The Van Buren press., 1904-07-16
THE THE FULL FULL TEXT
OF THE PLATFORM
The Democratic Platform as Fin
ished and Adopted at the St.
Louis Convention.
The HONEY PLANK ELIMINATED;
VICTORY FOR WILLIAM J. BRYAN.
The Party Wants President
Trained In the Ways of the Com
stitution, Who Shall Set His Face
Against Executive Usurpation of
Legislative or Judicial Functions.

I'VE, the democratic party Of the United
States, in national convention assembled,
declare its devotion to the essential prin-
Cples of the democratic iaith which
br.ngs us together in party communion.
"under them local selt-government and
national unity and prosperity were allke
established, They underlaid our independ-
ence, the structure of our free republic
and every democratic extension from
Louisiana to California ana Texas 10 ore
gan, which preserved faithfully In all the
states the tie between taxation and rep
resentation They yet inspire the masses
of our people, guarding jealousy their
rights and liberties, and cherishing their
fraternity, peace and orderly develop
ment They remind us OF our duties and
responsibilities as citizens and impress
upon us, particularly at this time, the
necessity Of reform and the rescue OF the
administration OF government from the
headstrong, arbitrary and spasmodlc
methods which distract business by un-
certainty and perVade the public mind
with dread distrust and perturbation.
"The application Of these fundamental
principles to the living Issues OF the day
constitutes the first step toward the as
sured peace, safety and progress OF our
nation. Freedom Of the press, OF con-
science and OF speech, equality before
the law of all citizens; the right Of trial
by jury; freedom OF the person defended
by the writ of habeas corpus, liberty OF
personal contract untrammeled by sump-
trary laws; the supremacy of the civil
over military authority; a well-discipined
militia; the separation of church and
state; economy In expenditures; low
taxes that labor may be lightly bur
dened the prompt and sacred tulhllment
of public and private obligations; ndelity
to treaties; peace and friendship with all
nations; entangling alliances with none,
absolute acquiescence In the Will of the
majority, the vital principle of republics
these are doctrines which democracy has
nrnNprhg
and they should be constantly invoked,
preached resorted to and enforced
Controlling Expenses.
81. Large reductions can readily be
made in the annual expenditures Of the
government without impairing the eff
cheney Of any branch Of the public service,
and we shall insist upon the strictest
economy and frugality compatible with
vigorous and efficient civil, military and
naval administration as right Of the
people, too clear to be denied or with
he'd,
20 The enforcement OF honesty I'm the
public service and to that end a thorough
legislative investigation of those eXeCu-
tive departments of the government al
ready known TO TEEN with corruption as
well as other departments suspected of
harboring corruption, and the punishment
of ascertained COrruptlunists without fear
or favor or regard TO persons. The per
sistent and deliberate refusal of both the
senate and house of representatives to
permit such investigation TO be made by
either branch Of congress demonstrates
that only by change In the executive
and in the house Of representatives can
complete exposure, punishment and cor
rCCtlon be obtained.
"ln broader furtherance OF that end the
federal government should not permit IT.
self to be robbed by entering into con-
tracts with convicted trusts or unlawful
combinations In restraint of interstate
trade existing In violation OF law, We
believe that one OF the best methods Of
procuring economy and honesty IN the
public service is TO have public officials,
from the occupant Of the White House
down to the lowest OF them, return, as
nearly as may be, TO Jenersonian sim
plicity OF living,
Presidential Recon endations.
- We favor the nomination and cleo
tion Of president trained In the ways OF
the constitution, who shall set his face
sternly against executive usurpation Of
legislative and judicial functions, whether
that usurpation be ruled under the guisc
of executive construction Of existing
laws, or whether it take refuge In the
tyrants pleas OF necessity of superior
wisdom
"a. The democratic party has been,
and Will continue to be, the consistent
opponent of that class OF tariff legislation
by which certain interests have been per
mitted, through congressional favor, to
.uraw a heavy tribute from the American
those equal opportunities, which our po-
litical institutions were established to se-
cure, has caused what may once have
been Infant Industries to become the
greatest combinations OF capital that the
world has ever known These publicly
favored enterprises have, through trust
methods, been converted Into monopolies
thus bringing to an end domestic com.
petition, which was the only check upon
the extrayagant pruhts made possible by
the protective system. These industrial
combinations, by the financial assistance
they can give now coatrol the policy Of
the republican party.
busineaslke revision and gradual re.
duction OF the tarin by the friends OF the
masses and Tor the Sommon veal, and
not by the friends OF ite abuses, It's ex.
tortions and Its Determinations, keeping
In view the ultimate end OF equality OF
burdens and equality OF opportunities
and the copstltutionhl purpose Of raising
revenue by taxation, to-wit. the sup
port OF the federal government, In all ils
integrity and yirility, but In simplicity,
and Keeping also IN view, az men OF com
mon sense should, existing conditions
justly brought about, and the danger 20
the cause OF tarif reform Itself OF abrupt
and revolutionary reversal Of policy
1--WE should bear I'm mind, IN short these
two things, % The general principle that
the sole derivation Of the power of tan,
liien is the support of the federal gov.
srnemnl economically effectively and
constltutlonally Administered, and 90,
the equal truth that In the assertion uf
any general principle and IN reaching
any ultimate end however sacred and
logically unavoldul ", due regard but
only due regard, must and should be paid
to actual existing conditions,
I'VE oayor the reduction OF tarln tax
alton upon trust'producod articles TO the
points where foreign competition may ens
ter the American market whenever trusts
ard combines, sooklng monopoly raise
their pricoa n the American consumer
such reduction depfivlng trusts and mo.
nppoles OF the power to eNtOrt from the
American people, under shelter OF Amer.
Ican law, prices higher than those charged
foreigners for Identical articles,
The Istbminn Canal.
"our party having long and earnestly
advocated the construction Of lnterocranlc
canal for the purpose OF national defense
and commerce between the states and
with foreign nations, We favor the early
completion ~ the lAthmian canal
'Dut while making this declaration and
scceptlng the results ~ an accomplished
and lrreyersiblu fact, We can not too
forciby express our diaApproNal ut the
methods by which IN disregard Of the
psages aud obligations OF lntrrnuuonul
law and treaty obligations, the canal
route has been acquired, or too Hulumnly
record our hope that this precedent "
donnnt diplomacy may never pc used
against uS 70 out humlliatluu ma Injury,
Trusts and In,awfui Combinations
I'VE recognise that tho gigantic trusts
and combinations dteiEHcd 10 enable oaps
ial % secure more than ltH luHt share uf
the Joint product Of capital ana labor and
which have been fuHtefed and promoted
under republican rule, are a menace 20
beneficial competition and an obstacle to
permanent business prosperity
I'VE demand the vigorous ana impartial
enforcement Of the laws already made to
prevent and control such trusts and com.
blnnilona, and wv favor such further legs
irlhtlon IN featrplpt thereof aa experience
shows 10 be necessary
Corporations chartered by authority OF
She people must forever remain subject