The leader. [volume] (Brookhaven, Miss.) 1895-1905, 1904-07-16
THE FULL TEXT
OF The PLATFORM
The Democratic Platform as Fin
ished and Adopted at the St.
Louis Convention.
rae MONEY PLANK ELIMINATED;
VICTORY FOR WILLIAM J. BRYAN.
The Party wants . President
Trained In the ways OF the Com
stitution, Who shall Set His Face
Against Executive UsurpatIoa of
Legislative or judicial Functions.

lA8GAAAHt EACGWN1yG OBUEVANlOAA u
Legislative or judicial Functions.
1--WE, the democratic party OF the United
States, In national convention assembled,
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 We're alike
established. They underlaid our independ-
ence, the structure of our free republic
and every democratic extension from
Louisiana to California and Texas to Ore
gon, which preserved faithfully In all the
states the tie between taxation and rep
resentation. 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
lsat 6sa arbitrary and spasmodic
certainty and pervade the public mind
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-
science and of speech; equality before
the law of all citizens; the right of trial
by jury; freedom of the person defended
by the writ of habeas corpus; liberty of
tIary laws; the supremacy of the civil
over military authority; 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 fulfillment
of public and private obligations; fidelity
to treaties; peace and friendship with al.
nations; entangling alliances with none;
absolute acquiescence in the win 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.
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 strictest
economy and frugality compatible with
vigorous and efficient civil, military and
naval administration as d right of the
people, too GEAR to be denied or with
90. 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 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
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
I'm 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
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 occupant of the White House
down to the lowest of them, return, as
nearly as may be, to Jeffersonian sim
plicity of living.
Presidential Recommendations.
49, We favor the nomination and cleo
ton of president trained in the ways of
the constitution, who shall set his face
sternly against executive usurpation of
legislative and judicial functions, whether
that usurpation be ruled under the guise
of executive construction of existing
laws, or whether it take refuge in the
tyrant's pleas OF necessity of superior
wisdom.
"a 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 heavy tribute from the American
people. This monstrous perversion of
those equal opportunities, which our po-
litical institutions were esta blished to Sc
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
favored enterprises have. through trust
methods, been converted into monopolies,
thus bringing, to an end domestic COM
petition, which was the only check upon
the extravagant profits made possible by
the protective system These industrial
combinations, by the financial assistance
they can give, now control the policy of
the republican party.
I'VE favor a wise, conservative and
businesslilie revision and a gradual re-
dlleti0n of the riff hv friaodc of fIo
masses and for the common veal, and
noe 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
a revenue by taxation, to wit, the sup
port of the federal government, In all its
integrity and virility, but in simplicity;
and keeping also in view, as men of COM
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.
1--WE should bear in mind in short these
two things: ~ The general principle that
the sole derivation of the power of tax
ernemnt,. economically, effectively and
constitutionally administered; and (2),
the equal truth that in the assertion of
any general principle and in reaching
logically unavoidable, due regard, but
only due regard, must and should be paid
TO ACTUAL eAlSItlS CO1ulLtOnS.
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, raise
.heir 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, under shelter of Amer
lean law, prices higher than those charged
eoreis ners for identical articles.
The Isthmfnn Canal.
ssOur party having long and earnestly
canal for the purpose of national defense
and commerce between the states and
with foreign nations, we favor the early
competition of the isthmian 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
record our hope that this precedent of
defiant diplomacy may never be used
against US to our humiliation and injury.
Trusts and UnIayyfal Combinations.
1--WE recognize that the gigantic trusts
and combinations designed to enable cap
ital to secure more than its just share of
the joint product of capital and labor. and
which have been fostered and promoted
under republican rule are a menace to
beneficial Competition and an obstacle to
permanent business prosperity.
I'VE demand the vigorous and impartial
enforcement of the laws already made to
prevent and control such trusts and com
binations, and we favor such further legs
islation in restraint thereof as experience
shows to be necessary.
Corporations chartered by authority Of
the people must forever remain subject
to regulation in the interest of the people.
"A private monopoly is indefensibIe and
fntolerable. We recognize the right of
capital In all legitimate lines Of enter
prise to combine for the increase OF busi-
ness. for enlargtng productive capacity
and for decreasing the cost Of production |
but when such combination in its pur-
pose, or effect, creates. or tends to cre-
ate monopoly in its productions, to re-
strain trade, or to stifie competitions; to
Increase cost to the consumer or to con-
troll the market. it violates the snirit of
our laws. becomes infsnical to public well
fare and peace. and should be so regu-
lated, controlled or prohibited by law
as to amply protect the nnhlic infarasfs