Pine Bluff daily graphic., 1904-08-19
THE DEMOCRATIC
PLATFORM

LAlI VNW
e. iAe democratic party OF the United
states, III national convention assembled
! utt.dFe us devotion to the essential prin-
Slptes OF the democratic faith which
I o!aHss US together in party communion.
i oHdtr them local Self-SoVernment and
mau9nal ne, unity and prosperity were alike
established. They underlaid our independ-
ehce. the structure of our free republic
Iousana s to sSs2Srsc snS sSfSa; a f5Tn oT,a
eon, which preserved faithfully in all the
state states the the tie between taxation and rep
rights and liberties, and cherishng their @
Ira1ernlryy ane peace and orderly develop;
responsibilities. as citizens and impress
upon u.s. particularly at this time, the
NECESSITY Necessity OF reform and the rescue OF the
headstrong, arbitrary and spasmodic
methods which distract business by un-
eesftnainty cert and pervade the public mind
with dread, distruSt and perturbation.
The application of these fundamental
principles to the living issues of the day
CONSTITUTES nsd the first step toward the as
nation. Freedom of the press, Of con-
SCIENCE tsn and >, Of speech; equality before
by jury: freedom OF the person defended
by the writ OF habeas corpus. liberty OF
as' personal II contract untrammeled by sump,,
over military authority: well-discplined
militia: the separation of church and
state % economy in expenditures; low
oened; the prompt and sacred fulfillment
OF public and private obligations; fidelity
10 treaties; peace and friendship with all
nations; entanglng alliances with none;
absolute acqufescence In the will of the
| majority, the vital principle of republics
these are doctrines which democracy has
established as proverbs of the ma tion
and they should be constantly invoked
| preached. resorted to and enforced
Controlling Expenses.
i. Large reductions can readily be
government without impairing the eff
| cheney Of any branch Of the public service,
and we shall insist upon the strictest
economy and frugality compatible with
vigorous and efficient civil, military and
naval administration a right Of the
Re9fJple' too clear to be denied or with
q: The enforcement of honesty in the
pubic service and to that end thorough
legislative investigation of those execu-
tive departments of the government al
ready known to TEEN with corruption, as
Wen as other departments suspected of
harooring corruption. and the punishment
OF ascertained corruptionists without fear
or favor or regard to persons. The per
ststent and deliberate refusal of both the
representatives
permit such investigation to be made by
either branch of congress demonstrates
that only by change in the executive
and in the house. OF Representatives can
rectlon be obtained
I'm broader furtherance Of that end the
self to be robbed by entering into con-
tracts with convicted trusts or unlawful
combinations tn restraint of interstate
believe that one Of the best methods Of
procuring economy and honesty in the
public service Is to have public officials.
down to the lowest OF them, return, as
nearly as may be. to Jeftersonian SIM
plicity Of living.
ton of president trained In the ways Of
the constitution, who shall set his face
sternly against executive usurpation Of
that usurpation be ruled under the guise
Of executive construction OF existing
laws, or whether it take refuge in the
tyrants pleas OF necessity Of superior
"a. The democratic party has been,
and will continue to be. the consistent
by which certain interests have been per
mitted through congressional favor, to
| draw a heavy tribute from the American
litical Institutions were established to Sc
cure, has caused what may once have
! greatest combinations of capital that the
| world has ever known. These publicly
| favored enterprises have through trust
! thus bringing to an end domestic COM
| 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.
yUisa fiyn -
J duction Of the tariff by the friends of the
not by the friends of its abuses, it's ex-
| tortions and its determinations. keeping
in view the ultimate end of equality Of
| burdens and equality of opportunities,
a revenue by taxation, to-wit, the sup
port Of the federal government, in all lis
and keeping also in view, as 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.
I'VE should bear 7 in mind in short, these
the sole derivation Of the power of tax
alton is the support of the federal gov
ernemnt. economieally: effectively and
+, the equal truth that in the assertion of
| any general principle and in reaching
s., any ultimate end however sacred and
, only due regard. must and should be paid
!, to actual existing conditions.
eve 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 combiAes. seeking monopoly, raise
! their prices to the American consumer
above a reasonable and just profit, by
such reduction depriving trusts and mo-
: nopolies Of the power to extort from the
American people. undeY shelter of Amer
| lean law, prices higher than those charged
foreigners for identical articles.
The IsthmiNn Canal.
! "Our party having long and earnestly
advocated 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 1sthmian canal.
"But while making this declaration and
! accepting the results as an accomplished
and irreversible fact. we can not. too
forcibly express our disapproval Of the
| methods by which, in disregard Of the
usages and obligations Of International
law and treaty obligations. the canal
route has been acquired, or too solemnly
E. record our hope that. this precedent OF
3i,,1N he