The St. Mary banner. (Franklin, Parish of St. Mary, La.) 1889-1931, 1908-03-28
THE DEMOCRATIC PLATFORM.


ment bearing the signatures OF
General Albert Estopinal and
Ion. Chas. X. Fuqua. |; was
.lraittd by a committee of five
gentlemen selected by the State
Democratic Executive Committee.
The personnel Of the spec ! COM
| mitt+e EN- braces the names of
eminent men in Louisiana's public
life, and is mastery document
The names Of those composing the
committee is as follows: Hon.
J. I. Mcclellan, of Tallulah; DR..
VI. D. Lewis, Of ST. Landry; DR..
A. F. Barrow Of st. Francisville !;
Hon. H. II. White, of Alexandria
and Judge Charles V. Porter, Of
Natchitoches. The address is as
follows:
NEW ORLEANS. La. March %. 1908.
70 the white voters Of louisiana:
The Democratic Party Of the State
of Louisiana declares the following
principles. and pledging itself to their
faithful observance, bespeaks the
support and suifrages of the white
electors of the State for its nominees
for State officers at the general cleo
ton to be held on Tuesday. April II,
1908.
The National Democratic Party is
the pa rty of the people. the conserva-
tor OF constitutional liberty in the
Republic, and to it the Democracy of
Louisiana gives answering allie
glance and renews its pledge Of 10y
atty to its principles.
1t atfrms the doctrine that the power
to tax exists merely in order to sup
ply the necessities Of government.
Government in full state of efficiency
is necessary to our complex. modern
civilization. but taxation should be
such government honestly and
economically administered. Any tax
alton beyond this is both unjust and
oppressive.
1t holds that the burden Of taxation
should be equally distributed: that
there should be uniformity and equal
itv of assessment, so that one mans
property should not be assessed pro-
portionately higher than his neigh
bor's and that all property whatever
its kind or character. tangible or in
tangible, or wherever situated |
should be made to contribute
equally to the necessities of govern
ment. To the enactment of legislation
looking to these ends. 50 as thus. in a |
great measure. to ease the burden Of
taxation, the Democracy of this State
stands pledged.
As another and additional way of
casing the burden of taxation. the
Democratic Party of this State |
pledges itself to the enactment of all |
necessary legislation looking to the
REIMBURSEMENT and retirement of the
bonded debt Of the State by refunding
same by the issuance Of bonds bear
ing lower rate of interest than the
bonds presently bear, and maturing
IN Instruments. and in the immediate
of the yearly surplus rev.
enues of the State for the gradual re-
.irement Of the debt
It pledges itself to the enactment of
;hild labor laws that will prevent our
children from being mentally and
BY sically dwarfed by work and con-
inement in the days that should be
spent in the school and on the play
cooking to the organization of road
districts throughout the State, for the
purpose OF building permanent high
ways; for the encoura cement of immi-
grafton to our State from other States
ind from abroad of the industrious
md intelligent white agriculturists:
or the esta Establishment of reformatory
chools and asylums for the care of
he helpless: for the abolition Of all
offices: the holding of
ecret and executive sessions of the {
public boards. and what is known as
obby or third house.
AS the education of our children is
he most important duty to be per- |
Ormed by the State. in order that {
ur electorate may be composed of
ducated, enlightened and serious
len, who will be able to preserve
ur Democratic popular system of l
government and administer it wisely |
nd intelligently, the Democratic
'arty in this State stands pledged to I
laintain, at the highest possible i
oint Of efficiency. our public schools: k
, the frightening of their terms: to Q
le increasing of the pay Of the b
sachers: to the raising of the stand T
I'd Of the teaching professions: to Z
lie regulation of the sanitary and I
ygienic conditions of the school I
puse; for the establishment of ample 0
fairgrounds: to the teaching Of agri- J
llture and the mechanical arts in S
lie primary and grammar schools: p
nd to the elevation. encouragement o
1d proper support of all our various n
tate educational institutions. tt
1t stands pledged to the making of St
beral appropriations for the main ii
nance OF our leyees, for the care J
I'd support of the veterans of the
)st Cause and for the proper mark d
z Of the. battle fields testifying to NJ