The Fairmont West Virginian. (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1904-1914, 1904-07-14
Asss Tf1ese Possible Issues

re Ihess$P oss1bt s9sissueszsas
A The telegram sent BY aut hority s,f
the Dem ocratic National Convention
to. Judge Parker IN reply to his; tsssss-
pected and very, citing dispatch On (
The gold standard, says: Tie plat
form adopted by this convention is 81
lent on the question Of the monetary
standard, because it is not regarded
by US as possible issue in this cam
.Daign. and only campaign issues We're
mentioned in the platform.
without INDUCING in any specula-s
ton upon the sincerity of the explana-
ton given for the absence OF a gold
plank from the platform, and forbear-.
ing to suggest that the omission was
due rather to a desire to .conciliafe
the Organizes than TO any other cause,
let us look at the deIiverances in the
declaration Of principles and policies,
Keeping in mind the assertion that
'.only campaign issues were mention
ed in the platform" /.
Is the capital and labor plank an IS
sue? Can any controversy be got VI
over the declaration that I'VE favor
enactment and administration of laws
giving labor and capital impartially
their just rights? Capital and labor
Ought NOT to be enemies. Each is
necessary to- the other Each has it's
rights. and the rights Of labor arc
certainly no less vested no less sd
cred, and no less 'inalienable' than
the rights of capital2"
Who is going to take issue with tie
proposition that "the military should
be used only 10 support and maintain
the laws?" AS well try to make al
issue of geometrical axiom or any one
of the Ten Commandments. Is the
country going to get. excited, or is any
party or faction going to oppose the
announcement that 1--WE favor liberal
appropriations for the care and in
provement of the waterways of the
countrv?'' Is there going to be a hot
conflict over the demand for IAN Ell
largement of the powers of, the Inter
State Commerce Commission % Is IL
risaticn an issue? Is not President
Roosevelt something OF an Irrigation
list? And what party is to be credited
with The passage of the Newlands acto
Shall we witness a great uprising of
the people in hot party fight over
the promise that 'trhe Democracy,
when Entrusted with power, will con-
struct the Panama Canal speedily,
honestly and econon2ically?' When
one recalls the fact that the DemCcra
CIV has been in control of legislation
for only TWO years since 1858 one
cannot help hoping that canal con
struction will not wait for a recu,-
renee of that situation. When did the
s.election of United States Senators
by direct vote of the people become
party issue? That proposition has
been repeatedly passed unopposed by
Republican Houses of Representa-
tives. Republican State Legislatures
have Endorsed it as freely as Demo-
cratic legislatures. How is an issue
to be made out of the announcement
that s'we favor the maintenance OF
the Monroe doctrine in its full integ
rity?''
Those are samples of the alleged
issues in the Democratic PLATFORM
Several others, equally far removed
from the possibility Of exciting dis
cussion, could be named. The same
criticism is applicable to the Repub-
lican platform. is there, then any
prospect of exciting campaign?--
Washington Post.