Pine Bluff daily graphic., 1904-08-12
THE DEMOCRATIC
PLATFORM

We, ;he democratic party OF the United
Staies, IN national convention assembled,
oeciare It's devotion to the essential prn-
eiples OF the democratic faith which
brings US together in party communion.
I y nder them local sef-govcrnment and
national unity and prosperity were alike
| established. They underlaid our independ-
ence, the structure of our free republic
and every democratic extension from
Louisiana to California and Texas to Ore
, gon. which preserved faithfully in all the
fascination they yet iasp're spd the s,G Massts
Of our people. guarding jealousy their
rights and liberties and cherishing their
fraternity peace and orderly develop
ment. rne They Iif;y, remind US of our duties and
upon US. particularly at this time, the
necessity of reform and the rescue of the
hsamnis5raton sen OF government from the
, methods which distract business by un-
certainty and pervade the public mind
with 1,t1, dread, distrust and perturbation.
The application of these fundamental
principles to the living issues of the day
constitutes the first step toward the as
rared a.te. peace safety and progress Of our
science and of speech; equality before
the law Of all citizens; the right of trial
s,y hy 3hsy; ~ freedom of the person defended
| personal contract untrammeled by sump-
llafy laws; the supremacy of the civil
militia; the separation of church and
state; economy in expenditures; low
taxes That labor may be lightly bur
denedi the prompt and sacred fu,tillment
OF public and private Obligations; fidelity
| TO treaties; peace and friendship with all
| nations; entangling alliances With none;
majority. the vital principle of republics
| these are doctrines which democracy has
established as proverbs of the uation,
and they should be constantly invoked
1 preached. IGE0ftCd TO and enforced.
Controlling iHApenses.
| q. Large reductions can readily be
made IN tHe annual expenditures of the
| government without impairns the efii-
| elency OF u4E branch Of the public service,
and We shah insist upon the strittest
| economy and frugalty compatible with
[ ylsorous and efficient civil, military and
naval aumlnlstr tration as Il right Of tae
| people, too clear to be denied or with
"2. The enforcement of honesty in the
| public service and to that end d thorough
| legislative investigation of those eXecu-
| tive experiments of the government al
ready known to TEEN with corruption, as
| We'll as other departments suspected of
! harboring corruption, and the punishment
| of aseertalned eorruptioniSts without fear
| Or tdNor or regard to persons. The per
| sistent and deliberate refusal OF both the
| senate and house of representatives to
| permit such investigation to be made by
| that only by change in the executive
and in the house of representatives can
complete exposure, punishment and
| reetion be obtained.
| In broader furtherance of that end the
| federal government should not permit it
self to be robbed by entering into con-
combinations in restraint of interstate
| trade, existing in violation Of law. We
believe that one of the best methods of
| procuring economy and honesty in the
| public service is to have public officials,
| from the occupant OF the White House
i down to the lowest of them return as
| .IGtfprSDni.lll Si i'm
| plicity of living.
Presidential Recommendation
''3. We favor the nomination and cleo
| tion of a president trained in the ways of
| sternly against executive usurpation of
! legislative and judicial functions whether
that usurpation be ruled under the guise
| of executive construction of existing
| laws, or whether it take refuge i'll the
4 tyrant's pleas of necessity of superior
| wisdom.
and will continue to be, the consistent
| opponent of that class of tariff Legislation
by which certain interests have been per-
| mitted, through congressional favor to
| draw heavy tribute from the American
people. This monstrous perversion of
those. equal opportunities, which our po-
| litical institutions We're established to Sc
/ cure, has caused what may once have
| been infant industries to become the
greatest combinations of capital that the
world has ever known. These publicly
| favored enterprises have. through trust
| methods, been converted into monopolies,
thus bringing, to an end domestic COM
| petition, which was the only check upon
| the eXtravagant profits made possible by
| the protective system. These industrial
combinations, by the financial assistance
they can give. now control the policy Of
| the republican party.
I'VE favor wise, conservative and
| businesslike revision and a gradual re-
! ducton of the tariff hy the friends of the
| masses and for the common veal, and
| not by the friends Of it's abuses its ex-
/ tortionS and it's determinations. keeping
in view the ultimate end of equality Of
! burdens and equality of opportunities,
and the constitutional purpose of raising
| port of the federal government. in all its
| integrity and virility.' but in simplicity
and keeping also in view, as men of com
however wrongfully, mistakenly or un-
justly brought about. and the danger to
the cause OF tariff reform itself of abrupt
and revolutionary reversal of policy.
two things: "a The general principle that
4 the sole derivation of the power of tax
constitutionally administered; and (2),
the equal truth that in the assertion of
any general principle and in reaching
| logically unavoidable, due regard, but
! only due regard must and should be paid
to actual existing conditions.
i Eve favor the reduction OF tariff tax
| alton upon trust-produced articles to the
points where foreign competition may en-
ter the American market whenever trusts
and combines, seeking monopoly, laise
| their prices to me American consumer
above a reasonable and just profit, by
such reduction depriving trusts and mo
! nopolies of the power to eXtort from tle
American people undes shelter of Amer
lean law, prices higher than those charged
foreigners for identical articles.
The ISthmiMn Canal.
"Our party having long and earnestly
advocated the construction of interoceanie
canal for the purpose OF national defense
and commerce between the states and
with foreign nations, we favor the early
completion of the lsthmian canal.
But while making this declaration ant
accepting the results as an accomplished
and irreversible fact. we can not too
forcibly express. our disapproval of IN
methods by which, in disregard Of the
nsages and obiigatii9,ns Of intarnationa do "a
route has been acquired, or too solemnl,
record our hope that this precedent o.
| defiant diplomacy may never be uset
against us to our humiliation and injury
Trusts and Unlawful Combinations
1--WE recognize that the gigantic trust:
and combinations designed to enable cap