The comet. (Johnson City, Tenn.) 1884-1916, 1900-05-17
struggle with Great Britain. Carried
THE PLATFORM,


The committee on platform then re-
turned with the platform as follows, the
old section 3 being stricken out and a
new section Inserted
The democracy of Tennessee, in con-
vention assembled, fully recognizing
the necessity of harmony in opinion,
and unity in action, and realizing that
while worthy moral and mental man
hood and proper spirit of individual
independence always involves some di-
vergence of view, and clash of opinion,
yet that all successful accomplishments
through party action necessitates mu-
tual concession and modification of
opinion among its members, and that
the aggregate wisdom of the party,
when assembled in its national conven-
ton, must and should be its controlling
law, suggest and declare on behalf of
the democrats of Tennessee:
1. That we indorse and reaffirm the
platform of principles declared and
adopted by the last national convention
of the democratic party at Chicago in
1896.
2. We Join issue with the republican
party as both the father and mother of
combines and trusts aud of the pro-
tectlve tariff, as the guardian and next
friend of all class legislation, as the
breeder of favoritism and privilege
under cover of law, and Of an inequality
and iniquity in Legislative and govern
mental policy which benefits the few at
the expense of the many, and which as
q party is the mortal foe of an income
tax, than which no tax can be more
beneficial to government or more Just
and equitable to the pople; and we
deem it an immediate and pressing
duty of government to enact such leg
islation, either controlling or prohibit
tory in its nature, as the case may re-
quire, so as to utterly and completely
prevent any aggregation Of capital OF
combinations of individuals or corpora
tions from beng able at will to restrict
trade, control prices, create monopoly
or crush competition and we declare
combines or trusts having such pur.
pose, object or effect as inimical to the
interests of the individual citizen and
the public morals and welfare and we
think the democratic party in its ma
tional convention should solemnly
pledge the party as au organization,
both in the states and in the country at
large, to the selection of Legislators,
both state and national, pledged under
their party fealty to act and labor in
their respective spheres by prompt and
proper legislation to carry out this
policy.
3. We believe in the principle of the
Declaration of Independence that
governments derive their just powers
from the consent of the governed, "
and that the forcible annexation of any
country without the consent of its peo-
pie would be crime.
We hold that the principle which has
governed territorial acquisitions by the
democratic party that no territory
should be added to the country except
with the express purpose that it shall
be made part of the Union and its
people clothed with all the rights, duties
and responsibilities of American citi-
zenship.
We, therefore, condemn the policy of
forcible annexation of the republican
party in dealing with the Philippine
Islands as breach of national honor
and violation of the traditions of the
republic, and we hold that as soon as
stable government can be established
in the islands they shall be given their
independence.
We are opposed to the republican
policy of imperialism, which makes
subjects of alien races without the con-
sent of the governed, and denounce
such as contrary in letter and spirit to