Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1908-07-11

and corrupt use Of inoney Ii til cam.
| paigas
| It II eninently proper that this con
vention should define the Democratic
attitude toward the regulation Of trans
| portation companies and call the a.ten-
ton Of the country 70 the indisputabie
fact that II was only after years OF
Democratic effort that an amendment
was made to the interstate commerce
law authorizing the commission to es-
tablish reasonable rates whenever ii
appeared that an existing schedule was
unjust and unreasonable. The national
platforms Of the Republican party re-
NAMED silent upon this great question
for years. and the fact that the neces-
sary change was advocated By a Re-
publican president. who succeeded only
through the aid OF the Democrats In
both branches OF congress In placing
the amendment upon our statute books,
does not affect the credit to which our
party 10 entitled for having worked per.
sistently for such an enactment
Railroad Reforms.
Further amendment to our laws Civ
ing the federal government supervi-
sion over the issuance OF railroad
stocks and bonds Is demanded.
The fixing OF transportation charges
and the control of issuances OF railroad
securities are inseparably connected
with the actual valuation Of railroads.
The Democratic party believes that the
first thing to do Is to secure physical
valuation of the roads-that Is, valua-
ton of the solid rather than the liquid
assets Of railroad companies While,
on the other hand. the Republican par.
ty, on a roll call in the convention by an
overwhelming vote. took an unequiyo-
cal stand In favor Of system of water
rates without giving the people the ben
eft of meter.
We search in vain for one syllable in
the Chicago platform pIedging the Re-
publican party to retrenchment and re-
forms, and 1t Is no mere coincidence
that has given US billion dollar ses-
sion OF congress on the eve Of ma
tional election and the possible revision
of the tariff.
So long as we maintain the present
method of electing United States SEN
ators we cannot hope that the upper
chamber of congress will reflect the
popular will.
On five different occasions the house
Of representatives has passed a con-
stitutional amendment providing for
the election of United States senators
by the direct vote of the people, but
these measures have been sandbagged
In the senate by those who are deter
mined the senate shall not become an
integral part OF our free representa-.
tive institutions.
Direct Election Of Senators.
The Democratic party will continue
to labor for the direct election Of Unit
ed States senators, and 1t appeals to
the voters of all America to elect mem
bers of the different state legislatures
who will pledge themselves to vote
for no candidate for the United States
senate not in favor Of this reform.
The affirmative position of the Dem
ocratic party upon these great ques-
tons will be made clear during the
impending campaign, and, diSdaining
all subterfuges, it will speak in Ian
guage that cannot be misunderstood
Its voice will ring with genuine love
for humanity. and the charge of insin-
certify will never be brought to its
doors. Let our party declaration in
this convention present the strong con
trast between that which we here pro-
pose and that which was declared at
Chicago. Let any man take the tenn
perature of the Chicago platform and
discover, if he can, any sign of human
there to redeem it from the material
ism permeating 1t through and
through.
On the bosom of the Pacific win be
enacted the great commercial strug-
giles of the future, and the interests of
American commerce In connection
with the exposure Of our western
mand that the greater portion of the
American navy shall be retained in
the waters of the Pacific to preserve
the peace of the world.
Asiatics, Must 10 Excluded.
| This magnificent western country Of
ours has not only proved attractive to
our own people and the other white ma
lions of the earth, but 1t has likewise
proved alluring to- the brown and vel
| low races of the east. Some protection
has been afforded by the exclusion of
Chinese labor. but the evil is but half
met IL the immigration Of Japanese.
! Koreans. Hindoos and other Asiatic
people be not also excluded from our
shores. Not only the white toilers of
1 America. but all our people. without
i respect to class or residence, are vitality
Interested in this menace to our social
and Industrial life from Asiatic quar-
tiers. and IL this Is to remain white
mans country immediate steps should
be taken to prevent Asiatic immigra-
j ton of whatsoever character.
/ This national convention meets at q