Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1904-07-07

KNEW HOW NOT TO SAY 1T
The Democratic Platform Will Be Re-
markable For What It Does Not Say
Will Not Attack Wealth-WilI In
directly Admit Necessity For Pro-
ective Tariff.

! Special to Times Republican.
st. Louis, July 7---Before this day is
done 1t is expected that the platform
will have been made and adopted. The
platform Is made, in fact; several
| of it-and yet the platform making is
not going to be the big task one would
| impending. Even a.s the democratic
party eight years ago turned face about
so today it is at another equally sur
prising turning point. The PLATFORM
quite as much as the ticket. illustrates
| the change IN sentiment. The personnel
! of the convention, especially III its
| leadership. indicates what has been go-
| ing on. Today the one great man OF
| this convention is John Sharp Williams.
of Mississippi. He ls as has been said,
| the, one strong character that has been
developed In the democratic ranks
since the revolution of 1896 a we'll
| built modest man, not handsome nor
| striking, not a loud speaker, but plain
and forceful. he liz easily the master
mind of the national convention. He is
| the son Of confederate officer, pros
| porous planter who affects extreme
simplicity, but his friends fairly claim
| for him that he better represents the
| democracy Of today than any other in
conspicuous place. Williams was no.
only temporary chairman. but the plat
form he wrote will be the one ON which
| the campaign will be fought. The ma
| tional committee made him chairman
and his state put him on the resolu-
tons committee. Ellis draft of the plat
form will be accepted almost In Its en-.
tirety. The platform committee
wrestled with it most Of the night.
| Only a few planks needed discussion.
The Williams platform is remarkable
for the things which 1t does not say.
! That which is left out is interesting. 1t
gets clear away from the Girondists
and revolutionary radicals. There is
nothing in 1t which suggests that half
subdued attack on the money power
! 1t does not picture Wall street as den
of thieves, tho 1t does go after Secre-
tary Shaw. of Iows, and his ubiquitous
partnership between the treasury de-
partment of the federal government
and certain favored national banks,
| whereby millions ci dollars are annual
ly lent to those money institutions
without charge of interest" To the ex-
tent also that the attempt is made to
couple the trust era with republican
prosperity the platform suggests the
far western influences Of eight years
ago. But in the main the central
| thoughts of the Kansas City and Csli-
cago platforms were left out entirely.
The platform, therefore, shows the
backward turn In sentiment in the
party.
On the tariff the platform makers
have this year for the first time in
American history given democratic
recognition to the actuality and neces-
sity of maintenance of the political
tariff. This comes in only an Indirect
method, but 1t it Is, there, and it's pur-
pose is plainly to catch the favor of
that large class of independent voters
who are easily frightened at free trade
suggestion but who feel that it is
wrong to go on Indefinitely adding to
the height OF the tariff wall The sug-
gestion for "keepirg In view, as men
should. existing conditions, however
wrongfully brought about" In regard
to the tariff, is a distinct advance for
the party. There is nothing, however,
in the platform suggestion of the
Iowa Idea and for revision of the
tariff schedules to make protection
more perfect. nor for using the tariff
as medium for forcing concessions
that will widen the markets for Ameri-
can products. The platform does de-
viate widely frorn the republican po-
sition as to the relationship between
the tariff and trusts.
For two or three days the Parker
men have been looking about for a
running mate for their man. They
wanted a man VINO would be a good
campaigner, who would go among the
laboring men and make friends. who
could jolly up the western democrats
to keep them i'll good hunlor, man
with fine presence and good voice and
high purposes. An Iowa man suggest
ed in New York headquarters that
Iowa could offer jIst such man.
But Iowa is tied UP with Hearst
hearse' was the rejoinder.
True enough; and but for that fact
the Iowa delegation might today make
peace with the dominant faction here
and by offering Judge NJ j. Wade as a
candidate secure the vice presidential
nomination with little effort. But
what the state convention at Des
did may spoil all that.
The Parker people canvassed all the
midland states for material and finally
went to far off Washington for an
available candidate.
The weather has not been as good as
that at Chicago. The air is damp and
super heated. In the hotels and in the
convention life is hardly endurable.
But the great crowds have been cheer
full.
There are democrats here for all the
y