The free lance. (Fredericksburg, Va.) 1885-1926, 1904-07-14
THE PLATFORM.

brIng MS together iu party communion,
rraer them local self government an"
NATIONAL unity and prosperity were oilNe
established They undcrl1id our hu'-
pcndcnce. the structure OF our Tree re-
nublic and pvory Democratic oNtenN'"i'
from Louisiana to California ana i'N'A
TO OREGON which preserved iallhlull( Ill
all the states the tic between tnNa'iuii
and reprosontation They yet inspire the
p,oesoe nj our NcopIe guarding jealousy
their rights and liberties, and cherisn
ing their fraternity, peace ana orderly
dcVeIopmDnt They remind as OF our uu-
t{cs and responsibilities as citizens anu
Impress upon us. particularly "t ,i,'1
/. time. the necessity of reform ana INV
rescue OF the administration OF govern,
mcnt from the hcadstrong. 0rhl'i"IN al"
/ gp7smodic methods which distract "uSl
ness by uncertainty. and pcrVade inc
public mind with dread distrnSt an"
perturbation t.,...,,
,oI prtnrinlrs tn the living issuts "i we
F dav is the FIRST step toward the assure"
pcacc. safety ana progress OF our ""-
/ tion Freedom of the press, OF CON-
/ science and Of speech. equality before
/ the law OF an citizens right or trinI by
+ iurv freedom of the person defended by
/ the writ of huhras corpus, llhcrtN oil per
conul contract Untramelod Toy auhlP-
/ tulrY laws. supremacy of the civil over
military authority n well disciplined MI
/ Iitia the separation of church and state,
/ economy i'm expenditures low taxes. that
[ labor NAV be lightly hUrdeuod prompt
and sacred fulnillmrnt OF public and pri-
vntc obligations fidelity 20 treaties. peace
md friendship with am nations. rntans-
ling alliances with none absolute acpul-
,Srcncc IN the win Of tho majority the
vital principle of roPuhiics-thrSr are 100
trints which Democracy mas t9tanu@N'"
approved 10y the nation. and they should
be constantly invoked ana enforced
,vc f,,or th, enactment and admins
tr4tinn of laws giving labor and capital
iupartaIly tnoir just rirht-. Capital ana
labor ought mot To hc enemies hAch II
necessary to the other E1'h mas lis
rights hut tho rishts Of labor arc Ger
tanly no loss "vc-tel mo- less 's1rrrd
and no less "unali,uaple than the rights
or capital
Constitutional guarantees are Niolhtcd
whenever any Citizon IFS denied the risht
fo labor acquire and enjoy property OF
reside where interests nr inclination may
determine. Any denial thereof 10y indi-
vidunls organizations or governments
should he summary rohukod and pun
ishrd. We deny the right of any cNccu-
tive 20 disregard or suspend amy cousti-
wUonRl privilege or limitation. Phedi-
euce 10 the laws and respect fpr their re-
0uiremnntS are alike the supreme duty
of the citizen and the official
The military should hr used only TO
support and gaintlin law We unquali-
nodlv condemn its employment foV the
summary bsni~hr4nt 81 oiugons without
triaf or for the contfol - eiecunns
We approve the measure which PASSED
g. TrtFF..1 fN,ni hfHf
which q Republican congress has ever
since refused To enact. relating to con
tempts in federal courts and providing
for trial 10y jury In cases of indirect con-
tempt
we favor liberal appropriations for the
care and Improvement OF the waterways
Of the country. when any waterway
Ike the Mississippi river Is of sufficient
Importance go demand special aid of the
government. such Md should be- extended
with ID definite plan of continuous work
until permanent Improvement is secured
We oppose the Republican policy Of
starving home development ga order 20
feed the greed for conquest and tho appe-
tito for national prestige" and display
Of strength.
I-IaFge reductions can easily be made
IN The annual expenditures of the govern
ment without ir.-airinr the efficiency Of
any branch Of = public service and We
shall insist upon the strictest economy
and frueality compatible with vigorous
and efficient civil military and naval adj
ministrntion az IL right of The people. too
clear To- be denied OF withheld
2-IVe favor honesty in the public ser
vice. The enforcement ot honesty I'm the
public service and To that end "a thor
ough legislative investigation Of those eX-
ecutive departments Of the government
already known 90 TEEN with corruption
ms well as other departments suspected
of harhoiiug corruption. and the punish-
nent 81 asoprtainod corruptionists with
out fear or favor or regard to persons.
The persistent and deliberate refusal of
both the senate and house Of representa-
tivos To permit such Investigation 90 be
made demonstrates that only by
change In the executive and I'm the legis-
IatVe departments can complete expo
sure punishment and correction be OBJ
tanned.
We condemn the action Of the Repub-
iiCan party In congress in refusing 20
prohibit an executive department from
entering into contracts with convicted
trusts or unlawful combinations in re-
Straint ~ interstate trade. We believe
that one OF the hast methods Of procur-
Ing economy and honesty in the public
service Is tn h4Vr public officials from
one occupant Of the White House down
to the lowest Of them, returned AS nearly
as may be 10 JeffeTsonian simplicity of
living.
I've favor the nominations and cleo
ton OF president imhucd with the prin-
ciplcs Of the constitution who will set his
face sttrnly against executive usurpatiOn
of legislative and judicial functions,
whether that usurpdtiOn be yelled under
.4 n
listing laws or whether it take refuge In
the tyr0nts' pleas Of necessity or supe-
rior wisdom,
We favor the preservation, so far as
We can Of an oppn-dOOr for the world .
ccnmerce in the orient without any un-
necessary ENHANCEMENT in Oriental ana
European affairs and without arbitrary.
unlimited, irresponsible and absolute gov
eminent anywhere within our jurlsdic-
ton. We oppose as ferYenilY as dld
George Washington himself an ind shnite,
irresponsible. discretionary and vague alb
solutism ana a policy Of colonial exploit
alton. no matter whore or by whom IN
voked or exercised, we believe with
Thomas jefferson and John Adams That
no government has a right 10 make one
set of laws for those lat home ana an
other and Il different set OF laws, abso-
lutte in their character for those In the
colonies" All men under the American
flag are entitled To the protection OF the
Institutions whose emblem She flag 49,
if they are inherently unfit for those in
stitutions. then they are inherently
unfit to be members OF the Ameri-
can body polite. Wherever there may
exist people incapable of being
governed under American laws inconso-
nance with the American constitution OF
that people ought not to be part of the
American domain,
We insist that we ought 10 do for the
Philippines what we have done already
for the Cubans, and it is our duty 70
make that promise now. and upon suit
able guarantees of protection 20 citizens
of our own and other countries resident
there at the time Of our withdrawal, set
the Filipino people upon their feet, free
and Independent to work out their own
destiny.
The endeavOr OF the secretary of war,
by pledging the government endorse
ment for promoters" in the Philippine
Islands to make the United States part
ner in speculative legislation or the
ttfau