The Savannah morning news., 1904-07-09
THE DEMocRAr1o PLATFORM.

IlOnai convention to make declaration
on the money question will be the sub
ject of good deal Of comment. but it
will not handicap the party in the pres
| idential contest The gold standard is
so firmly established that no apprehen-
sion of a renewal of the agitation in
behalf of silver is likely to take pos
session of the public mind.
1t was expected that there would be
| a great contest in the convention on
the money question. Mr.. Bryan went
to the convention with the avowed pur-
pose of having the money plank of the
Kansas City platform reaffirmed. In
| the Committee on Resolutions he was
persistent in his effort to accomplish
that purpose. but the support he re-
! Ceived was so little that he was COM
! PEELED to abandon it. On the other
! hand there were members of the COM
! mittee who wanted a declara ton in
| favor of the gold standard. Although
| the subcommittee agreed to such a
| declaration, the full committee took a
! different view. and, as no middle
| ground could be found, it was thought
| the wiser plan would be to take the
position that the money question was
! practically settled. That position in
| sures harmony in the party, and, at the
same time. leaves no doubt that the
party will never again be victim of
the silver craze. Mr.. Hill the cham
pion of the gold standard, and Mr..
Bryan, the apostle Of the Is to idea,
both expressed themselves as satisfied
| with the way in which the money diff
Guilty had been adjusted.
There is, of course, no doubt that the
business interests would have liked a
clear-cut declaration in favor of sound
money, but as that was not possible
without disturbing the harmonious
feeling in the party, and as the ignor-
ing of the silver question is a big adj
vance beyond the position taken by
the party on that question four years
ago, it will be generally agreed that
the course pursued was the wisest one
The declaration in respect to the tar
if states the attitude of the party on
that important subject in a way that
is not calculated to alarm business in
terests. A tariff that shelters monop-
olies is condemned, and so is tariff
that assists in making the burdens of
the people unequal. A wise, conserva-
tive and business-like revision of the
tariff is favored--a revision that will
be productive of such a reduction of
schedules as will enable our own peo-
pie to obtain the products of our fac
tories at prices as low as those at
which they are sold in other coun-
tries.
OF course the Democratic party is
against law-breaking trusts. and it
says so unequivocaIly. It says they
''are a menace to beneficial competition
and an obstacle to permanent business
prosperity" Not only is the enforce
ment of existing laws against them de-
| manded, but such additional legislation
as experience shows to be necessary is
demanded.
There is no more admirable plank
than that which demands economy i'm
the administration of the laws and
recommends plain living" for govern
ment officials from the President down.
AS a matter of fact thousands of en-
ployes in the government service find
ii difficult to get along on the salaries
they receive and all classes of public
servants, including congressman, are
asking for increased compensation,
mainly on the ground that it costs a
great deal more to live now than 1t
did a comparatively few years ago. The
main reason of the additional cost of
living is the desire for luxuries and
costly pleasures which has taken pos
session of the people generally. The
President. by his example. has it in his
power to check, TO a great extent, this
desire.
The plank calling attention to the
need of President trained in the ways
of the constitution, who will not usurp
legislative and judicial functions is
timely. The Presidents action in the
matter of pensions for veterans who
have reached the age of 81 and in other
matters IS alarming. If the constitu-
ton is disregarded in one particular
it will not be long before it will be dis
regarded in many.
Taken as whole the platform will be
satisfactory. Owing to differences in
the party great difficulties had to be
overcome in shaping declarations that
would be acceptable to both factions.
The main thing to be thankful for is
that the dead issues OF the Kansas City
platform have been eliminated. The
party goes before the country with
doctrines that are sane and safe.
-e-@-S