The gold leaf. [volume] (Henderson, N.C.) 1881-1911, 1904-07-21
DEMOCRATIC PLATFORM
Adopted by the ST. Louis Convention
Cardinal Principles Upon the Party
Stands United.


national unity and prosperity were alike
established. They underlatd our indie
pendence the structure of our free re-
public, and every Democratic extension
from Louisiana to California. and Texas
to Oregon. which preserved faithfully IN
all the states the tie between taxation
and representation. They yet inspire the
masses of our people, guarding jealousy
their rights and liberties, and cherish
ing their fraternity, peace and orderly
development. They remind US Of our du-
ties and responsibilities rs citizens and
impress upon US. particularly at this
time the necessity Of reform and the
rescue of the administration of govern
ment from the headstronS, arbitrary and
spasmodic methods which distract bust
ness by uncertainty, and pervade the
public mind with dread, distrust and
perturbation.
The application Of these fundamen-
tai principles to the living issues Of the
day is the first step toward the assured
peace safety and progress of our ma
ton. Freedom Of the press. Of con-
science and of speech; equality before
the law of all citizens, right of trial by
jury, freedom of the person defended by
the writ of habeas corpus, liberty of per-
sonal contract untrameled by sump-
tuary laws, supremacy of the civil over
military authority, a well disciplined MI
litia. the separation of church and state.
economy in expenditures low taxes. that
labor may be lightly burdened; prompt
and sacred fufiilIment of public and p:i-
vate obligations, fidelity to treaties, peace
and friendship with all nations. entanG-
ling alliances with none. absolute acqul-
escence in the will of the ma iority. the
vital principle of republics-the8e are doe
trines which Democracy has established.
approved by the nation, and they should
be constantly invoked and enforced.
f:V {.
tration of laws, giving labor and capital
impartially their just rights. Capital and
labor ought not to be enemies. Each is
necessary to the other. Each has its
rights, but the rights of labor are GER
tainly no less vested" 10 less "sacred''
and no less "unalienable'' than the rights
of capital.
Constitutional guarantees are violated
whenever any citizen is denied the right
to labor. acquire and enjoy property or
reside where interests or inclination may
determine. Any denial thereof By indi
viduals organizations or governments
should be Summarily rebuked ana pun
ished. We deny the right of any eXecu
tive to disregard or suspend any consti-
tutional privilege or limitation. Obcdi-
ence to the laws and respect for their
quircments are alike the supreme duty
of the citizen ard the official.
The military should be used only to
support and maintain law. We unuuali-
fiedly condemn its employment for the
summary Punishment of citizens without
trial or for the control of elections.
We approve the measure which PASSED
the United States senate in 1896. but
which a Republican congress has ever
since refused to enact. relating to con-
tempts in federal courts. and providing
for trial by jury in cases OF indirect con-
tempt.
We favor liberal appropriations tor the
care and Improvement of the waterways
of the country. When amy waterway
like the Mississippi river is of sufficient
Importance to demand special aid OF the
government. such aid should be extended
with 4 definite plan of continuous work
until permanent Improvement is secured.
We oppose the Republican policy of
starving home development in order to
feed the greed for conquest and the appe-
tite for national prestige" and display
of strength.
Large reductions can easily be made
in the annual expenditures of the govern
ment without impairing the efficiency of
any branch of the public service. and we
and frugality compatible with vigorous
and efficient civil, military and naval add
ministration rs right Of the people, too
clear to be denied or withheld.
2-We favor honesty in the public ser
vice. The enforcement of honesty in the
public service. and to that end a thor
Ough legislative investigation of those ex-
ecutive departments of the government
already known to TEEN with corruption
as well as other departments suspected
of harboring corruption. and the punish
nent of ascertained cOrruptionistS with
out fear favor regard to persons
The persistent and deliberate refusal Of
both the senate and house of representa-
tives to permit such investigation to be
made demonstrates that only by Il
change in the executive and in the Iegis-
lative departments can complete expo
sure punishment and correction be OBJ
tanned.
We condemn the action of the Repub-
lican party in congress in refusing to
prohibit an executive department from
entering into contracts with convicted
trusts unlawful combinations in re-
straint of interstate trade. We believe
that one of the best methods of procur-
ing economy and honesty in the public
service is to have public officials from
one occupant of the White House down
to the lowest of them, returned as nearly
as may be to Jeffersonian simplicity of
living.
3-We favor the nominations and cleo
ton of a president imbued with the prin-
CipleS of the constitution who will set his
face sternly against executive usurpation
of legislative and judicial functions
whether that usurpation be yelled under
listing laws, or whether it take refuge in
the tyrants pleas of necessity or supe-
rior wisdom.
We favor the preservation, so far as
We can, of an Open-dOOr for the world S
commerce in the Orient without any I'M
necessary ENHANCEMENT in Oriental and
European affairs, and without arbitrary
unlimited. irresponsible and absolute gov
eminent anywhere within our jurisdic-
ton. We oppose fervently as did
George Washington himself an indefinite,
irresponsible. discretionary and vague alb
solutiSm and a policy of colonial exploit
alton. no matter where or by whom in
voked or exercised; we believe with
Inomas JEFFERSON and John Adams that
no government has a right to make one
Set OF laws for those at home.'' and an
other and different set of laws, abso-
lutte in their character for those in the
colonies" All men under the American
nag are entitled to the protection of the
institutions whose emblem the flag is;
If they are inherently unfit for those in
situations. then they are inherently
unfit to be members of the Ameri-
can body polite. Wherever here may
exist people incapable of being
governed under American laws inconso-
nance with the American constitution Of
that people ought not to be part of the
American domain.
We insist that We ought to do for the
fnlilpplneS what We have done already
for the Cubans, and Il is our duty to
make that promise now, and UPON suit
able guarantees of protection to citizens
of our own and other countries resident
there at the time of our withdrawal. set
the Filipino people upon their feet free
and independent to work out their own
destiny.
The endeavor of the secretary of war
by plsdglng the government endorse
ment for promoters in the Philippine
Islands to make the United States a part
ner in speculative legislation of the
Archipelago. which was only Temporal
rily held up by the opposition of the
Democratic senators in the last session.
Will. If successful. lead to acknowledgements
from which it will be difficult to escape
4-The Democratic party has been. and
Will continue to be. the consistent oppo-
nent of that class OF tariff legislation by
which certain interests have been per-
United. through congressional favor. to
draw heavy tribute from the American
people. This monStrous perversion of
those equal opportunities which our po-
it!cal institutions We're established to Sc
cure has caused what may once have
been infant industries to become the
greatest combinations OF capital that the