money, should
be issued by the government, instead of
by banks, sand that it be made redeemable
in coin and receivable for all debts pub
lie and private.
IL 1t expressed sympathy for the strug-
gnng Cubans, opposed the Importation of
pauper labor to compete with American
labor, demanded necessary as to protects
the rights of labor
10 1t favored arbitration in adjusting
the dlHerencss between employer and en-
ployed, and opposed a third term for
president.
a. 1t favored an income tax declar ing
1t to be the duty of Congress to use ali the
constltutfonal power it now has or may
hereafter have, to pass law so THAI the
burdens OF taxation might be equally and
impartially laid.
To-. 1t denounced McKinleyism as a
breeder OF trusts and fnonopolies, which
enrlched the few at the expense Of the
many, restricting trade and depriving the
producers Of their natural markets.
:. 10: 1t favored tariff for revenue only.
limited to the needs of the government,
economically and honestly administered.
70; IL opposed recommendation, demand
90 the free coinage of silver at the present
regal ratio, without the aid or consent of
any other nation, and asked that the
standard silver dollar be full legal tender,
equally with gold in the PAYMENT of ali
debts.
speak guardedly when I say, that I
honestly believe, ninety five out of every
hundred of the Democrats of this state, if
submitted to them, would accept as
party creed, nine tenths OF the principles
enumerated above. Why shouldn't theye
There is not fundamental party pr Incl
pies in the whole seventeen planks, which
mas not, at one time or another, formed
part of the national Dem ocratic plat
Iorms, during the past twenty years,
while some of them, have been the princi-
PIE since the formation of the party.
They may not have been expressed in
eactly the same words, but the essential
part was there, changed only to meet the
umes and exigencles of the hour.
Personally I am not in perfect accord
OF 1896. do not recall party platform
that ever was eaotly as 1 might wish it or
as might have put it to suit myself
But If voter finds himself in accord
with great majority of the essential
principles of party as expressed in it's
platform, he should act with that party,
especially in national matters, because in
a.great country like ours. with it's varied
and conflicting interests, sectional and
otherwise, national platforms, are of
necessity, the results OF more or less COM
promi se
To act upon any other principle would
make every voter "Joe Holden.'' in
politics, who each campaign, finding
something Objectionable in tho platforms
of the existing parties, leases his political
conscience by making a platform of his
own, which allows only those who are as
Economically and politically believers in
the Ptolemsic system, to stand upon it.
You ask if 1.-THE free coinage of silver
at the ratio of sixteen to one is a non .es-
sential of recent Democratic faith.'' NV
reply is that the party for the past thir-
teen years in its national platforms has
favored the free coinage and Use of both
gold and silver as standard money. And
during that time the Republican party in
its national platforms has advocated the
same financial policy. If any one oues-
tions it this is my proof.