Waterbury evening Democrat., 1908-07-10
lominating speeches begun.

nominating speeches begun. The understanding was that there should be no ballot until the platform WAS adopted.
 The New York delegation held an other caucus, but the only action. taken
 with reference to the attitude of the delegation toward the nominations for president and vice president was the formal adoption of the unit rule" under the operation of which the en- tire seventy-eight votes of the state in the convention were to be cast in one block.
 The defeat of Colonel |. M Guffey of Pittsburg, national committeeman from Pennsylvania. as a candidate for reelection was accomplished by the faction headed by James Kerr of Clear field. Pa, at meeting held in the con- vention auditorium. Colonel Guffey and his followers left the hall and re- fused to participate in the caucus James Kerr was. elected national com mitteeman, 4212 votes being cast for and none against him. D. c. Dewitt, a delegate, declined to vote, stating that he doubted the regularity of the proceedings.
 There are nineteen new members on the national committee. New York's representative continues to be Norman E. Mack. New Jersey has chosen Rob- ert E. Hudspeth, to succeed William B. Gourley. Nearly all the old war horses of the committee are retired.
 The platform preamble as adopted by the committee reads as follows:
 We. the representatives of the Dem ocrats of the United States in national convention assembled, reaffirm our be- lief in and pledge our loyalty to the principles of the party.
 Tho Source of Graft.
 "We rejoice at the increasing signs of an awakening throughout the coun- try. The various investigations have traced graft and political corruption to the representatives of predatory wealth and laid bare the interruptions methods by which they have de. bauched elections and preyed upon a defenseless public through the sub. servient officials whom they have raised to place and power.
 ''The conscience of the nation is now aroused to free the government from the grip of those who have made it a business asset of the favor seeking cor porations. It must become again a peoples government and be admins tered In all its departments according to the Jeffersonian maxim of equal rights to all and special privileges to none
 Shall the people ruleT is the over shadowing issue which manifests it. self in all the questions now under discussion"
 Other blanks of the platform as ap- proved are as follows:
 'The courts of justice are the bull wark of OUT libeitieg. and we yield to none in our purpose 10 maintain their dignity. Our party has given to the bench long line of distinguished judges, who have added to the respect and confidence in which this depart ment must be jealously maintained. We resent the attempt of the Rcpub- lican party to raise false issues re- specting the judiciary. It is an un- just reflection upon a great body of our citizens to assume that they lack respect for the courts. l interpret the laws which the people create. and If the laws appear to work 1 economic. social or political injustice | 1t is our duty 10 change them. The | only basis upon which the integrity | of our courts can stand is that of un- swerving justice and protection of | life, personal liberty and property. If judicial processes may be abused we ! should guard them against abuse.
 Experience has proven the neeessi- ty of a modification of the present law relating 10 injunctions, and we [ reiterate the pledge of our national | platform of 1896 and 1904 in favor of | the measure which passed the United States senate fin lS0G. but which a Republican congress has ever since re- fused to enact. relating to contempts in federal courts and providing for trial by jury in cases of indirect con tempt
 Questions of judicial practice have arisen. especially in connection with Industrial disputes. We deem that the i parties to all judicial proceedings should be treated with rigid impar- Iiality and that iRiunctions should not be issued in any cases in which in- functions would not issue if no indus rial disput. were involved.
 Right of Labor to Organize.
 "The expanding organization of in- iustry makes it essential that there 'hould be no abridgment of the right If wage earners and producers to or Ianlze for the protection of wages and he improvement of labor conditions O the end that sucn labor organlza- ions and their members should not be egarded as Illegal combinations in re- traint of trade.
 We favor the eight hour day on all government work.
 We pledge the Democratic party to he enactment of a law by congress. IS far as the federal jurisdiction ex- ends, for a general employers lIabil- ty act covering injury to body or loss f life of employees.