The Farmington times and herald. (Farmington, St. Francois Co., Mo.) 1902-1905, 1904-07-15
THE FULL TEXT
OF 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 Wnnts u President
Trained In the ways of the Com
stitution, who Shall set Ills Fac"
Against Executive IsurpntioN of
Legislative or judicial Functions.

stitution, who Shall set Ills Fac"
Agninst Executive usurpntioa Of
Legislative or judicial Functions.
I'VE the democratic party OF the United
states In national convention assembled,
decar" It's devotion to tho essential priu-
ciplcs uf the democratic Iuiih which
brings Us together IN party communion.
Under them local self government and
national unity and prosperity were alike
established They undcrlaid our indcpend-
encc th" structure Of our tree republic
and every democratic extension from
Louisiana to California ana Texas to ore
gJn. which preserved faithfully IN all tn"
states the tie between taxation and rep
fCscntatlun They yet inspire the masses
Of our people, guarding l'aIuusly their
rights and liberties, and chrrlshlug their
fraternity peace and orderly develop
mcIl. lhcN remind Us of our duties and
responsibilities As citizens and impress
upon US, particularly at this time, tho
necessity ui reform ANA the rescue Of the
administration of government from the
hcddsTunE, arbitrary and spusmudic
methods which distract bu-iuoHs by uU-
ccritlnty ana prrNadc tho public mind
win dread, distrust and perturbation.
The application of these fundamental
principles 10 the living issues of thr day
constitutes the first step toward the ass
furrd peace safety ana progress ui uur
nation Freedom OF the press. Of CON
the law of all cit2yns, tn" right Of trial
By Ju-y, freedom Of th" person defended
by the VIII Of hubris corpus. liberty uf
personal contract uultnmu"lud hy -ump-
tGdrS Laws, the supremacy ui tho civil
over military authority q w"Il-discipllnrd
militia. the T'parItiun of church and
state, economy Ia expenditures. low
taxes, that labor may be lEhtly bur
dcnud, the prompt and slcrud iulhlimunt
OF public Hud privut" obligations, fidelity
to treaties. peace and friendship with all
nations, cutauEling allmucr= with uuu",
absolute uruui,sr,uCc In the will of III"
majority the vital principle Of republic
these are doctrines which democracy hn4
established ". "rovcrhs Of th" nation
and they n ne constantly invoked
preached re- .... a. ana enforced.
CuntroiinE Expenses.
81 Large reductions can roa... 81.
made In the annual rNpuul .u' .a f.. ...
government without impUI .ur riu-
.ienCy OF any branch n th- HlJiiC service,
and W. shall g.. .a.. the strICi"rt
economy ana compatible with
vigorous and ri rut civti military and
naval administration as right of the
people, too clear to b" aHni"d or with
"g The ruTorccmr.. s. r.u,sty In the
public service, uud 60 .Ntf 4J a thorough
legislative Investigation pi those cNccu-
tive departments uI the government al
ready known to trrm with corruption, AS
well as other departments SUI nurtrd Of
hurbornE corruption. ana thr punishment
Of us'rrtAlutd vurIuptlOuists WITHOUT fear
or favor ur regard lu persons The per
slstrUt ANA deliberate refusal uI both the
senate nud nous" uf representatives to
permit such Investigation to hr made by
either branch ut congress demonstrates
that only by a change In tho executive
and IN the house OF representatives, can
complete exposure, punishment and cor
rrctiuu be- obtained
"lu broader turthrTIurr of that end the
federal government .huIId not hermit IL.
%
tracts with convicted trusts or unlawful
combinations In restraint uf Interstate
trade. existing In violation ot law. We
believe that one Of the b,st methods Of
procuring economy ANA honesty IN the
public service i- to have public officials,
from the occupant of the white Housr
down to the lowest Of them return as
nearly as may br, to J,rrrsunidn sim
pliclty Of living
prcsIdcntinI HeconImc mcndntions.
80 We favor the nomination and clrc-
ton OF president trained IN the ways Of
the constitution. who SHAH set his face
stornly aghiutl executive uSgrpatlun Of
legislative aud judicial functions. whether
that usurpaiiou he ruled under the guisr
OF executive construction of existing
laws, or whether II take refuge In the
tyrnnts pleas OF necessity OF superior
wisdom.
- 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 u heavy tribute from the American
people. This muuStruus porNcrsiun of
those equal opportunities, which our pu-
lltical institu;ions were established to So.
cure, has caused what may once have
been infant Industries to become the
greatest combinations of capital that tho
world has ever known. These publicly
favored enterprises have. through trust
methods been converted into monopolics
thus bringing to an end domestic com.
petition, which was the only check upon
the extravaEant 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
businesslike revision ana a gradual re-
ductiOn OF the tarin by the friends of the
masses and for the common veal. and
not by the friends OF its abuses. It's eX.
tortions and It's determinations, keeping
IN view the ultimate end of equality Of
burdens and equality Of opportunities
and the constitutional purpose of raising
Il revenue by taxation, to-wit, the sup
port OF the federal government. IN all its
Integrity and virliiy. but in simplicity:
and keeping also In View, as men OF com
mon sense should existing conditions.
however wrongfuly, 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 in mind. In short. these
two things: "a The general principle that
the sole derivation of the power OF tax
alton is the support of the federal gov
ernemnt economically. effectively and
constitutionally administered; and . 90,
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 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
their prices to the American consumer
above a reasonable and just profit. by
such reduction depriving trusts and mo-
nopOlies Of the power tn eNtort from the
American people, under shelter OF Amer.
lean law, prices higher than those charged
foreigners for Identical articles.
The Isthmiun Canal.
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 lsthmian canal.
But while making this declaration and
accepting the results as an accomplished
and irreversible fact, we can no. 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 soiemnly
record our hope that this precedent OF
defiant diplomacy may never be used
against US to our humiliation and injury.
Trusts aud Unlawful Combinations.
I'VE 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.