Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1904-07-09

of the Joint products of capital and labor,
and which have been fostered and pro-
NOTED under republican rule, are a
menace to beneficial competition and an
obstacle to permanent business prosperi-
ty. A private monopoly is indefenslble
and intolerable.
Individual equality Of opportunity and
free competition are essential to ahealthy
and permanent commercial prosperity,
and any trust, combination or monopoly
tending to destroy these by controlling
production, restricting competition or
fixing prices, should be prohibited and
punished by law. We especially de-
nounce rebates and discrimination by
transportation companies as the most
potent agency in promoting and strength
ening these unlawful conspiracies against
trade.
We demand an enlargement of the
powers of the Interstate Commerce Com
mission.
We demand a strict enforcement Of
existing civil and criminal statutes
against all such trusts, combinations
and monopolies; and we demand the
enactment of such further legislation as
may be necessary to eflectually suppress
them.
The democracy when entrusted with
power will construct the Panama canal
speedily, honestly and economically,
thereby giving to our people what demo-
Gratis have always contended fora great
inter-oceanic canal, furnishing shorter
and cheaper lines of transportation and
broader and less tfammeled trade rela-
tions with the other people of the world.
We favor the election of United States
Senators by the direct vote of the peO-
pie.
We favor the admission of the terri
sories of Oklahoma and the Indian ter
ritory. We also favor the immediate
admission of Arizona and New Mexico
as separate States, and territorial gov
ernment for Alaska and Porto Rico.
We demand the determination of
polygamy within the jurisdiction of the
United States and the complete separa-
ton of the church and State in political
affairs.
We denounce the ship subsidy bill
recently passed by the United States
Senate as an iniquitous appropriation Of
public funds for private purposes and
a wasteful, illogical and useless attempt
to overcome by subsidy the distractions
raised by republican legislation to the
growth and development OF American
commerce on the sea.
We favor the upbuilding of amer
chant marine without new or additional
burdens upon the people and without
bounties from the public treasury.
We favor the maintenance of the Mon
roe Doctrine in its full integrity.
The democracy would secure to the
surviving soldiers and sailors and their
dependents, generous pensions, not by
an arbitrary executive oruer, but by
legislation which a grateful people stand
ready to enact.
The democratic party stands commit
ted to the principles of civil service re-
form, and we demand their honest, just
and impartial enforcement.
The race question has brought count
less woes to this country. The calm
wisdom of the American people should
see to it that it brings no more.
To revive the dead and hateful race
and sectional animosities in any part of
our common country means confusion,
distraction of business and the reopening
of wounds now happily healed. North,
South, East and West have but recently
stood together in line of battle from the
walls Of Peking 10 the hills of Santiago,
and as sharers of a common glory and a
common destiny we should share frater .
nally the common burdens.
We therefore deprecate and condemn
the Bourbonlike, selfish and narrow spirit
of the recent republican convention at
Chicago, which sought to kindle anew
the embers of racial and sectional strife,
and we appeal from it to the sober COM
mon sense and patriotic spirit of the
American people.
The existing republican administra-
ton has been spasmodic. erratic, sensa-
tional, spectacular aud arbitrary. 1t has
made itself satire upon the Congress,
the courts and upon the settled practices
and usages of national and international
law.
In conducting the campaign upon this
declaration OF our principles and pur-
poses we invoke for our candidates the
support, not only of our great and time.
honored organization, but also the active
assistance of all of our fellow-citizens
who disregarding past differences upon
questions no longer in issue, desire the
perpetuation of our constitutional govern
ment as framed and established by the
fathers of the republic.