Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1908-09-17
DEMOCRATS ADOPT PLATFORM
Leaders of Party Give Careful Consideration to Matters
Of Pablo Policy in Drafting Measure, Which
Passes Without a Dissenting Voice.

JeHeTSOn Clly. me D6uIOCl otiS
nominees adopted without a dissent
ing vote their state platform last
Wednesday.
With the doors thrown wide open,
and with no fear of the Republicans
discovering the essentials of the doc
ument, the Democrats gathered at the
Cole county courthouse shortly after
8 o'clock, when the platform was read
to the convention by Senator F. W.
McAllister, of Monroe county, chair
man of the resolutions committee.
Throughout a good part of the night
and Wednesday, party leaders and
state candidates, from w. S. Cowherd,
the gubernatorial nominee, down, al
ternated in advising with the subcom-
mittee to which had been delegated
the drafting of the platform. Every
suggestion was received and given
consideration, irrespective of it's
source. A feeling of good fellowship
was noticeable throughout the long
session. No one was sighted and all
united in the single purpose of franz
ing a measure that would be a credit
to the party and the state.
Not an issue was lodged. At the
outset it was agreed that every mat
ter before the public should be
weighed carefully and the position of
the party candidates stated without
fear or equivocation. There was called
into the counsels of the committee
and the candidates leading party men,
bers whose interest in the Democracy
of the state is well known, and their
suggestions were received as were
the proposals of the leading party
nominees.
Senator McAllister, Congressman J.
J. Russell, James T. Lloyd and D. A.
DeArmond, and o. M. Barnett and
Judge H. w. Johnston composed the
subcommittee. None attempted to
WELD a whip, nor was any effort made
to dictate without discussion the pol
icies that were embodied in the plat
form.
Not only is the superiority of the
Democratic platform over the Repub-
lican measure apparent in the planks
it contains, but its %terseness and clear
p~hraseology bespeak the ability of the
Democrats. Practically every candi-
date entitled to a seat in the conven-
ton was present when Senator Meal
lister began reading the platform.
Except for stenographic errors, no
changes were made in the measure as
adopted, and none were anticipated,
so thoroughly had the subjects han
died been considered before their pro-
mitigation.
The adoption was the last work of
the convention, and the final adjourn
ment was taken on motion of Con-
gresham Champ Clark, after the
thanks of the convention had been ex-
tended to Temporary Chairman Clark,
Permanent Chairman DeArmond and
Secretary Morton H. Pemberton, on
motion of Colin M. Selph, of st. Louis.
The Platform in Full.
The Democracy of Missouri, conscious
of an invulnerable record and confident
of victory in November, heartily en-
dorses, in every particular, the national
platform adopted at Denver, and pledges
to Bryan and Kern the electoral votes of
this great state.
We point to the superb schools in the
State of Missouri as a monument to the
intelligent, pu~blic-spirited and SOUND bus
mess management of the Democratic par
ty, and we challenge the Republicans to
the issue which their party organs AVE
raised of converting the present state,
county, municipal and school district Sc
curities into low interest-bearing govern
ment bonds, which would reduce the in
come of he common schools from this
source fully two-thirds. We favor a on
tinuance of the liberal policy of the pop
ular education in Missouri and recognize
In our public school system the bulwark
OF our free institutions, which rest upon
the virtue and Intelligence of our peo-
pie.
We challenge the Republican party
managers and Republican press of the
state, who for years have charged the
Democratic party with footing the school
fund.- to point to a single dollar not
honestly accounted for in the more than
thirty years during which time the execu-
tive departments Of the state were under
Democratic control. In their many cam
paigns they clamored to 'see the books"
For nearly -four years they have had con-
troll of the books, they have utterly failed
to make good any of these charges and
should publicly confess them to be false
and libelous.
After clamoring for years to "see the
books in the State Capitol and then
finding them so perfectly kept, every dol
lar of public money so completely ac-
counted for that their slanderous tongues
are forever silenced, they are put to
shame by the disclosure of a shortage of
SCI. 500 in the subtreasury at st. Louis
while in charge of the Republican ma
tional committeeman from Missouri.
Election Frauds.
The Democratic party favors the fair
est and fullest expression of the voters
at the polls and pledges an earnest n
sincere purpose to protect the integrity
of the ballot. In accord with this high
purpose, the Democratic party has given
the state an absolutely impartial election
law, under the provisions of which the
Republicans have equal representation
with the Democrats in judges and clerks
at each polling place in the state; every
possible safeguard Is provided for the
prevention of fraud and for the secrecy
Of the ballot of the honest voter, and
drastic penalties prescribed for the pun
ishment of those who violate the law. A
fraud can not be perpetrated without the
consent and connivance of the judges
and clerks of both parties, appointed upon
the recommendation Of their respective
committees. If, in spite of these safe
guards, fraud is perpetrated at any cleo
Lo,u Lie Nil IL