Devils Lake inter-ocean. (Devils Lake, Ramsey Co., Dakota [N.D.]) 1884-1905, 1904-07-15
THE DEMOCRATIC PLATFORM.

An analysis of the democratic
platform adopted at st. Louis last
week will be of interest to every
student of American politics. In
some features it is remarkable docu-
ment, especially in some of the
policies to which it commits the
party, when compared with the his
tory of this same party in the last
few years. The usual denunciations
Of the II anagement, or rather mis-
management of governmental affairs,
which never existed save in the i'm
aginations of those who seek to catch
votes by means of straw men, are de-
nounced, and the platform contains
the usual number of voters deceiving
and vote catching generalities.
We denounce protection as rob.
berry of the many to enrich the few, .
declares the platform. Does the
democratic party leaders expect the
people of this nation to so soon for.
get the wave of starvation. of soup
houses, of charity fed honest men. Of
suffering women and children that
swept like the black death, over this
country only few years ago, when,
trusting to its pledges. the people
placed it in power7 Is it possible
that they have fogotten the Coxey's
armies that made the nation tremble
in the very presence of the greatest
social revolution that ever threatened
the worldr Thinking men have
stood appalled, at what might have
been the result of honest men made
desperate by starvation, had not the
policy of the government on the tariff
been changed by the election of re-
publican administration. Have such
things ever existed under the dem
ocratic bugaboo of projections Yet
the democi attic party comes to the
: people with an offer to return to the
conditions that existed when 1T form
erly held power. With the lime
light of history turned upon this
feature of the platform, it seems inn
possible that any should be deceived.
The patty proposes to abandon the
Philippines, and Withdraw the
power Of the government from
Oriental affairs, yet at the same
time, proposes to preserve the open
door if it can be done without the
assistance of the government. The
trouble with the Earty is that it is
suffering from political senile de-
mentia. 1t is in its second childhool /.
1t has failed to keep step with the
progress CT the nation. 1t would
seem that the great exposition being
held in the very city where the con.
vention sat, which commentaries
the great expansion ideas of Jefferson,
whom they Landed, would have
shamed the convention to silence.
but it did not. What has the world
lost. what has the Philippines lost by
the occupation of this country
Some other nation has lost the untold
wealth that lies undeveloped il
these islands. The world has instead
of semi savage and ungovernei
, chain Of islands near the borders Of
what is certainly the newly developed
center of commerce, we'll governed
and orderly community, Mher,
} order is enforced and anarchy ani
lawlessness held in cheek by tn,
strong arm of the government. I
would seem to be regretable fac
that the world does not LOOK upoi
> its loss SO seriously as does tn,
democratic party. The people O
those islands have been changed
from condition bordering on savag
cry to one which is the first step to
ward civilization equal to oul
own. The party proposes that W
shall now desert these people and turl
them back upon the conditions il
which they lived when, half CLAD
land bearing the war implements o.
centuries past, they followed lead
er who by his contact with tn,
civilization now offered to the mas
SEES, arose SO high above his savag
followers that he could play upol
them with the same methods tina
could the Medicine man Of the Ind
ians. They denounce the psiic
which made possible the Eldorad
wealth Of this island empire by Amer
) lean brains, pIeferring that rathe
than give it to the world, it shout
!, lie hidden for centuries to come ais !
has for centuries past under the con