The Worcester spy. [volume] (Worcester, Mass.) 1898-1904, 1899-09-22

ton suffered so gravely in the five
years prior to 1897 proceeded from a
contracted currency for which repub-
hcan financial legislation had provided
no form of relief
But the benefits of a rise in the price
level, under the gold standard, are of
necessity unequally and uniustly dis
trfbuted. The farmers of the west and
south, being compelled to sell their
products in the worlds markets in com
petition with silver-usin countries,
are condemned to low prices for what
they SELL while the rising scale of pri-
eeS at nome due partly to the increased
volume of money, and more to the in
prevention of the trusts, results in the
exaction from them of higher prices
for all they have to buy. The prosper
lty OF New England rests upon the
prosperity of her customers, and Mas
sachusetts, in pleading the cause of
the farmers of the west and south, ad-
vances her own industrial interests.
and no system which decreases the in
come and increases the outgo of the
farming community can afford a safe
foundation for a sound commercial
fabric.
We denounce unqualifiedly the pur-
pose of the republican party to surren-
der to the banks the governmental
function of issuing paper money and
controlling its volume. Such action
would create a trust, in comparison
with which all other snonopolies would
be trivial. Today our trust magnates
are our bankers. They hold the bank
stock, they sit on the boards of direc- |
tors, they select the officials and thew
will apply to their command over the
supply of the nations money the same
merciless and extortionate methods |
winch they use IN turning to their own |
profit their present monopolies.
10 the war with Spain-a war rightly |
Waged in the cause of humanity and |
which was forced upon an unwilling
republican administration by the in
sistence of democrats in the House and
Senate-there has succeeded a war of |
criminal aggression in the Philippines. !
We hold that this war is wanton and
needless. 1t is in violation of the prin- |
ciples of American constitutional lib
erty, not only because it is prosecuted |
by the administration without the con-
gressional action which the constitu-
.tton prescribes, but because it is a
denial of that right of self government I
which, from the day our forefathers
faced the British at Concord bridge. has
been cardinal precept of American
political philosophy, until now William
Mckinley, with the applause and overt
sympathy of the British government. |
has discarded it. 1t is a wasteful war
in all it's material aspects, since by the |
incompetence and corruption which
have attended its prosecution, it has
cost the nation heavily in blood and
treasure, while the notorious and scan
dalous misappropriation of moneys has
resulted in an enormous deficit in the
federal treasury.
We demand that to the Filipinos, as
to the Cubans, shall be said today that
! they are, and of right ought to be, free
and independent, and we hold that such
declaration, coupled with the express
sion of the purpose of the United States
to protect the islands from the assault
OF any foreign power, would speedily
restore order, purge our national honor
Of the stain put upon it by injustice and
bad faith, and advance American trade
in the far east
Back of the gaudy trappings of i'm
perialism turks the less spectacular but
more terrifying form of militarism.
Against great standing army the
democracy, both of state and nation,
has resolutely set its face, but in reit-
Grated demands for more and more
troops to subdue the Tagalogs may be
detected the purpose to have ultimate
ly more soldiers to employ at home. AL
ready all free peoples of the world gaze
with amazement at the facility with
which monopolistic corporations in the
United States are able to secure the aid
Of armed forces. both state and federal,
to oVerawe their workingmen in time
of labor dissensions.
The platform then denounces the con-
duct of the military authorities in the
Occur d'Alene coal district of Idaho,
and continues:
In imperialism and miIitarism, the
great monopolistic corporations, whose
growth astonishes and alarms the peO-
pie, discern twin agencies for their de-
Tense We pledge ourselves to give due
trial to such remedies as may hasten
the disintegration of trusts-for exam
Pile, a compulsory system of publicity
for all trust records and accounts; a
federal law prohibiting a monopoly
from making more divergent prices for
its products in different parts of the
country than are warranted by differing
freight rates, thus preventing under
selling in one state to drive out COM
petitors, at the expense Of the consumer
in other states, where the monopoly is
complete; and a more rigid enforcement
of the law against railroad discrlmina-
TOPS, pending the actual government
ownership and operation of all rail-
roads, which this convention demands.
TIE commonwealth of Massachusetts
now possesses the right to purchase the
Boston and Albany railroad at price
virtually equivalent to the par value of
the stock The present owners of that
property contemplate leasing II for 9G
years to one of the great railroad
trusts of the nation, in consideration of
guaranteed rental exceeding s per
cent upon the capital This lease will
come before the legislature for ratifca-
ton, and If approved, would. in fact. II
not in terms. sacrifice the option now
possessed by the state.
Should the state decide to purchase