The Montgomery advertiser., 1908-07-10
PLATFORM OF PRINCIPLES ON WHICH
 DEMOCRATS WILL MAKE THEIR CAMPAIGN
Party Uphods Integrity the But Satisfies Labor Element Question und and Demands Publicity All Campaign Funds Immediate Revision d the
 Tariff Daniel and Smith Are Pleased

--- | candidate for the s Presidency. raised | over quarter of a million of dollars to | be used in single State during the | closing hours of the last campaign. In | order that this practice shall be stop | ped for all time, we demand the pas sage of "a statute punishing with ina | prisonment any officer of corporation who shall either contribute on behalf l of, or consent to the contribution by | corporation, of any money or thing or | value to be used in furthering the elec- ton of President and vice-President | of the United States or of any mem | Der of the Congress thereof.
 we denounce the action of the Re- | publican party having complete control 1 of the Federal Government for it's fall | ure to pass the bill introduced in the last Congress to compel the publica- | tion of names of contributors and the | amounts contributed toward campaigns i funds and point to the evidence of their l insincerity when they sought b van | absolutei yirreievente and impossible amendment to defeat the passage offhe | bill. As a further evidence of their l intention to conduct their campaign in | the coming contest with vast sums of money wrested from favor-seeking cor- poratione we call attention to the fact that the recent Republican National Convention at Chicago refused when the plank was presented to 1t. to de- clare against such practices.
 l We pledge the Democratic party to | the enactment of law preventing any corporation contributing to campaign fund and any individual from contri- buting ap amount above reasonable cation befofe election of all such con- tributioRs above a. reasonable mini mum"
 The Rixhts of the State.
 Believing. with Jefferson. in the support of the State governments in all their rights as the most competent ad- ministration for our domestic concerns and the surest bulwark against anti Republican tendencies,' and in the pre- servation of the general government in it's whole, constitutional vigor, as the sheet-anchor of our peace at home and the safety abroad we are opposed to the centTaiization implied in these sug- sessions, now frequently made. that the powers of the General Government should be extended by judicial con- struction. There is no twilight zone between the nation and the State in which exploiting interests can take refuge from both; and 1t is as neces- sary that the Federal Government shall exercise the powers delegated to 1t as 1t is the State governments shall use the authority reserved to them; but we insist that Federal remedies for the regulation of interstate commerce and for the prevention of private monopoly shall be added to--not sub- stitute for-State remedies"
 TRrafK.
 "We welcome the belated promise of tariff reform now offered by the repub- 1ican party in tardy recognition of the righteousness of the democratic posi- tion on this question; but the people cannot .safely entrust the execution of this important work to @ party whichis so deeply obligated to the high ly protected interests as Is the republi- can party. We call attention to the significant fact that promised relief is postponed until after the coming election--an election to succeed in which the republicans must have that same support from the. beneficiaries of the high protective tarin as 1t has al- ways heretofore received from them; and to the further fact that during years of uninterrupted power, no action whatever has been taken by the repub- liean congress to correct the admittedly existing tarifr iniquities.
 We favor immediate revison of the tarff by the reducton of import duties ArticleB entering into competitor wtn tdust-contFolled products should be placed upon the free, list; and material reductions should be made in the tar
 
 ciaIly upon a articles competing with such American manufacturers as are sold abroad more eheaply than at home and gradual reductions should be made in such other schedules as may be necessary to restore the tarifr to/a rev enue basis.
 Existing duties have given to ths manufacturers of paper a shelter be- hind which they have organized com. binafions to raise the price of pull and of paper. thus imposing a tax upor the spread of Knowledge.
 we demand the immediate repea of the tariff op pulp, print paper. lum' Der, timber and logs and that these articles be placed upon the free list
 Trusts.
 '"A private monopoly is indefensible and intolerable.
 we, therefore favor the vigorous enforcement of the criminal law against guilty trust magnates and officials and demand the enactment of such addi- tfonI legislation as may be necessary to 70 make it impossible for a private mo- nopoly to exist in the United States Among the additional remedies we specify three:
 First law preventing a duplica- ton of directors among competing cor porations; tecond. a license system which will without abridging the | . ton or its right to regulate as it will 3 foreign corporations doing business 5 within It's limits. make 1t necessary for . manufacturing or trading corporation engaged in Interstate Commerce tC a take out 0 federal license before it shal n be permitted to control as much al n twenty-five per cent of the production l which 1t deals. the license to protec - the public from watered stocks and tt - prohibit the control by such corpora = tions of more than 50 per cent of tn, d total amount of any product consumed = in the United States, and third, a Iav Q compelling such licensed corporation = to sell all purchases in all parts of tn s country on the same terms after mak d ing due allowance for cost of transpor
 tation. ..
 Railroad Regulations. e "We assert the right of Congress t f exercise complete control over inter @ state commerce and the right of eacI @ State to exercise like control oVe 1t commerce within it's borders.
 e We demand such enlargement of tn 1t powers of the Interstate Commerc 6 Commission as may be necessary t n compel railroads to perform their du IS ties as cummon carriers and proven l. discrimina ton and extortion.
 1t we favor the efficient supervision l. and rate regulation of railroads en l. gagged in interstate commerce. To thi
 end we recommend the physical valu }. ation of railroad by the Interstate Com - merce Commission. such valuation t h take into consideration the physica f value of the property, the original cos y of reproduction and all clements c I =