Eagle River review. [volume] (Eagle River, Wis.) 1890-1927, 1904-07-15
DEMOCRATIC PLATFORM.
Adopted by the National Convention
in Saint Louis.
in Saint Louis.


States In national convention assembled,
declares its devotion to the essential Pfln-
eiples CT the Democratic faltn which piineo
rs together In party communion. a,d no
Under them local self-goYefnmeh' f nnn L na-
tional unity and prosperity were aiihe
tablIshed They underlaid our independ,
euce the structure of our free feppplt.c , UNI
every Democratic extension from Louls ttfi
to California and Texas to oregon "nlcn
preserved faithfully In all the states tne
sic between taxation ana representation
They yet inspire the masses OF osi ,,RborPt,e,
Guarding jea lousy their rights ana noefties
and cherishing their fraternity, peace ana
orderly development. o
They remind us of our duties ana respon-
sibiIities as citizens ana mp nscessity Of
reform and the rescue Of the adminlstra-
tion or government from the headstronfg'
arbitrary and spasmodlc metnous 49, $500, otI
thn nnhIic mind with dread, distrust and
Del&urbation.
Fundamental Principles.
The application of these fundamental
principles to the living issues OF tne uay n -
the first step toward the ass assured p Eree,
dom of the press, of conscience anu OF
speech-equality before the law OF All Cit
zeus; right Of trial by jury; freedom OF tne
person defended by the writ OF haDeas
rornus. liberty of personal contract I'M
trammeled by sumptuGry laws; supremacy
of the civil over military authority; We'll
disciplined militia; the separation OF cnurcn
and State; economy In expenditures; low
taxes, that labor may be lightly Durdeneu
prompt and sacred fulhllment or publc ana
priyate obligations; fidelity to treaties;
Ipeace and friendship with all nat1ons en-
tangling alliances with none; absolute &C.
0uiescence In the will of the majority, the
Vital principle of republics-these are doc,
trines which Democracy has estaDushed
approved by the nation, and they should De
constantly invoked and enforced.
Capita1 and Labor.
We favor the enactment and administra-
tion of laws giving labor and capital I'm,
partially their just rights Capltal ana
labor ought not to be enemies. Eaeh Is
but the rights of labor are certainly no less
s'yested" no less sacred and no less
"inaiienablei than the rights Of capital.
Constitutional Guarantees.
Constitutional guarantees are violated
whenever any citizen is denied the right to
where interest or inclination may deter
mine. Any denial thereof by individuals,
organizations or governments shoulo De
summariIy rebuked and punished.
We deny the right Of any executive to
disregard or suspend any constitutional PRIV
ilege or limitation. Obedience to the laws
and respect for their requirements are an IKE
the supreme duty of the citizen and the
official.
The military should be used only to sup
port and to maintain the law. We I'M
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
q Republican Congress has ever since re-
fused to enact, relating to contempts in
Federal courts and providing for trial by
Jury In cases of indirect contempt.
Water Ways.
We favor liberal appropriations for the
care and improvement of the water ways
of
the Mississippi River is of sufficient i'm
portance to demand special aid of the gov
ernment such aid should be extended, with
a definite plan of continuous work until
permanent improvement is secured.
We oppose the Republican policy of starv-
ing home development in order to feed the
greed for conquest and the appetite for
national prestige and display OF
strength.
Economy of Administration.
Large reductions can easily be made in
the annual expenditures of the government
without impairng the efficiency of any
branch of the public service, and we shall
iusst upon the strictest economy and fru-
gallty compatible with vigorous and eff
ticut civil military and naval administra
tion as IL right of the people too clear to
be denied or withheld.
We favor honesty in the public service
and the enforcement Of honesty in the pub
lie service, and to that end a thorough leg
1slative investigation of those executive de-
partments Of the government already
known to TEEN with corruption, as well as
other departments suspected of harboring
corruption, and the punishment of ascer
taIned corruptionists without fear or favor
or regard to persons.
The persistent and deliberate refusal OF
both the Senate and the House OF Repre-
Sentatiyes to permit such investigation to
be made demonstrates that only by a
change III the executive and in the legis-
iatiye departments can complete exposure,
punishment and correction be obtained.
Contract with Trusts.
We condemn the action Of the Republican
party in Congress in refusing to prohibit
mn executive department from entering
into contracts with convicted trusts or UNI
lawful combinations in restraint of inter
state trade. 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 may be to Jeffersonian
simplicity of living.
Executive Usurpation.
We favor the nomination and election of
n President imbued with the principles Of
the constitution, who will set his face
sternly against executive usurpation of leg
islative and judicial functions, whether that
usurpaton be yelled under the guise of ex-
ecutfve construction of existing laws or
whether it take refuge In the tyrants
pleas of necessity or superior wisdom.
Imperialism.
can, of an open door for the worlds COM
merce in the Orient without an unneces-
Sary ENHANCEMENT In Oriental and Euro
pean affairs and without arbitrary, unlim-
lied, Irresponsible and absolute government
anywhere within our jurisdiction We op-
pose, as fervently as did George Washing
ton himself, an indefinite, irresponsible, dis
eretionary and vague absolutism and pol
Icy Of colonial exploitation, no matter
where or by whom Invoked or exercised;
we believe with Thomas Jefferson and John
Adams that no government has a right to
make one set of laws for those lat home"
and another and different set of laws
absolute in their character, for those ''in
the colonies
All men under the American flag are en-
titled to the protection of the Institutions
whose emblem the flag Is; If they are inner
emily unfit for those institutions then they
are Inherently unit to be members of the
American body polite Wherever there
may exist people incapable of being gov
erned under American laws In consonance
with the American constitution that people
ought not to be part Of the American do
IN