The San Juan islander. [volume] (Friday Harbor, Wash.) 1898-1914, 1908-07-18
DEMOCRATIC PLATFORM


to the principles of the party.
We rejoice at the increasing signs of
an awakening throughout the country.
The various Investigations have traced
graft and political corruption to the
representatives of predatory wealth
and laid bare the INSCRIPTIONS meth
DDS by which they have debauched
elections and preyed upon defenseless
public through the subservient officials
whom they have raised to place and
power.
The conscience of the nation is now
aroused to free the government from
the grip of those who have made it a
business asset of the favor seeking
corporations; it must become again a
peoples government and be admins
tered in all it's departments according
to the Jeffersonian maxim of equal
rights to all and special privileges to
none"
"Shall the people ruler" is the over
shadOwing issue which manifests itself
in all the questions now under dis
cussion.
The enormous increase in the num-
Der of positions created by the repub-
lican administration is denounced, and
| misuse of patronage is condemned as a
violation Of the spirit of our institu-
tons. Strict economy in administra-
ton is promised under democratic rule.
Publicity Of Campaign Contributions.
Publicity in the matter of campaign
contributions is demanded in the fol-
| lowing language:
We demand federal legislation for
ever terminating the partnership which
has existed between corporations of the
country and the republican party under
the expressed or implied agreement
that in return for the contribution Of
af
purchase elections they should be al
lowed to continue substantially unmo-
Tested In their efforts to encroach upon
the rights of the people. Any reasona-
BILE doubt as to the existence Of this re-
lation has been forever dispelled by the
sworn testimony of witnesses exam
| lned in the insurance investigation in
unchallenged by the republican nation
al committee-Of a single individual
that he himself at the personal request
OF the republican candidate for the
presidency raised over a quarter Of
million dollars to be used in single
state during the closing hours Of the
last campaign.
In order that these practices shall be
stopped for all time, we demand the
passage Of statute Furnishing with
imprisonment any officer of a corpora
ton who shall offer contribution in be-
half of, or consent to the contribution
by corporation, Of any money or
thing valuable to be used in the cleo
ton of president or vice-president of
the United States or any member of
congress thereof. We denounce the ac-
ton of the republican party, having
complete control OF the federal gov
eminent, for it's failure to pass the
bill introduced in the last legislature
to compel the publication Of the names
- It'll ~.A u - -
tributed toward campaign funds, and
point to the evidence of their insinceri-
ty when they sought by an absolutely
irrelevant and impossible amendment
to defeat the passage of the bill. AS
further evidence of their intention to
conduct their campaign In the coming
contest with vast sums Of money
wrested from favor-seeking corpora
tons, we call attention to the fact that
the recent republican national conven-
ton at Chicago refused, when the is
sue was presented to 1t, to declare
against such practices.
We pledge the democratic party to a
law preventing any corporation from
contributing to a campaign fund and
any Individual from contributing an
amount above reasonable minimum
and providing for the publication be-
fore election OF all such contributions
above reasonable minimum.
The Tariff.
We welcome the belated promise Of
tariff reform now offered by the re-
publican party in tardy recognition Of
the righteousness Of the democratic
position on this question, but the neo-
pie cannot safely entrust the execution
OF this important work to marty
which Is so deeply obligated to the
highly protected interests as is the re-
publican party. We call attention Ia
the significant fact that the promised
relief was postponed until after the
coming election-an election to sue
coed in which the republican partv
must have the same support from the
Denef1ciaries under the high protect
I've tariff as it has always heretofore
received from them; and to the fur
tner fact that during years OF uninter-
rupted power, no action whatever has
been taken by the republican Congress
20 correct the admittedly existing tar
if iniquities
We favor immediate revision az the
tariff by the reduction Of import dlI-s
ties. Articles entering into competition
with trust controlled products should
be placed upon the free list and ma
terial reductions should be made ii the