The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1904-07-09
PLATFORM on THE DEMOCRACY

III DE1NOChAI Y
to permit such investigation to be made
demonstrates that only by change in the
! legislative and in the executive depart
ments can complete exposure. punishment
and corruption be obtained
Contracts with Trusts
We condemn the action of the repub-
l1can party In congSess refusing to pro-
hib1t an executive department from en-
ter1ng into contracts with convicted trusts
or unlawful combinations in restraint of
Interstate trade. We believe that one of
the best methods of procuring economy
and honesty In the public officials, from
one occupant of the White House down
to the lowest Of them, returned as nearly
as may to Jeffersonian simplicity of liy-
ing.
Executive UsurpatIon.
We favor the election of president
imbued with the principles of the con-
stitution, who will set his face sternly
against executive usurpation of legislative
and judicial functions, whether that usur-
patton be yelled under the guise Of exec
utive construction Of existing laws or
whether 1T take refuge in the tyrants'
pleas of necessity or superior wisdom.
Imperialism.
We favor the preservation, so far as we
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, un-
limited, irresponsible and absolute gov
eminent anywhere within our jurisdiction
We oppose, as fervently as did George
Washington himself, an indefinite, ire
sponslble, discretionary and vague abso-
lutfsm and a policy of colonial eXploita-
ton, no matter where or by whom in
Nlxro1
Thomas Jefferson and John Adams, that
no government has a right to make one
set of laws for those Eat home and an
other and different set of laws, abs olute
In their character, for those 'in the COL
onies."
All MEN under the American flag are
entitled to the protection Of the iustt-
buttons whose emblem the flag is: If they
are Inherently unfit for those institutions,
then they are inherently unfit to be mem
bels OF the American body polite. Wher-
ever there may exist a people incapable
of being governed under American laws,
in consonance with the American con-
stitution Of that people, that people ought
not to be part Of the American domain.
49,. 49,. Set FIIlpnos Free.
We insist that we ought to do for the
Filipinos what we have done already for
the Cubans, and it is our duty to make
that promise now, and upon suitable guar
antees of protection to citizens of our own
and other countries resident there at the
time of our withdrawal, set the Filipino
people upon their feet, free and inde-
pendent to work out their own destiny.
K The endeavor of the secretary Of war,
by pledging the governments Endorsement
for promoters" in the Philippine islands
to make the United States a partner In
speculative legislation of the archipelago,
which was only temporarily held up by
the opposition Of the democratic senator's,
in the last session, will, If successful, lead
to entanglements from which it will be
difficult to escape
Protection Robbery.
The democratic party has been, and
will continue to be, the consistent oppo-
nent of that class Of tariff legislation by
which certain interests have been per-
mltted, thru congressional favor to draw
heavy tribute from the American peo-
pie. This monstrous perversion of those
equal opportunities, which our political
institutions were established to secure,
has caused what may once have been
infant industries to become the greatest
combinations Of capital that the world has
ever known. These special favorites of
the government have, thru trust methods,
been converted into monopolies, thus
bringing to an end domestic competition
which was the only alleged check upon
the protective system. These Industrial
combinations, by the financial assistance
tney can give. now control the policy Of
the republican party.
We denounce protection as robbery
of the many to enrich the few, and we
favor tariff limited to the needs Of the
government economically administered
and so levied as not to discriminate
against any industry, class or section, to
the end that the burdens Of taxation shall
be distributed as equally as possible.
We favor revision and a gradual re-
duction of the tariff by the friends of the
masses and for the common veal, AID
not by the friends of it's abuses its ex-
tortions and it's determinations keeping
In view the ultimate ends Of Equality of
burdens and equality Of opportunities" and
the constitutional purpose of raising a rev.
enue by taxation, to-wit, the support Of
the federal government in all its integrity
and v1r1llty, but in simplicity.
Trusts and Combinations
We recognize that the gigantic trusts
and combinations designed to enable cap
ital to secure more than it's just share
of the joint products Of capital and la
Dor, and which have been fostered and
promoted under republican rule are a.
menace to beneficial competition and an
obstacle to permanent business prosper
ity. ... .l,. -,
fntolerable.
Individual equality Of opportunity and
free competition are essential to healthy
and permanent commercial prosperity and
any trust, combination or monopoly tend
ing to destroy these by controlling pro-
duction, restricting competition or fixing
prices, should be prohibited and punished,
by law. We especially denounce rebates!
and discrimination by transportation com
panies as the most potent agency in pro-
noting and strengthening these unlawful
conspirac1es against trade. .--...s.-.
We demand an enlargement of the DOW
ers OF the interstate CONNIE cree commits
sion,e to the end that the travelling public
and shippers Of this country may have
prompt and adequate relief for the abuses
to which they are subjected in the matter
of transportation. We demand strict
enforcement of existing civil and criminal
statutes against all such trusts, combina-
tions and monopolies; and we demand the
enactment Of such further legislation as
may be necessary to effectually suppress
them. ~. r 49,
Any trust or unlawful combination en-
gagged in interstate commerce which Is
monopolizing any branch of business or
production. should not be permitted to
transact business outside of the state of
it's origin. Whenever 1t shall be estab-
lished in any court of competent jurisdic-
ton that such monopolization exists, such
prohibition should be enforced thru com
prehensive laws to be enacted on the SUBJ
ject. -.---...--.----- -..-.
we congratulate our western citizens