The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1904-04-29

the leading Republican, papers of the
vest which says that the platform
docs not even dare to recommend the
abandonment of the Republican doc
trine of protection of home industries,
which had been fondly supposed by the
oldfashioned Jeffersonian fellows TO be
about the only thing the party dared to
cheer about at st. Louis"
THE maintenance of state rights
and home rule; no centralization."-
Eighth Plank New York Platform.
Now here is a plank that is a model
of obscurity and brevity. Only ten
words in the plank To what issue is
It to be applied? How is 1t to be con-
structed?
Honesty in public service; vigilance
in the prevention or fraud; firmness in
the punishment of guilt when detect
ed. Ninth Plank New York Platform
AS President Roosevelt prides him
self upon his enthusiastic advocacy Of
honesty in the public service, and as
his friends boast of his vigilance in the
prevention of fraud and his firmness IN
the punishment of guilt, that plank
might be regarded as an Endorsement
of him for the fact that 1t is contained
in a platform that suggests a candidate
to oppose him.
"The impartial maintenance of the
rights OF labor and of capital no un-
equal discrimination; no abuse of the
/ nf lav fnr fa
preston. Tenth Plank New York
Platform.
Senator Allison has reputation Of
being able to walk on eggs without
breaking them and this plank, IL 1t
appeared anywhere else than in Dem
ocratic platform, might be attributed
to him for 1t is about as nice piece of
balancing as has appeared in many a
day.
The party stands "impartially" be-
tween labor and capital If any dis
elimination is made, it must not be
an unequal" discrimination. That is,
If the party discriminates in favor Of
one side, it must Offset 1t by an equal
discrimination in favor of the other
side
There must be no abuse of the pow
ers of the law. either for favoritism or
oppression. Why this prodigality in
the use of type?
TRUST QUESTION IS THE GREAT
ISSUE.
IL the convention had said that it
was in favor of doing right as be-
tween capital and labor, the. plank
would have been just as clear and just
as useful as a guide to the party. In
fact, the whole platform is so nom
committal, so absolutely colorless and
so capable Of being construed in any
way that I'VE will do right" would
have answered as well for the whole
platform. A Republican could run on
that platform and after the election
construe 1t as an Endorsement of every
policy for which the Republican party
stands, or at least he could find moth
| ing in that platform that would re-
buke him for doing anything that q
Republican might want to do.
What are the issues before the coun-
! try? The trust question is certainly
an issue, and yet there is nothing in
that platform that gives any encour-
agement to the opponents of the
| trusts.
There is not word or syllable that
binds a person elected on such a plat
form to do anything that the trusts
are unwilling to have done. The Kan
sas City platform stated the party's
position on the trust question, but the
New York platform not only fails to
indorse the last national platform, but
also fails to propose any definite or
positive plan Of relief.
Imperialism is an issue. Our govern
ment is now administering a colonial
policy according to the political prin-
ciples employed by George III, GEN.
tury and a quarter ago, and yet there
is not in this platform a single word
relating to the question of imperial
ism, not a plank that defines the par
TVS position on that subject, not a
protest against the surrender of the
doctrines of self government
The Kansas City platform stated the
party's opposition to colonial policy,
but the New York platform not only
fails to indorse the Kansas City plat
form, but fails to take any position
at all on the important question.
LABOR QUESTION is CAREFULLY
IGNORED.
The labor question is an issue. The
laboring men have been before the
committees of congress endeavoring to
secure three important measures. One,
the arbitration of differences between
corporations engaged in interstate
commerce and their employees.
Both the Chicago and Kansas City
platforms declared in favor of arbi-
tration, but the New York platform
not only fails to refer to the arbitra-
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