Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1908-07-11
AID DEMOCRATIC PLATFORM
PREAMBLE.

We, the representatives OF democ-
racy of the United States in national
convention assembled, reaffirm our
belief in and pledge our loyalty to the
principles of our party.
We rejoice at the increasing signs
of awakening throughout the country.
The various investigations have traced
graft and political corruption to the
representatives of predatory wealth
and laid bare the INSCRIPTIONS meth
DDS by which they have debauched
elections and preyed upon defense
less public through the subservient
officials whom they have raised 10
place and power.
The conscience Of the nation Is now
aroused and must be appealed
to, free. the government from the grip
of those who have made it business
asset of the favor-seeking corporation.
IL must become again g a peoples gov
eminent" and be administered in
its departments according to the JEFF
fersonian maxim: Equal rights to all
and special privileges to none"
GOVERNMENT BY INJUNCTION.
The courts of justice are the bull
wark of our liberties and we yield to
none in our purpose to maintain their
dignity Our party has given to the
bench a long line of distinguished
judges, who have added to the re-
spect and confidence in which this
department must be jealousy main
tanned We resent the attempt of the
republican party to raise false issue
respecting the judiciary. 1t is an un-
just reflection upon a great body OF
our citizens to assume that they lack
respect for the courts.
1t is the function of the court to in
terpret the laws which the people
create, and if the laws appear to work
economical, social or political injustice
1t is our duty TO 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 against abuse.
Experience has proven the necessity
of a modification of the present law
relating to injunctions, and We reiter
ate the pledge of our national plat
forms of 1896 and 1904 in favor of the
measure which passed the United
States senate in 1896, but which re
publican congress has ever since re
fused to enact, relating to contempts
in federal courts and providing fol-
trial by jury in case If indirect con
tempt.
Questions of judicia practice have
arisen. especially in C, hection with
Industrial disputes. We. J deem that
parties to all judicial proceedings
should be treated with rigid impartial
ity, and that injunctions should not be
issued in any case in which injun C
tions would not issue if no industrial
dispute were involved.
The expanding organization of in
dustry makes it essential that there
should be no infringement of the
right of wageearners to organize fol
the protection of wages and the i'm
provement of labor conditions, to the
end that such labor organizations an(
their members shall not be regarded
as Illegal combinations in restraint o
trade.
I'VE favor the eight-hour day on al
government work. We pledge thu
democratic party to the enactment o
a law by congress, as far as the fed
eral jurisdiction extends, for a gen
eral employers liability act, coverin!
injury to body or loss of life by EN-
ployes.
We pledge the democratic party t
the enactment of law creating de
partment of labor, represented sepal
arately in the presidents cabinet
which department shall include tn
: subject of mines and mining.
Il TARIFF REVISION.
We welcome the belated promis
of tariff reform, now offered by a PAL
of the republican party, as tard
recognition of the righteousness c
the democratic position on this que!
ton, but the people cannot safely il
trust the execution Of this importar
work to party which is SO obligate
W tuC PlOtCStCu lhtCiColo lIe
it postpones relief until after the ele
ton. And We call attention to tn
significant fact that the promise no
made is wholly vitiated by the use {
the qualifying words under which tn
present tariff iniquities have bee
fostered and developed. We favor a
immediate revision of the tariff by IL
reduction of import duties. Article
entering into competition with articl,
controlled by trusts should
placed upon the free list material +
dnctions should be made in the tar
upon the necessaries of life, and espe'
ally on articles competing with SUI
American manufactures as are so
abroad cheaper than at home, and gra