Aberdeen herald. [volume] (Aberdeen, Chehalis County, W.T.) 1886-1917, 1904-05-09
FIXING PLATFORM
REPUBLICAN LEADERS DISCUSS
THAT DOCUMENT.
Will Probably BE Completed and
Approved by the President Pre-
Vious To Converting OF Conven-
tlon---IIodge Writing 1t and Will
Make II Brief

Washington, May 5.-The platform
TO he adopted by the Republican ma
tlonal convention was among the top.
les discussed at the conferences which
have taken place recently at the White
House III committee rooms at the Cap
itol and at different residences where
number of Republicans have been
assembled Senator Lodge. who is
slated for chairman of the committee
on resolutions at the convention, has
prepared preliminary sketches of vari-
Gus topics that he thinks should be
treated, and he has submitted them to
senators and to others for their APP
prevail or suggestion as to amendment.
1t is believed that before the conven
ton meets complete platform will be
prepared which will have the approval
'of the president.
The Tariff Plank.
The principal features of the plat
form will be the tariff plank, which
will declare in the strongest terms the
adherence of the Republican party to
the principle of protection, but will
not bind the party not to revise the
tariff. 1t will say that the party is not
committed to any schedule, but that
changes should be maze only when
changed conditions of business or the
treasury render it necessary or advisa
bic. Persons present at the recent con
terences say it already has been agreed
that the tariff will be revised in the
Fifty ninth congress if the Republi-
cans win in November There is at
present determination to make the
platform as brief as possible, conse-
quently the endorsement of the adimn-
istration and the acts of the party will
be put in compact form. This endorse
ment will be general approval of the
course of general action of the presi-
dent and the Republicans
Concerning Trusts.
The plank concerning trusts will. in
effect, declare that the laws for the
regulation of monopolies and the re-
straint of conspiracy against commerce
were enacted by the Republicans, and
that the enforcement of such laws has
only been by Republican administers
tlon. 1t will also say that it is not the
intention or policy of the Republican
party to assail Legitimate industry or
business or to infringe on the rights of
persons or property. Special attention
will be devoted to the phraseologv of
this plank.
Some difficulty has been experienced
in finding the proper wording for IL
reciprocity suggestion. Nearly all the
senators who have attended the recent
conferences contributed their share to-
ward keeping the reciprocity treaties
negotiated by the Mckinley admins
tration closely confined in committee
pigeon holes. Reciprocity has not been
popular in congress, and it was with
great effort that the Cuban legislation
was passed.
Senator Aldrich announced when
the Cuban bill was under consideration
that there would be no more tariff leg
islation by treaty. If anything is said
about reciprocity, it will be so worded
that 1t will mean that reciprocity shall
be confined to such articles az are not
in competition with products of the
United States
Financial Questions.
Mention of the financial question
will consist of an allusion to the MAIN
tenance Of the gold standard by the
Republican party and a promise to
continue the finances of the country
upon a sound basis.
Disfranchisement of the negro i'll the
Southern STATES will he danouncad 40
an encroachment on the rights guaran-
teed by the constitution.
The demand for the restoration Of
the merchant marine of the country
will be renewed, but it is not the inten
ton TO endorse any specicfi plan.
There are several other suggestions
as to planks in the platform, but the
desire to have the platform az brief as
possible may eliminate them from CON
Sl0prafiOn as uDnpcpssary This ri mo