Wausau pilot. [volume] (Wausau, Wis.) 1896-1940, 1906-10-09
DEMOCRATIC PLATFORM.
Document Drawn i'm milwaukee
Adopted without Change.

a0ONteO "
Wisconsin Democrats at their State
convention in Madison adopted the same
platform that was passed upon at their
convention in Milwaukee last June Fol
lowing is its text:
The Democratic party of the State OF
Wisconsin. in platform convention assem-
bled pursuant TO the statutes in such cases
made and provided. does adopt the following
platform of principles
We recognize that the gigantic trusts and
combinations designed to enable capital to
secure more than its just share of the joint
products of capital and labor, and which
have been fostered and promoted under Re
publican rule. are a menace to benencni
competition. and are obstacles TO perma-
nent business prosperity. private mo
nopoly is indefenSible and intolerable.
We demand a strict enforcement Of ex-
listing civil and criminal statutes against
all trusts, combinations and monopolies, and
we commend the Democratic members OF
both houses of Congress for the loyal sup
port they have given to the rate bill, the
pure food bill and other measures, which
would have wholly failed but for their I'M
swerving and faithful support,
We favor revision of the present tariff,
and hold that the tariff duty should he
levied for the purposes of revenue, such
duties to be so adjusted as to operate equal
~ throughout the country, and not discrlm-
mate between classes or sections, and the
the government, honestly and economically
administered. We favor placing on the
free list all commodities supplied by any
trust or monopoly.
We deem ii imperative in order to protect
the people from the inordinate eXaetionS of
coal and oil combinations and monopolies,
that the federal government should reserve
from sale. all coal and oil rights in all gov
eminent lands hereafter granted.
We believe in the principles of income
taxation and favor such amendment to the
federal constitution will permit federal
taxation on incomes
We insist that we ought TO do for the
Filipinos what we have already done for
the Cubans, and it is our duty to make that
promise now, and upon suitable guarantees
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 independent, to
work out their own destiny.
We favor the election of the United States
Senators by direct vote of the people, and
we demand that the constitution or the
United States be amended accordingly
We favor governmental control and regu-
lation of all public service corporations so
that they shall be operated for the benefit
of the people for whom they were in
tended.
We favor the enactment of a law by the
next Legislature amending the present law
so as to authorize the state railway com
mission to correct upon it's own initiative
Judgment should be corrected or modified.
We favor such legislation as will enable
municipalities to own. construct and ac-
quire by purchase such public service utili-
ties they may deem proper; and to en-
able them to do so we favor amending sec
tion of article IL. of the constitution of
our State so that Indebtedness incurred
in acquiring such public utilities shall be
excluded from the limitations of said sec
ton, thus permitting municipal corporations
to acquire public utilities and to restrict
the constitutional limitations of Indebted
ness to debts incurred for nonproductive
property.
We favor the passage of law by the
next Legislature comforting upon and dele
eating to municipalities the power to fix
the price at which public service corpora
tions within the municipalities shall fur
nish their services and commodities TO
users and consumers.
We favor maximum rate of charge by
all railroads doing business in the State or
Wisconsin of , cents per mile for passenger
traffic within this State.
We favor the enactment of laws provid-
jag full protection for policy holders in all
lie insurance companies transacting bust
ness in this State.
We favor the enactment and enforcement
OF laws giving labor and capital ilipartialN
their just rights. Capital and labor ought
not to be enemies. Each is necessary 10
the other. Each has its rights-but the
rights of labor are certainly not less vested
the rights of capital,
We denounce the contribution of vast
sums of money for corrupt uses in national
us well as in state affairs, whether derived
from interested corporations or by robbery
of The funds from widows and orphans by
The management of life insurance compa-
MES or other corporations or companies OF
like character
We favor the enactment of law re9uir-
ing every committee of a political party or
--opiza tinn make OuDlip the amount
eeived and expended by it,
Equality of contributions to the public
burdens is essential to equality of social
md political rights The recent decision
of our Supreme Court in the railway cases
has opened the way for a more equitable
distribution of the tax burden, and a speedy
return to the constitutional rule or uni
formity. We now insist that all laws I'M
posing a license fee on earnings in lieu of
taxes, except as to foreign corporations, he
repealed. and that all property within the
jurisdiction of this commonwealth be as
sesset and taxed on an ad val0rem basis
until superseded by a more scientific meth
Od. We incline to the opinion that grad
uated income tax as the groundwork Of all
taxation will prove to be q more scientific
and equitable method than the antiquated
system now in use. We, therefore, favor
the adoption of the constitutional amend
ment permissiye of n graduated income tax.
We are in favor of the highest efficiency
of the public schools and all institutions of
=,
ricultural schools. And we demand that
party consideration be wholly eliminated
from the management of these institu-
TONS
The construction of good highways is en-
titled to the highest consideration Of the
State.
We demand that the present State debt
of 2,2J1 900, borrowed from the trust
funds of the State for war purposes and
bearing interest at the rate of { per cent
per anGUm, for which annual tax levy of
$157 $40 is made. shall be paid in accord
ance with the mandates of the constitution
and we condemn the action of the Republi-
can administration for dverting the sum
of S1,1S4, 659.7S received during the years
1908 and 1905 from the United States gov
ernment in repayment of the war claims of
the State, from which this fund was orig
ITALY taken into the general fund.- and its
use in the payment of general State ex-
penses.
We favor primary election as being Dem
ocratic in principles, but recognize some de-
fects in the present law and favor such
changes and amendment in ii as time and
experience may demonstrate to be neces-
sary after fair trial.
We regard with just pride and admiration
the typical American who has been Journey
ing in foreign lands The last year, and. al
though only a private citizen with none Of
the allurements Of place and power about
him, has been accorded distinguished con
sideration and attention wherever he has
gone, SOlelN because MS course IN pubic
and private life alike has shown him to be
a patriotic citizen, a wise and farseeing
statesman, and thoroughly honest and
upright man, in whom the people can safe
~ repOse their utmost confidence We
therefore declare that we are heartily in
favor of that typical American, William
Jennings Bryan, as the Democratic candl-
date for President in 1908, and we pledge
our united efforts to secure his BOmina-
ton