The Robesonian. [volume] (Lumberton, N.C.) 1870-current, 1908-07-13
DEMOCRATIC PLATFORM.

road Planks Most Interesting
Features-A Declaration or
States Rights -Favors Elec
ton of Senators by the People
} The Platform in bet, Il
Following is the Democratic
national platform adopted by the
convention at Denver THURSDAY
night:
We, the representatives of the
Democrats Of the United States
in national convention assembled
affirm our belief in, and pledge
our loyalty to the principles OF
the party.
We rejoice at the increasing
signs OF an awakening through
out the country. The various
Investigations have traced graft
and political corruption to the
representatives of predatory
wealth and laid bare the unscru-
pulOus methods by which they
have debauched elections and
preyed upon a defenseless
public through the subservient
officials whom they have raised
to place and power.
The conscience of the nation is
now aroused to free the govern
ment from the grip of those who
have made it a business asset of
the favor seeking corpoations; it
must become again a peoples
government, and be administer
ed in all it's departments accord
ing to to the Jeffersonian maxim
of Equal rights to all and spec
ial privileges to none"
Shall the people ruler" is the
OVershadoWing issue which mani
tests itself in all the questions
now under discussion.
THE INJUNCTION PLANK.
The courts of justice are the
bulwark of Onr liberties and we
yield to none in our purpose to
maintain their dignity. Our par
ty has given the bench a long
line of distinguished judges who
have added to the respect and
confidence in which this depart
ment must be jealousy main
tanned. We resent the attempt
of the Republican party to raise
a false issue respecting the Judi
clary. 1t is an unjust reflection
upon a great body of our citizens
to assume that they lack respect
for the courts.
1t is the function Of the courts
to interpret the laws which the
people create, and if the laws ap-
pear to work economic social or
political injustice, it is our duty
to change them.
The only basis upon which the
integrity of our courts can stand
is that of answering justice and
protection of life, personal liber-
ty and property. If judicial pro-
cesses may be abused, we should
guard them against abuse.
LAW SHOULD BE MODIFIED.
Experience has proven the ne
ccssity of a modification of the
present law relating to injunc-
tons and we reiterate the pledge
OF our national platforms of 1896
and 1904 in favor of the measure
which passed the United States
Senate in 1906 but which a Re-
publican Congress has ever since
refused to enact, relating to con-
tempts in Federal courts and pro-
viding for trial by jury in cases
OF indirect contempt.
Questions Of judicial practice
have arisen especially in connec-
ton with industrial disputes.
We deem that the parties to all
judicial proceedings should be
treated with rigid impartiality
and that injunctions should not |
issue in any cases in which in
functions would not issue if no
industrial dispute were involved.
The expanding organization of
industry makes it essential that
there should be no abridgement
Of the right of wage-earners and
producers to organize for the
protection of wages and the i'm
provement of labor conditions to
the end that such labor organiza-
tons and their members should
not be regarded as illegal conbi-
nations in restraint of trade.
We favor the eight-hour dav
on all government work.
We pledge the Democratic par
y to the enactment of a law bv
Congress, as far as the Federal
jurisdiction extends, for a GEN
eraI employers liability act COW,
''' "
We pledge the Democratic
party to the enactment of a law
creating a department of labor
represented separately in the
Presidents Cabinet, which de-
partment shall include the SUBJ
Ject OF mines and mining.
THE RAILROAD PLANK.
We assert the right of Con-
gress to exercise complete con-
troll over interstate commerce
and the right of each State to ex-
erclse just as complete control
over commerce within it's Dor
ders. wi
We demand such enlargement
Of the powers of the Interstate
commerce commission as, may be-
necessary to enable it t6 protect +
persons and places from discrim-