The Monticellonian., 1904-07-14
THE FULL TEXT
 0f THE PLATFORM
The Democratic Platform as Fin ished and Adopted at the St.
 Louis Convention.
THE MONEY PLANK ELIMINATED,
 A VICTORY FOR WILLIAM J. BRYAN.

The Party Wants President
 Trained In the Ways of the Con
 stitution, Who Shall Set His Face
 Against Executive Usurpntion of
 Legislative or Judicial Functions.
 We, the democratic party of the United States, in national convention assembled, declare its devotion to the essential pFin- ciples of the democratic Iaith which brings us together in party communion.
 "l lndCr them local self-goVernment 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 ana Texas to Ore gJn, which preserved faithfully in all the states the tie between taxation and rep rvsentatiOn. They yet inspire the masses of our people, guarding jealously their rights and liberties, and cherishing their fraternity peace and orderly develop ment They remind us of our duties and responsibilities as citizens and impress upon us, particularly at this time the necessity of reform and the rescue of the administration of government from the headstronG, arbitrary and spasmodic methods which distract business by un- certainty and perVade the public mind with dread, distrust and perturbation. "Fhe application Of these fundamental principles to the living issues of the day constitutes the first step toward the as-
 
 nation. Freedom of the press. of con science and of speech; equality before the law of all citizens; the right of trial by tu-y; freedom of the person defended by the writ of habeas corpus; liberty of personal contract untrammeied by sump- tCary laws; the supremacy of the civil over military authority; a well-disciplined militia. the separation of church and state: economy in expenditures; low taxes, that labor may be lightly bur dened; the prompt and sacred fultillment of public and private obligations; fidelity to treaties; peace and friendship with all nations; entangling alliances with none; absolute acquiescence in the will of the majority. the vital principle of republics | these are doctrines which democracy has
 established as proverbs of the nation. and they should be constantly invoked, | preached. resorted to and enforced. Controlling Expenses.
 '1. Large reductions can readily be made In the annual expenditures of the | government without impairing the eff | ciency of any branch of the public service, and We shall insist upon the strietest | economy and frugality compatible with vigorous and efficient civil. military and naval administration as right of the | people, too clear to be denied or with held.
 | public service. and to that end a thorough | legislative investigation of those eXecu- | tive departments Of the government af- | ready known to teem with corruption, as well as other departments suspected of harboring corruption, and the punishment of aseertaIned corruptionists without fear or favor 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 l either branch of congress demonstrates | that only by change in the executive and in the house of representatives can complete exposure punishment and cor rection be obtained
 Tn broader furtherance of that end the | federal government should not permit it. | self to be robbed by entering into con | tracts with convicted trusts or unlawful | combinations in restraint of interstate | traGe, existing in violation of law Ne 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 down to the lowest of them, return. as nearly may be- to JeHersoniau sim | plieitY of living.
 Presidential Recommendation
 d Ne favor the nomination and cleo tien of president trained tn the ways of l the constitution, who shall set his face sternly against executive usurpation of | legislative and judicial functions. whether l that usurpation be ruled under the guise | of executive construction of existing | laws. or whether il take refuge in the | tyrant's pleas of necessity of superior | wisdom.
 Il The democratic party has been, | 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. tu d ' people. This monStruuS perNersion of | those equal opporte mites. which our po- | litical institutions were established to se- l 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 1 favored enterprises have through trust methods, been converted into monopolies, | thus bringing to an end domestic com petition. which was the only check upon l tae eNtraNasant profits made possible by | the protective system. These industrial l combinations. by the financial assistance
 they can give, now control the policy of l the republican party.
 We favor a wise, conservative and | businesSlike revision and d gradual re duetien of the tariff by the friends of the l masses and for the common veal, and not by the friends of its abuses. it's ex- | tortions and it's discriminations keeping | in view the ultimate end of equality of | burdens and equality of opportunities l and the constitutional purpose of raising | a revenue by taxation, to-Wit the sup | integrity and Virility, but in simplicity | and keeping also in view men of com | mon sense should, existing conditions. | 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.
 ''We should bear in mind. in short, these | two things: (A The general principle that | the sole derivation of the power of tax l ation is the support of the federal gov
 ernemnt, economically effectively and
 
 the equal truth that in the assertion of
 any general principle and in reaching any ultimate end, however sacred and
 logically unavoidable, due regard, but
 only due regard. must and should be paid
 to actual existing conditions.
 I've favor the reduction of tarif tax | ation upon trust-produced articles to the
 points where foreign competition may en- | ter the American market whenever trusts
 and combines. seeking monopoly raise
 their prices to the American consumer | above a reasonable and just profit by 1 such reduction depriving trusts and mo
 nopoles of the power to eXtort from the
 American people. under shelter of Amer
 tcau law prices higher than those charged
 foreigners for identical articles.
 The Isthminn Canal.
 our party having long and earnestly
 advocated the construction Of interoceaHiC
 canal for the purpose of national defenst
 and commerce between the states and
 with foreign nations. We favor the early
 completion of the isthmian canal
 But while making this declaration and l accepting the results as an accomplished | and irreVerSible fact can not too | forcibly express our disapproVal of the
 methods by which. in disregard of the