Meade County news. [volume] (Meade, Kan.) 1900-1918, 1904-07-14
DEMOCRATIC PLATFORM.
Adopted By The National Democratic
Convention In 81. Louis.

spent the entire day in perfecting the
details of the Democratic platform,
which follows:
1. Large reductions can easily
be made in the annual expenditure of
the government without impairment
of the currency of any branch of the
public service and we shall insist
upon the strictest economy and fru-
gality compatible with vigorous and
efficient civil, military and naval adj
as right of the people
too clear to be denied or withheld.
2. The enforcement of honesty in
the public service and through leg
islatiye investigation of those depart
ments of the government already
known to them with corruption, as
well as other departments suspected
of harboring corruption, and the pun
ishment of ascertained corruptionists
without fear or favor or regard to
persons. The persistent and deliber-
ate refusal of both the senate and
house Of representatives to permit
such investigation to be made by
either branch of congress demon
strates that only by change in the
executive and in the house of repre-
sentatives can complete exposure and
punishment of corruption be obtained.
The government should not permit
itself to be robbed by entering into
contracts with convicted trusts or I'M
lawful combination in restraint of in
terstate 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 occu-
pant of the white house down to the
lowest of them, returned as nearly as
may be to Jeffersonian simplicity of
living.
3. We favor the nomination and
election of a president trained in the
ways of the constitution, who shall
see this face sternly against execu-
tive usurpation of legislative and jul
dicial functions, whether that usur-
patton be yelled under the guise of
executive construction of existing
laws, or whether it take refuge in
the assertion of superior wisdom.
4. The Democratic party has been,
and will continue to be, the consist
ent opponent of that class of tariff leg
islation, by which certain interests
have been permitted through congress
sional favor to draw heavy tribute
from the American people. This mon
strous perversion of those equal oppor-
tunities which our institutions were
established to secure, has caused what
may once have been infant industries
to become the greatest combination
of capital that the world has ever
known. These publicly favored en-
terprises have, through trust methods,
been converted into monopolies, thus
bringing to an end domestic Demo
cratic competition, which the only
check upon the extravaganza made
These industrial combinations by the
financial assistance they can give
now control the policy of the repub-
lican party.
We favor a wise, conservative and
business like revision and a gradual re
duction of the tariff by the friends OF
the masses and for the commonwealth
and not by the friends of it's abuses
it's extortions and it's determinations
keeping in view the ultimate end OF
Equality of burdens and equality OF
opportunities, and constitutional pur-
pose of raising a revenue by taxa
ton, to-wit: The support of the fed
eral government in all it's integrity
and virility and keeping also in view
as men of common sense should, eX
listing conditions, however wrongfully
mistakenly or unjustly brought about
and the danger to the cause of tariff
reform itself of abrupt and revolu
tionary reversal of policy.
We should bear in mind, in short
these two things: First, the general
principle that the sole derivation of
the power of taxation is the support
of the federal government, economi-
cally, effectively and constitutionally
administered, and second, the equal
truth that in the assertion of any gen
eral principles and reaching any ulti-
mate end, however sacred and logic
ally unavoidable, due regard, but only
due regard, must and should be paid
to actually existing conditions.
5. We favor the reduction of tariff
taxation upon trust produced articles
to the point where foreign competi-
ton may enter the American market
whenever trusts and combines, seek
ing monopoly, raise their prices to the
American consumer above a reason
able and just profit. by such reduc-
ton depriving trusts and monopolies
to extort from the American people
under the shelter of the American law
prices other than those charged for
identical articles.
We demand 1.-THE vigorous and i'm
partial enforcement of the laws al
ready made, to prevent and control
trusts and combinations, and we favor
such further legislation in restraint
thereof as experience shows to be nee
essary.
Corporations chartered by author
ity of the people must forever re-
main subject to regulation in the in
terest of the people.
We demand an enlargement of the
powers of the Interstate Commerce
Commission, to the end that the trav-
cling public and shippers of this coun-
try may have prompt and adequate
relief for the abuses they are subject
ed to in the matter or transportation.
We favor the maintenance of the
MoLrcc Tcc.T're in its full Integrity.
We favor liberal trade treaty with
Canada.
We favor the reduction of the army
and of the army expenditures to a
point historically demonstrated to be
safe and sufficient. We favor the
maintenance and liberal maintenance
of the naval as our best defense in
our isolated condition against a for
eign foe and source Of no possible
danger to our liberties as people.
We favor the enactment and admin
istration OF laws giving labor and cap
ital impartially their just rights. Cap
ital and labor ought not to be enc
miaS Each ic noceSSarv fo the other