The times and democrat. [volume] (Orangeburg, S.C.) 1881-current, 1908-07-24

trolled state Of the Union, New Jersey,
what assurance will the people have
that there viii be any publicity given
to them? When the Republican or
ganigation gGTp ont to tie newspapers
his statement TIA; i: %o"id ic.."n.s
all contributions. !. it acted without
any sense of truth or of fair play.
There was one way for the Republican
party to avert the criticism that 1t
is going into this campaign with the
intent and purpose Of carrying 1t by
the brute force Of money. That one
way was a plank in its platform
that it would stand for and enforce
official publicity Of all campaign con-
tributions. In house and senate and
in the national convention this princi-
pie was voted down by the Repub-
licans, and they cannot longer claim
that they stand for the moral principle
which it represents.
The Interest Of the Telesraphere.
In the United States today there are
more than $4,000 telegraph operators.
Within the last four years they have
twice struck for more reasonable treat
ment by the colossal monopoly which
controls their terms Of employment
and which has its grasp on the most
speedy way Of the Interchange Of in
formation and news throughout the
states Of this Union. Both times the
telegraphers were beaten in their ef-
fort to secure fairer treatment. Both
times the telegraph companies, the
Postal and Western Union alike, raised
their rates of service while refusing
to raise the pay Of the operators. One
Of .the planks sent to the Chicago COD.
yention by Senator La Toilette, but
one which was not accorded, like the
famous three, the opportunity Of a.roll
call, was this:
We pledge the Democratic party to the
enactment Of law to regulate the rates
and services Of telegraph and telephone
companies engaged in the transmission
Of messages between the states under the
Jurisdiction Of the interstate commerce
commission
The one difference between this
plank, which was adopted by the Dem
ocratic party, and the plank which was
rejected by the Republican party Is the
use Of the word Democratic" In the
first line. Eighty Thousand telegraph
operators throughout the United States
who have more than once failed to
secure for themselves that proper rec
ignition which is due them may now
consider whether the Democratic par
'ty. which accepted and promulgated
the plank offered by their representa-
tives, or the Republican party, which
rejected the same plank, though it
had back Of 1t the great influence of
Senator La. Toilette, Is the better to
support in the coming election. But
one line of the, telegraph plank de-
serves especial attention. 1t puts
telegraph and telephone companies do
ing an interstate business under the
Jurisdiction Of the interstate commerce
commission. That Is vital step for
ward
The Tariff This Year.
The tariff plank in the Democratic
platform is acceptable to so veteran
tariff reformer as Henry Watterson, to
so extreme a tariff reformer as Tom
L. Johnson and at the same time to
that element in the party which be-
lieves in revision and not in free trade.
Personally I would be more interested
in the plank IL I could feel that the
conditions, even in the event of Mr..
Bryan's election, would give us oppor-
tunity to give it effect It must be ad-
mitted that If we Democrats carry the
house and the presidency we still can
not have the senate. And the senate
has always been the last ditch. the
true citadel, Of the militant forces of
overprotection. With Aldrich there
representing the allied Interests of
Standard Oil and all its works, with
the steel trust, the tobacco trust the
smelling trust thus installed in power,
the utmost that we Democrats can do
in the event Of our assured success
next November Is to make such fight
from the White House and from the
house end of the capitol that the eoun.
try will be Impressed with our SINGER.
ity and that every two years we may
elect few more Democrats to the
senate.
Direct Election of Senators.
: And upon this very subject Of the
part that will be played by the United
States senate to check the legislation
which the people Of the United States
desire the Democratic party speaks in
its platform not directly. but in q way
that no one can fail to understand. II
declares for the election Of senators
by the direct vote Of the people. This
is one Of the planks presented by Sen.
ator La Toilette and described by Sen.
ator Hopkins Of the Republican party
as an utterance Of socialism and dema.
gogy. Had such a law been in effect
in the state Of Illinois 80 notorious q
corruptionist as Hopkins would not
have had an opportunity to keep a
recommendation Of It out Of Repub-
lican platform. Were it in general ef'
feet we wonld not have Guggen.
helm from Colorado, who is wholly
destitute of any Of the qualities of
craftsmanship, but who represents the
second greatest trust in the United
States and who stands with all the
other frnst mapnates. We would not