Pine Bluff daily graphic., 1904-09-13
THE DEMOCRATIC
PLATFORM

I'VE, the democratic party OF the United
declare its devotion to the essential prin-
ciples of the democratic faith which
brings US together in party communion.
Under them local self-government and
national unity and prosperity were alike
established. They underlaid our independ-
: ence. the structure Of our free republic
housana and sdfsnSsn Fexas to 6Te
gon, which preserved faithfully in all the
states states the tie between taxation and rep
! resentation. They yet inspire the masses
sh}s ad RdS'e and thsr
ssna anS ID, Of Saa5 our dues snd
responsibilities. as citizens and impress
upon US. particularly at, this time. the
administration OF government from the
methods Which distract business by I'M une
with dread. distrust and perturbation.
The application OF these fundamental
| principles to the living issues Of the day
| constitutes the first step toward the as
| sured peace, safety and progress Of our
nation. Freedom OF the press, of con-
aw Of an the Of rn
by jury; freedom OF the person defended
by the writ Of habeas corpus: liberty of
| personal contract untrammeled by sunp-
tuary laws; the supremacy of the civil
over military authority; a we'll disciplined
militia; the separation of church and
| taxes, that labor may be lightly bur
dened; the prompt and sacred fulfllment
/ 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
a 4
| established proverbs of the nation,
and they should be constantly invoked,
| preached. resorted to and enforced.
Controlling Expenses.
| 81. Large reductions can readily be
| made in the annual expenditures of the
| government without impairing the eff
| cheney of any branch of the public service,
! and we shall insist upon the strictes t
| economy and frugality compatible with
| vigorous and efficient civil, military and
naval administration as right Of the
heid. . y - e.>,ss' " -
'2. The enforcement of honesty In the
public service, and to that end a thorough
legislative investigation of those execu-
tive. departments of the government al
ready known to TEEN with corruption, as
well as other departments suspected OF
harboring corruption. and the punishment
of ascertained corruptionists without fear
or or. favor re- or ! regard to persons persons The per
senate and house OF representatives to
permit such investigation to be made by
EltAer DfaQCn OF congress demonstrates
that only by change in the executive
and in the house Of representatives can
complete exposure. punishment and corr
"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
Sseys that one OF the best methods Of
! public service is to have public officials,
from the occupant Of the White House
down to the lowest Of them, return, as
nearly as may be, to Jeffersonian SIM
plicfty Of living.
Presidential Reoomme n dations.
=. We favor the nomination and elec-
tion of president trained in the ways of
sternly against executive usurpation of
legislative and judicial functions, whether
that usurp3aton be ruled under the .guise
laws, or whether 1t take refuge in the
tyrants pleas OF necessity of superior
-. 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 to
draw a heavy tribute from the American
people. This monstrous perverson 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
world has ever known. These publicly
favored enterprises have. through trust
methods, been converted into monopoiies,
thus bringing to an end domestic cora
petition. which was the only check upon
the extravagant profits made possible by
Combinations, by the financial assistance
they can give, now control the policy of
the republican party.
I'VE favor q wise, conservative and
+. businesslike revision and a gradual re-
| duction Of the tariff by the friends of the
masses and for the common veal, and
| not by the friends of its abuses, its ex-
tortions and its determinations. keeping
IN view the ultimate end of 'equality of
burdens and equality of opportunities
and the constitutional purpose Of raising
revenue by taxation, to-wit the sup
port of the federal government. III all it's
and keeping also in view, as men OF com
mon sense should, existing conditions,
however wrongfully, mistakenly Or un-
the cause OF tariff reform itself Of abrupt
and revolutionary reversal OF policy.
We should bear in mind, in short, these
the sole derivation Of the power OF tax
alton is the support of the federal gov
ernemnt, econ1omealiy, IN, 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.
1--WE 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 the American consumer
above a reasonable and just profit, by
such reduction deprving trusts and mo-
nopolies of the power to extort from the
American people, under shelter OF Amer
lean law. prices higher than those charged
foreigners for identical articles.
The Ixthmium Canal.
"Our party having long and earnestly
| advocate ted the construction Of interoceanic
canal for the purpose OF national defense
and commerce between the states and
with foreign nations, we favor the early
completion of the lsthman canal.
"But while making this declaration and
accepting the results as an accomplished
| and irreversible fact, We can not toe
forcibly express our disapproval Of the
methods by which, in disregard Of the
usages and obligations Of international