The Montgomery advertiser., 1904-07-08
PLATFORM AGREED UPON
 BY THE SUBCOMMITTEE


 of the masses and for the common wea and not by the friends of its abuses its extortions and its discrimination keeping in view the ultimate end ol equality of burdens and equality oi opportunities" and the constitutional purpose of raising a revenue by taxa tion. to wit: The support of the federal government in all its integrity and virflity. but in simplicity; 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.
 We should bear in mind, in short these two things:
 First the general principle that the sole derivation of the power of taxa tion Is the support of the federal gov ernment, economically. effectively and constitutionally administered. and second the equal truth that in the as- sertion of any general principle and reaching any ultimate end. however sacred and logically unavoidable, due regard but only due regard, must and should be paid to actually existing con- dition.
 @ w ldNoE the TSuuCtlOn OI tar fir taxation upon trust-pro- duced articles to the point where for efsn competition may enter the Ameri- can market whenever trusts and com pines. seeking monopoly, raise their prices to the American consumer above a reasonable and just profit; by such reduction depriving trusts and monopolies of the power to extort from the American people under shelter of American law, prices higher than those charged foreigners for identical ar ticles.
 The Money Question.
 The discoveries of gold within the past few years, and the great increase in the production thereof adding two thousand million dollars to the world s supply. of which seven hundred million falls to the share of the United States, has contributed to the maintenance of a money standard of value no longer open to question. removing that issue from the field of political contention.
 The Isthmian Canal.
 Our party having long and earnestly advocated the construction of an inter oceanic canal for the purpose of na- tional defense and commerce between the States and with foreign nations. we favor the early completion of the isthmian canal.
 But while making this declaration and accepting the results as an accom- . plished and irreversible fact. we cannot too forcibly express our disapproval of the methods by which. in disregard of the usages and obligation of interna- tional law and treaty obligations. the canal route has been acquired. or too solemnly record our hope that this pre- cedent of defiant diplomacy may never be used against US to our humiliation and injury.
 Trusts and Unlawful Combinations. We recognize that the gigantic trusts and combination designed to enable capital to secure more than its just share of the joint product of capital and labor and which have been fos- tered and promoted under Republican rule, are a menace to beneficial compe- tition and an obstacle to permanent business prosperity.
 We demand the vigorous and impar- tial enforcement of the laws already made to prevent and control such trusts and combinations and we favor such further legislation in restraint thereof as experience shows to be nec- essary.
 Corporations chartered by authority of the people must forever remain sub ject to regulation in the interest of the people.
 A private monopoly is indefensible and intolerable. We recognize the right of capital. fin all legitimate lines of enterprise, to combine for the in- crease of business. for enlarging pro- ductive capacity and for decreasing the cost of production: but when such com bination in its purpose or effect creates or tends to create a monopoly in its productions to restrain trade or to ct the consumer or to control the market, 1t violates the spirit of our law, be- comes inimical to public welfare and peace and should be so regulated, con- trolled or prohibited by law as to am ply protect the public interests.
 We demand that the restraint of such illegal combinations be entrusted to the Democratic party, which is not respon- sible for their existence and which has ever protested against their continua- ton.
 We condemn the Republican system of legislation under which trust mo- nopolies are enabled to exact higher prices for their manufactured products from our own people than they sell them for abroad.
 We demand an enlargement of the powers of the Interstate Commerce Commission to the end that the travel ing public and shippers of this country may have prompt and adequate relief from the abuses they are subjected to in the matter of transportation.
 Monroe Doctrine.
 We favor the maintenance of the Monroe doctrine in its full integrity.
 Reciprocity.
 We favor liberal trade treaty with Canada.
 Army and Navy.
 We favor the reduction of the army and of army expenditure to the point historically demonstrated to be safe and sufficient. We favor the mainten- ance and liberal annual increase of the navy as our best defense In our iso- lated continental condition against a foreign foe and a source of no possible danger to our liberties as a people.
 Capital and Labor.
 we favor the enactment and admin lstration Of laws, giving labor and cap itaI impartially their just rights. Cap ital and labor ought not to be ene- mics, Each is necessary to the other. Each has ts rights but the rights of labor are certainly no less vested" no less sacred" and no less '1nalien- able" than the rights of capital
 American Citizenship.
 We pledge ourselves to insist upon the just and lawful protection of our citizens at home and abroad and to use all proper measures to secure for them whether native born or naturaTized and without distinction of race or creed. the equal protection of laws and the enjoyment of all rights and privileges open to them under the covenants of our treaties of friendship and com