The Idaho scimitar. [volume] (Boise, Idaho) 1907-1908, 1908-07-18
THE IDAHO SCIMITAR.


increasing the number of its retalners
There is in the platform reiteration of the time
honored demand that the house OF representatives
return to the exercise of its legitimate functions by
becoming once more a legislative body. Upon this
subject the democrats say:
We have observed with amazement the popular
branch of our federal government helpless to obtain
the enactment of measures desired by majority OF
its members.
Legislative government becomes failure when
member in the person of the speaker is more
powerful than the entire body.
We demand that the house of representatives shall
again become deiberatve body, controlled by
majority of the peoples representatives and not by
the speaker and pledge ourselves to adopt such
rules and regulations to govern the house OF repre-
sentatives will enable majority OF its members
to direct its deliberations and control legislation
The platform dwells at considerable length on the
topic of publicity for campaign contributions, de-
handing the termination of the partnership between
the republican party and the corporations, through
which special legislation is exchanged for money
with which to corrupt the ballot Says the platform
In order that this practice shall be stopped for all
time, demand the passage of a statute providing
Imprisonment for any officer of a corporation who
shall either contribute on behalf Of or consent to
the contribution by a corporation of any money for
thing of value to be used in furthering the election
OF president vice-president of the United
States any member of the congress thereof.
We denounce the action of the republican party
having complete control of the federal government
for its failure to pass the bill, introduced in the
last congress- to compel the publication of the
OF contributors and the amounts contributed toward
campaign funds, and point to the evidence of their
1ns1ncer1ty, when they sought by absolutely rree-
want and impossible amendment to defeat the pass
age of the BILL as further evidence of their inten-
ton to conduct their campaign in the coming con-
test with vast sums of money wrested from favor
seeking corporations. We call attention to the fact
that the recent republican national convention at Chi
cago refused when the issue was presented to it. to
declare against such practices
we pledge the democratic party to the enactment
OF law prohibiting any corporation from contrib
ut1ng to campaign fund and providing for the pub
LEGATION before election of all such contributions
above a reasonable minimum.
The party expression on the rights of the states
was reafirmaton of the Jeffersonan record of its
past and demand that there be no middle ground
between the authority of the state and of the nation
On this point the declaration says:
We are opposed to the Capitalization implied in
the suggestion, now frequently made, that the pow
er OF the general government should be extended by
judicial construction. There is no twilight zone be-
tween the nation and the state by which exploiting
interests can take refuge from both and it is as
necessary that the federal government shall exercise
the powers delegated it as it is that the state oov
ernments shall use the authority reserved to them
D4t we INSIST that federal remedies for regulation
OF interstate commerce and for the prevention of
private monopoly shall be added to and not sinh
St1tued for state remedies
There is no twilight zone between the nation and
the state in which exploiting interests can take
refuge from both," borrowed from a speech
made by Mr.. Bryan at the meeting of the state gov
errors with the president of the United States in
washington short time ago and it is now crystal
l1zed into declaration of party faith
The Philadelphia North American commenting
on the expression, said that fright there the finger
was placed squarey upon the point of the whole
problem OF Capitalization and state rights" Presi-
dent Roosevelt followed Mr.. Bryan Immediately
ern1lAr tof4 IL