The daily telegram. [volume] (Clarksburg, W. Va.) 1901-1926, 1908-07-31


reIegated him In favor OF another.
who did not advocate or believe Ia
Bryan principles. II Bryan is Jeff-
ersonian now, he was not when his
party nominated him and re-nominat-
ed him. But, what does such a
promise amount to? Does any one
think that modern Democracy Is
Jehersonian or that JeffersOnian prin-
ciples would be equal to the day?
Then that promise amounts to moth
Ing.
Its promise to do all in its power
to bring about Bryan's election this
fall may be kept, but, since Bryap,s
statisticians place West Virginia In
the sure Republican column the
promise will prove itself merely
empty. To the people any way, were
It not SO that this state is safely Re
publican, 1t brings no joy to such an
industrial and manufacturing state
as West Virginia. and 1t is. therefore,
promise that would have been bet
Ter Tor the Democratic party not to
have been made.
No promise. not even implied, Is
made in the plank that congratulates
itself for having been in power in
this state twenty-six years in the long
past, and the note OF congratulation
conveys no hope even to Democrats
OF the most partisan kind. There is
no promise in this, we repeat.
It promises to correct imaginary
evils in our state institutions, and.
yet great fault 1t has helped to
make In these, or one of them at
least. is the injection OF politics, for
example, the Hodges incident OF the
present campaign. 1t fails to specify
even a single instance where there
are needed corrections or reforms in
these institutions. and merely in
dulges itself in generality. II it
thinks there are needed corrections,
why did 1t not name some OF them?
What is in such promise that really
does not promise single thing?
Merely hot air.
1t promises to dispense with un-
necessary and useless offices, yet 1t
fails to say there are any such. To
keep such a promise 1t should first
submit to the public what they are
and tell where they are. For the
sake of argument, let 1t be granted
that there are too many, offices. In
that event does 1t presume to think
that the people themselves prefer
not to pass Judgment on what are
needed and what are not? Such
promise as that is worse than no
promise at all and the Democratic
party need not labor under the i'm
preston that 1t will fool anybody by
that promise.
1t makes no pledge or promise as
to the mining laws. 1t fails to even
state that 1t would have any such
laws at all. Absolutely silent on this
subject as to what It would do. Does
any one take any stock in that sort
of an attitude? Answer.
The platform promises to enact an
employers liability law. The Re
publican party is pledged to that
equally as strongly, II not more so,
and It would be idiocy personified to
entertain the idea that a state would
changeits political complexion on the
two pledges as they stand on this
subject. So, what good does this
promise do the Democratic party?
Absolutely none.
ID AAb ia OAAl6Ns WhaAtNGAs III
the platform in the interest of labor,
and beyond few generalities on in
functions, copied to some extent from
the Democratic national platform, II
Is as silent as clam on the rights
of workingmen. Its neglect to prom
Use something in this respect means
enmity to the workingmen, the same
as was manifested when the party
turned Adam Littlepage down for
governor.
The platform contains no promise
at all against Illegal voting.
1t says the party favors conserva-
ton and development of natural re-
sources but it makes no promise in
these respects.
Its promise to revise the tax laws
in the interests of just taxation is
not taken seriously as the party has
~ and never has done in all its his
tory any thing to place such laws on
the statute books.
1t promises to enact a general pri-
mary election law, complicating 1t at
the first before fair test or trial,
with local features. But, that party
has never advanced that idea or prac-
ticed 1t to any extent and that prom
Use. therefore, is not worth the little
slip OF paper it was written on.
1t makes no promise as to the Vir-
ginia debt. 1t promises a new regis
tration law. condemning the present
one before trial. With such exhibit
ton of forethought, 1t is safe to say
the kind 1t would pass would be in
street yernacular a peach.
1t promises nothing on the prohi-
bition question either for or against
and fails to declare itself on the sub
ject, except to condemn the legisla-
ture for not doing something the
Democratic party has not had the
courage TO say 1t would or would
not do.
These are the promises OF the Dem
ocratic party in West Virginia this
year. After having analysed them
fairly and without prejudice, what
man IS there who believes that any
one of them or all of them amount
to any thing or mean any thing?
The Farmer aud His Mail.
IT., nr,,anncrory. is rnal,ipp a orrcat