The Birmingham age-herald., 1904-05-18
Democratic State Contention h. stuc's Delegates by Small
 Majority of Nineteen
WISCONSIN IS AGAINST
 HE NEW YORK EDITOR
Platform of the California Convention Causes Much Discussion-Tariff Plank Especially Was
 Hotly Contested.

Santa Cruz, Cal, May 17.-By a major ity of nineteen votes, the democratic state convention tonight instructed the delegation to the national convention at St. Louis to vote for Congressman w. R.. Hearst for President. The vote stood:
 For instruction, 365.
 Against, 346.
 The day was consumed in attempting to effect permanent organization, draft ing resolutions, oratory and clearing the decks for a vote.
 During the forenoon and a portion of the afternoon the headquarters of the committee on plaform and resolutions was the scene of contests. The forenoon was spent in reaching a decision on the declaration of principles. There was some unexpected delay on the tariff plank. The plank presented by the sub committee to the main committee was thought by some to savor too much of republicanism and substitutes were pro- posed The matter was finally settled by referring the plank to the sub-com- mittee who agreed upon a plank satis- factory to the convention The platform as adopted. is summarized below:
 Platform Is Adopted.
 "The prime purpose of the tariff must be the raising of sufficient revenue to carry on the government economically administered.
 "The difference between parties Is one of the degrees of protection to be afford ed. The abolition of the tariff on pro- ducts of foreign countries is not contem- plated by the democratic party.
 Continuance of the present rate of t- fnf- hea providing of revenue. nor the equaliza- tion of the differences between the cost of production at home and abroad, is un- justifable and it's sole purpose is to en7 courage the formation in the United states of trusts and monopolies.
 The democratic party pledges itself to a careful and fair revision of the exist ing tariffs. We favor the reduction of all unfair and excessive duties levied on ar ticles similar to those produced by trusts and industrial combinations, and which permit and encourage the creation oc monopoes."
 Continuing, the platform says:
 Want Antitrust Laws.
 "We demand a strict and impartial en- forcement of all existing antitrust laws and the enactment of such additional acts by federal and state governments as will prevent the formation of monopolistic combinations and trusts Wnlcn control prices We believe that the federal gov ernment must assert such control over each service of capital, that the evils of the trust system be eliminated without loss of advantages which accrue from a more perfect organization of industry and trade"
 On the labor question the platform says:
 we recognize the organization of labor to be distinct contribution to our grow ing civilization, the logical and inevitable counterpart of organization in all other departments of business, and we believe in progressive legislation looking to shorter hours of labor, and to the en- forcement of better relations between em- ployers and employed through some rat ional method of arbitration, acceptable to the popular sentiment of the land" Of the Panama canal the platform says:
 While recognizing that commercial in- terests in the United States and that of the world would be subserved and great ly promoted by the construction, control and operation of an inter-oceanic ship canal across the Central American isth- mus. and while the democratic party of California and the union favored and advocated such a canal and does yet do so, we do not approve the methods that have been employed by the administra- ton in securing right of way for such a canal. We condemn such methods as destructive of the integrity of a con- federated republic"