Akron daily Democrat. [volume] (Akron, Ohio) 1892-1902, 1901-07-29


but failed to reaffirm the Kansas City |
platform.
1t began with municipal and state
issues and the handiwork of Mayor |
Tom. J.. johnson was evident in the |
terse and emphatic declaration OF
Democratic principles so far as they |
apply to local questions. The neces- |
sity for municipal reform Is an urgent |
one and there is sound Democracy In |
the plank demanding that the people |
be given an opportunity to vote on
questions involving the granting or
extending Of franchise.
The plank which declares that
"steam and electric railroads and other
corporations possessing public fran
chses shall be assessed in the same
proportion to their salable value as
are farms and city real estate IL both
logical and just, but it is likely to
tlt Ntiy INpDic NhO Ntit " uV
|conciliated by an evasion of the sill
yer question.
The plank against passes is all right
but will not make votes among the
so.called conservatives. The platform
urges tariff reform.
The antitrust plank would have been
stronger IL it had reiterated the Kansas
City platform on the subject. The free
list and the prevention of railroad
determinations are good so far as
they go but they do not go Gar enough.
Whenever trust can export its goods
to other countries it can live here with
out any tariff Something more than
free trade is necessary to such n case.
Absolute fairness in railroad rates is
desirable, but even this will not make
private monopolies impossible. The
Kansas City platform suggested a
complete remedy--the only one yet pro-
posed and 1t is to be regretted that
the Ohio convention was so prejudiced
against the last national platform Of
the party that ii ignored remedy en-
dorsed by more than six million voters.
The plank condemning imperialism
! criticises the Republican policy without
| IAf,tn mi OF " n m
the failure TO reaffirm the Kansas City
platform has weakened the Ohio Demo-
cracy.
The convention endorsed the PROPOSE
ton to elect senators by the people.
The labor plank Is excellent but those
: who wrote the platform failed, either
? Intentionally or unintentionally, to
mention government by injunction. the
, black list and arbitration. A reaffirma-
tion of the Kansas City platform would
have covered these points also but
having failed to reafiirm, the conven-
e tion, should have been careful to touch
p on all the important questions.
> The convention not only failed, but
'- refused to endorse or reafiirm the Kan
3 sas City platform, and from the man
ner In which the gold element hat
rejoiced over this feature of the con
ventlon one would suppose that the
, malD object Of the convention was moi
to write Il new platform, but to repudi
ate the one upon which the last ma
tional campaign was fought.
Gen. Finley was right in insisting
q upon vote on his resolution endors
ing the Kansas City platform, but he
I made mistake In including In his
r resolution q complimentary reference
Y to MIR. Bryan. Mr., Bryan is not d
:, candidate for any office, and men
ton of him might have been con
strucd by some AS an endorsement OF
d him for office. The vote should have
Is been upon The naked proposition tC
10 endorse the platform of last year, anc
lt then no one could have excused HE
lc abandonment of Democratic principles
vi by pleading his dislike for Mr.. Bryan
The cause ought not to be made I,
bear the sins of an individual. Mr.
- Bryan will endure without complain
any punishment which the Dcmocrac!
Of ohio may see ut TO administer I,
him, but he does not want his nam,
uscd to the injury of Il good platform
:, The gold papers assume that thu
convention refused TO adopt the Kan
sas City platform because 1t containe,
bo silver plank, II so, II would hay,
Us been more courageous to have declare,
C. openly for the gold standard. If th,
IL gold standard Is good, 1t ought I,
m have been cndorsed--lf bad, II ough
no To have been denounced. To ignor,
of the subject entirely was inexcusable
tn Tho money question is not yet on
on of politics. Every session of congres