The Sauk Centre herald. (Sauk Centre, Stearns County, Minn.) 1886-current, 1904-06-30
REFERRED BACK TO TIL
COUNTRY

REFERRED BACK TO THE
COUNTRY
It is needless for us to say that
the platform adopted at the national
convention in Chicago is not as we
would have written it if the job had
been entrusted to us. The eulogy
of republicanism and the endorse
ment of Roosevelt were both un-
necessary. The ACHIEVEMENTS of the
republican party are history, and
President Roosevelt was endorsed
in and selected in the hearts of the
people many moons before the con-
vention was held. Much contained
in the platform is surplus. No re-
spectacle number of voters are
demanding any radical change in
our foreign or territorial policy.
Practically all our citizens believe
in the gold standard. Arid land
reclamation meets with the approval
of a large majority of our people.
The reorganization of the army, the
upbuilding of the navy, the limita-
ton of congressional representation
to the vote cast are all sanctioned
by the thinking public and might
as we'll have been cut out of the
resolutions.
The chief interest of the public
was, and is centered around the
tariff, reciprocity and trust declara'
tions. These state in effect. "The
measure Of protection should always,
at least, equal the difference in the
cost of production at home and
abroad" We insist on the mainte.
nance of the principle of protection
and therefore rates of duty should
be re-adjusted only when conditions
have So changed that the public
interests demand their alteration.
The following is the reciprocity
plank:
We have extended widely our
foreign markets and We believe in
the adoption of all practicable
methods for their further extension,
including commercial reciprocity
wherever reciprocal arrangements
can be effected consistent with the
principles of protection and with
out injury to American agriculture,
American labor or any American
industry.
On the subject of trusts the plat
form pledges the fearless enforce
ment of existing laws and the
provision of additional remedies to
prevent the encroachments of COM
binations on the rights of the
people. Had we been writing the
platform we would have declared
what every one knows. That con-
ditions have changed since the
passage of the Dingley law, and the
tariff should be revised to meet
these changed conditions. That
the great demand of the times is
for wider markets for the products
of our fields, stock ranges and
factories; and whenever such wider
markets can be obtained by a re-
duction or removal of the tariff and
the markets thus secured are of
more value to the people as a whole
than the protection afforded by the
tariff, such revision should be made
and reciprocal treaties entered into.
The elimination of competition
by the formation of combinations
and trusts is the greatest danger
that confronts the republic today
and rigid enforcement of existing
laws and the prompt enactment of
new and needed legislation provid-
ing still stricter supervision and
more rigid control of combinations
of capital is demanded by the
people.
Instead of plain straightforward
declarations like the above, the
whole thing generally speaking is
referred by the convention to the
President and congress or in other
words "sent back to the country"
and if the voters of the country de-
sire to see their rights and interests
properly guarded and properly
cared for it bebooves them as never
before to find the position of all
candidates for Office on these ques-
tions and to require the candidates
to plainly state their positions.
The people should secure pledges
of action and if these pledges are
not carried out, see to it that in the
future men are chosen that will
carry out the mandates of the
people.