The Rice belt journal. (Welsh, Calcasieu Parish, La.) 1900-19??, 1908-07-17

trbutions and the Forbidding of
Corporations to Contribute Is One
of the PIanks-stringent Laws
Against Trusts Urged - Railroad
Regulation - Popular Election of
senators-Against Asiatic Immigra-
ton.
Denver, Col.-The platform OF the
Democratic party, as adopted by a
unanimous vote Of the convention, Is
as follows:
Preamble.
We, the representatives of the Democ-
raCy OF the United States in national con-
VentiOn assembled reaffirm our belief in.
and pledge our loyalty 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 repreSen-
tatives of predatory wealth, and laid bare
the INSCRIPTIONS methods by which they
have debauChed elections and preyed
upon. defenseless public through the
subservient officials whom they have
The conscience of the nation Is now
aroused to free the government from the
grip OF those who have made it a bust
ness asset of the favor-seeking corpora
tons; 1t must become again peoples
government, and be administered in all
lis departments according to the Jeffer-
sonian maxim of equal rights to all
and special privileges TO none"
OfFiceholders.
Coincident with the enormous increase
In Expenditures is a like addition to the
number Of officehOlders. During the last
year B,7& were added, costing SIG, 1876, 900
and in the last six years of the Repub-
lican administration the total number
OF new offices created. aside from many
commissions, has been 99319, entailing
an additional expenditure of nearly $70-
100000, as against only 1929 new offices
created under the Cleveland and McKin-
ley administrations. which involved an
expenditure of only $6O0oo0o We de-
nounce this great and growing increase
In the number of officehOders as not only
unnecessary and Wasteful, but also as
clearly indicating deliberate purpose on
the part of the administration to keep
the Republican party in power at public
expense by thus increasing the number
OF its retainers and dependents. Such
procedure we declare to he no less dan
gerous and corrupt than the open pur-
chase of votes at the polls.
Economy in Administration.
The Republican congress in the session
just ended has made appropriations
amounting to s1.0OS, Ots, exceeding the
total expenditures Of the past fiscal year
by $4,000 600, and leaving a deficit of more
than S6O,OOOOOO for the fiscal year. We
denounce the needless waste of the peo-
pies money which has resulted in this
appalling increase as a shameful viola
ton of all prudent conditions of govern
ment as no less than a crime against the
millions Of wOrkingmen and women from
whose earnings the great proportion of
these colossal sums must be eXtorted
through excessive tariff cXactiOns and
other indirect methods. 1t is not surpris-
ing that, in the face of this shocking
record the Republican platform contains
no reference to economical administra-
ton or promise thereof in the future We
demand that stop be put to this fright
full extravaganza and insist upon the
strictest economy in every department
compatible with frugal and efficient ad-
ministration.
Arbitrary Power of Speaker.
The house of representatives was de-
signed by the fathers of the constitution
to be the popular branch of our govern
ment responsive to the public will
The house of representatives. as con-
trolled in recent years by the Republican
party has ceased to be a deiberative and
of a majority OF its members, but has
come under the absolute domination of
the speaker, who has entire control of its
deliberations and powers of legislation.
We have observed with amazement the
popular branch of our federal govern
ment helpless to obtain either the consid-
GRAFTON or enactment of measures desired
by majority of its members.
Legislative government becomes a fail
ure when one member in the person Of
the speaker Is more powerful than the
entire body.
We demand that the house of repre-
sentatiVes shall again become a DELHI
erative body, controlled by a majority of
the peoples representatives and not by
the speaker, and we pledge ourselves tC
adopt such rules and regulations to gov
ern the house of representatives as will
enable majority of its members to di-
rect its deliberations and control legis.
lation.
Misuse of Patronage.
We condemn, as a violation of the
spirit of our institutions. the action OF
the present chief executive in using the
patronage of his high office to secure the
nomination OF one of his cabinet officers
A forced succession in the presidency is
scarcely less repugnant to public senti-
ment than is life tenure in that office
No good intention on the part of the ex.
eCutiVe and no virtue in the one selected
can justify the establishment of a
dynasty. The right Of the people 10 free.
Is select their officials is inalenable and
cannot be delegated.
Publicity of Campaign Contributions
We demand federal legislation forever
terminating the partnership which has
existed between the corporations of the
country and the Republican party under
the expressed or implied agreement that
In return for the contribution of great
sums of money wherewith to purchase
elections they should b" allowed to con-
tinue substantially unmolested in their eff
forts TO encroach upon the rights of the
people,
Any reasonable doubt as to the exist.
ence of this relation has been forever dis.
PEELED by the sworn testimony of wit
nesses examined in the insurance inves,
tigation in New York, and the open adj
mission unchallenged by the Republican
national committee of single individual
that he himself at the personal request OF
the Republican candidate for the pres
idency raised over a quarter Of mil
Hon dollars to be used in a single state
Aneinn ba al hnnrc NJ fhA laaf