The St. Louis Republic. [volume] (St. Louis, Mo.) 1888-1919, 1904-07-08
EARLY MORNING SESSION
ON THE PLATFORM.
Continued From Page One.

| representation. They yet inspirit the
| masses of our people. guarding jealous Y
! their rights and liberties. and cherishng
| their fraternity, peace and orderly dcvel-
! opment They remind US of our duties
! and responsibilities as citizens ard i'm
| press upon US, particularly AT This time
| the necessity of reform and the rescue of
| the administration OF government from
| the headstrong. arbitar- and spasmodic
| methods which distract business by un-
| certainty and pervade the public mind
| with dread. dist!Ust and perturbation
The application of the fundamental
| principles to the living issues OF the day
| constitutes the first step toward the as
| sured peace. safety and progress of our
nation. FrCcuom 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 per-
sonal contract untrammeled by sumptu-
ary laws: the supremacy OF the civil over
military authority; well-disciplined mill
tia: the separation of church and state;
economy in expenditures: low taxes that
labor may toe lightly burdened: the
prompt and sacred fultillment of public
ami private obligations; fidelity to trea
ties: peace and friendship with all nations.
entangling alliances with none; absolute
acquicscence in the will Of the ma ajority.
the vital principle OF Republics-these are
doctrines when Democracy has estab
lished as proverbs of the nation. and they
should be constantly invoked, preached.
resorted 10 and enforced.
y. Large reductions can readily be made
in the annual expenditures OF the Govern
ment without impairing the efficiency OF
snail insist upon the strictest economy
ana frugality compatible with vigorous
and efficient civil. military and naval ad-
miniStration as right OF the people. too
clear to be denied or withheld.
80 The enforcement of honesty in the
public service. and to that end a thorough
legislative Investigation of those executive
departments of the Government already
known to TEEN with corruption, as well as
other departments suspected OF harborlng
corruption. and the punishment of ascer-
tained corruptionlstS without fear or IA
Vor or regard to persons. The persistent
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 a change In the executive and in
the House of Representatives can complete
exposure, punishment and corruption be
obtained.
In broader furtherance of that end the
Federal Governrnent should not permit
itself to be robbeu 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 Jeffersonian simple
ity of living.
s. We favor the nomination and cleo
tion of a 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 guise
Of executive construction of existing laws
or whether it take refuge in the tyrants
pleas of necessity or superior wisdom
T. 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 permitted, |
through congressional favor. to draw |
heavy tribute from the, American people;
This monstrous perversion of those equal |
opportunities which our political inst!tu- |
tions were established to secure has |
caused what may once have been infant |
nations of capital that the world has ever !
known. These publicly favored enterprises
have. through trust methods, been con- |
an 'teu end idoG domestie H compe,iton, which was
the only check upon the extraVagant
profits made possible by the protective |
system. These industrial combinations, by
the financial assistance they can give, |
now control the policy Of the Republican |
party.
We favor a Wise, conservative and |
businesslike revision and a gradual reduc- |
ton of the tariff by the friends of the |
masses ard for the common veal. and not |
by the friends of its abuses its extortions |
and its determinations, keeping in view |
the ultimate end of equality Of burdens |
and equality of opportunities" and the |
constitutional purpose of raising a reve- |
nue. by taxation to wit. the support of the |
Federal Government in all its integrity |
and virility, but in simplicity; and keep
ing also in view. as men Of common sense
should. existing conditions, however
brought about. and the danger to the
cause of tariff reform itself Of abrupt ana
reversal of policy.
We should bear in mind in short. these
two things: First, the general principle
that the sole derivation OF the power of
Government, economically. effectively ana
constitutionally administered. and, second:
the equal truth that in the assertion OF
any general principle and in reaching any
ultimate end. however sacred ard logically
unavoidable. due regard. but only due re-
gard. must and should be paid to actually
existing conditions.
s. We favor the reduction Of tariff tax
alton upon trust-produced articles to the
point where foreign competition may enter
the American market whenever trusts and
combines. seeking monopoly. raise their
prices to the American consumer above a
reasonable and just profit, by such reduc-
tion depriving trusts and monopolies of the
power to extort from the American people, |
under shelter of American law, prices
higher than those charged foreigners for
Identical articles.