Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1900-07-16
PLATFORM ADOPTED BY DEMO-
CRATIC NATIONAL CONVENTION.


We, the represen tatives of the
democratic party of the United States,
assembled in convention on the ami
versary of the adoption of the Decia-
ration of Independence, to reaffirm
our faith in that immortal proclama-
of the inalienable rights of men, and
our allegiance to the constitution
framed in harmony Herewith by the
fathers of fhe republic. We hold with
the United States supreme court that
the Declaration of independence is
the spirit of our government, of which
the constitution is the form and letter
We declare again that all govern
ments instituted among men derive
their Just powers from the consent
of the governed; that any government
not based upon the consent Of the
governed is a tyranny; and that to
impose upon any people govern
ment of force is to substitute the
methods of Imperialism for those Of
republic. We hold that the constitu-
ton follows the flag. and denounce
the doctrine that an executive or
congress, deriving their existence and
their powers from the constitution,
can exercise lawful authority beyond
it, or in violation of it.
Believing in these fundamental
principles, we denounce the Porto
Rico law, enacted by a republican
congress against the protest and OPP
position of the democratic minority,
as bold and open violation Of the
nations organic law, and fragrant
breach of the national good faith. 1t
imposes upon the people of Porto Rico
a government without their consent
and taxation without representation.
1t dishonors the American people by
repudiating solemn pledge made in
their behalf by the commanding gen
eral Of our army, which the Porto
Ricans welcomed to a peaceful and
unresisted occupation of their land,
We demand the prompt and honest
fulfilment of our pledge to the Cuban
people and the world that the United
States has no disposition or intention
to exercise sovereignty, jurisdiction
or control over the island of Cuba,
except for its pacification.
We condemn and denounce the
policy Of the present adj
It has involved the
in unnecessary war, sacrificed
the lives of many Of our noblest sons,
and placed the United States,
previously known and applauded
throughout the civilized world as the
champion of freedom, in the false and
I'm American position of crushing with
military force the efforts of our
former allies to achieve liberty and
self government.
The Filipinos cannot be citizens
without endangering our civiliz alton;
they cannot be subjects without i'm
perilling our form government, and
as We are not willing to surrender our
or to convert the republic
into an empire, we favor an immedi
ate declaration Of the nations purpose
to give the Filipinos, first, stable
form of government; second, indie
pendence; third, protection from out
side interference, such as has been
given for nearly a century to the re-
publics of Central and South America.
We are not opposed to territorial
expansion, when it takes in desirable
territory which can be erected into
states il the Union, and whose people
are willing and fit to become Amer
lean citizens.
We favor expansion by every
peaceful and legitimate means, but we
are unalterably opposed to the Selling
or purchasing of distant islands, to be
governed outside the constitution and
whose people can never become citi-
zens.
The Importance of other questions
now pending before the American
people is in no wise diminished, and
the democratic party takes no back
ward step from it's position on them,
but the burning question of imperial
ism, growing out Of the Spanish war,
involves the very existence of the
republic and the destruction of our
free institutions. We regard it as the
paramount issue of the campaign.
The declaration in the Republican
platform that the republican party