The Forrest City times., 1900-07-13
THE DEMOCRATIC PLATFORM.

Declaration of Principles sy the Democratic Convention
 mt Kansas City.
 Kansas City, Mo, July 5.-The fol- lowing is the platform as drawn by the
 the convention and adopted unani- F ously:
 Imperialism.
 We. the representatives of the demo- cratic party of the United States, assem- bled in national convention, on the anni- versary of the adoption of the Declaration of Independence. do reafiirm our faith in that immortal proclamation of the in- alienable rights of man and our allegiance to the constitution framed in harmony herewith by the fathers of the republic. We hold with the United States su- preine court that the Declaration of h. dependence is the spirit of our govern ment. of which tho constitution is the form and letter.
 We declare again that all governments | instituted among men derive their just powers from the consent of the gov erned; that any government not based upon the consent of the governed IS a tyranny, and that to impose upon any people a government of force is to substl- tute methods of imperialism for those of a republic.
 We hold that the constitution follows the flag, and denounce the doctrine that an executive or congress, deriving theii existence and their powers from the con- stttuuon, can exercise lawful authority beyond 1t, or in violation of 1t.
 We assert that no nation can long en- dure half republic and half empire and We warn the American people that impe- rialism abroad will lead quickly and in- eNitably to despotism at home.
 Believing in these fundamental prin- ciples. we denounce. the Porto Rico jaw, hNT the protest and opposition of the dem ocratc minority. as a bold and open viola tion of the nations organic law, and a fragrant breach of the national good faith.
 It imposed upon the people of Porto Rico government without their consent and taxation without representation. It d1shonors the American people by repu- dtating solemn pledge made in their be- half by the commanding general of our army which the Porto Ricans welcomed to peaceful and unressted occupation of their land. It doomed to poverty and distress a people whose helplessness ap- peals with peculiar force % our justice ana magnanimity; In this, the first act | of its imperalistic programme, the re- publican party seeks to commit the Unit ed States to q colonial policy, inconsistent Wlth republican institutions and con- demned by the supreme court in numer- ous decisions.
 Cuba and the Philippines.
 We demand honest fulilment of our pledge to the Cuban people, that the United States has no disposition or in- tentlon to exercise sovereignty or juris- dletion over the island except for it's pa. cificauon. The war ended two years ago ana profound peace reigns all over the island, and still the administration of the island IS withheld from it's people l While republican carpetbag officials plum der its revenues and exploit the colonial theory to the disgrace of the American people.
 We condemn the Philippine policy of the present admlnlstration. It has em5roiled the republic in an unnecessary war. sac- rlhced the lives of many of it's nobles, sons and placed the United States pre- viously known and applauded throue, 4out the world as the champion of freedom, Tn the false and un-AmeriCan position of | crushing with military force the efforts Of our former allies to achieve liberty and self government.
 The Fflipinos can not be citizens with out endangering our civilization; they can not be subjects without imperling our form of government, and as we are not We favor an immediate declaration ot the nations purpose to give to the Fiji 1 lplnos t1rst, stable from of govern ment; second independence, and third protection from outside interference such | as has been given for nearly a century to
 the republics of Central and South Ameri- l The greedy commercialism which die l tated the Philippine policy of the re- 1 publican administration attempts to jus 1 tify II with the plea that it will pay but | even this sordid and unworthy plea fails i when brought to the test of facts l The war of criminal aggression against | the tllipinos, entailing an annual ex- l pense of many millions, has already cost l more than any possible profit that can
 accrue from the entire Philippine trade 1 for years to come. Furthermore when 1 trade Is extended at the expense of lib erty, the price is always too high.
 Territorial Expansion. | We are not opposed to territorial expan- i s1on when IL takes in desirable territory which can be erected into states in the | Union,and whose people are willing ana fiji l to become American citizens We favor 1 legitimate means But we are una,ter- I ably opposed to the seizing or purchanse l of distant islands to be governed outside 1 the constitution, and whose people can | never become citizens.
 l We are in favor of extending the Re
 public Influence among the nations but
 believe that influence should be extended
 not by force and violence, but through
 the pursuasiVe power of a high and hon.
 orable example,
 The Burning Issue.
 The importance of other questions now
 pending before the American people is
 in no wise diminished and the democra tic
 party takes no backward step from its position on them; but the burning issue
 Of Imperialism growing out of the Spanish
 war involves the very existence of the re-
 public and the destruction of our free in-
 stituUons.
 We regard it as the puramouut is
 sue of the campaign.
 The Monroe Doctrine
 The declaration in the republican plat
 form adopted at the Philadelphia conven-