Clarke courier. [volume] (Berryville, Va.) 1869-1997, 1904-07-20
FROM WASHINGTON

The Republican national plat
form has attracted much attention
all over the country. 1t has called
forth much comment from the
leading Democrats of the nation.
Chief among them is the comment
of the Hon. John Sharp Williams,
Of Mississippi. the greatest leader
the Democracy has had in many
Years. He analyses the platform
of the party of trusts and combines
thoroughly and effectually. One of
his comments is as follows:
The Democratic party believes
that this ought to be, as nearly as
possible, white mans country
homogeneous people, maintaining
the white mans civilization, found
ed ON his peculiar industrial and
home life out of which has grown
his peculiar code of ethics. 1t
constantly voted therefore TO eX-
clude the Chinese. The Republicans
profess 10 believe that there is no
difference between races and that
all ought To have equal privileges.
II so, then the Chinaman ought not
70 be forbidden to.earn a living,
which is a much higher privilege
than voting in America. The in
consistency is palpable. The Re
publicans cast a right vote upon
the Chinese exclusion question,
but it was an un-Republican vote. )"
Again in commenting upon the
platform he said:
I'm the platform it is said We
pledge ourselves To insist on the
Just and equal treatment of all
citizens abroad. > American citizens
of Russian birth and Jewish race
will find it hard to reconcile this
profession with the fact that the
Secretary of State will not issue a
passport TO one of them to visit
and sojourn' in Russia without
warning him that he will not he
protected there. 1t is late, right
now. on the eve of campaign. TO
insist that that will be done which
is not being done and which has
not been done, namely, to secure
to all American citizens rights of
travel and sojourn in foreign
countries.
On the "trade-busting" PROPOSE
ton mentioned in the Republican
platform, Mr.. Williams had this
to say:
The boast that the administra-
ton has executed the antitrust laws
is, of course, ridiculous. The Attor-
ney-General, in response to a
resolution of my own, frankly con-
feSsed that nothing had been done,
towards the criminal prosecution
of men found guilty by the
Supreme Court of the United
States in the Northern Securities
case, which was initiated by Gov.
Van SAINT, of having violated the
provisions of antitrust legislation.
The entire Republican party at the
last session of the House of Repre-
Sentatives, with three exceptions,
voted against a prOvisO instructing
the Secretary of the Navy not to
enter into Government contracts
with trusts and unlawful combina-
tons convicted by law of being
such" 4"
In speaking of the plank in the
platform of the Republican party
that deals with the negro suffrage
problem, Mr.. Williams clearly
demonstrates that whether or not
the suffrage has been unconstitu.
uonally limited is matter for the
courts to determine and that a re.
port of a Republican Committee or
Elections in the last Congress sc
confesses it. He also points out
That the real object of the Republi
can party, In SO far as this plank is
concerned, however specious the
phraseology in which it is clothed
Is to reduce Southern representa-
ton without reducing that Of
Massachusetts, Connecticut, anC
other States, wherever in the Soutl
negroes are disfranchised, not a,
such, but because of ignorance
because of an Observation-Disclosures
uon, or because of any other right
ana reasons in any other c0nstitu
uonsl way. In concluding thi,
part OF his comment on the plat
form, Mr.. Williams said
Disfranchisement of a negr,
Tor ignorance in Mississippi is ;
horrible thing; disfranchisement o
white man for ignorance in Mass