Wausau pilot. [volume] (Wausau, Wis.) 1896-1940, 1908-07-14
The Platform.

With Bryan the democratic nominee,
it follows logically that the platform
upon which he stands is q strong and
comprehensive declaration of progress
sive principles. Since 1896, the demo-
cratic party in its platforms and policies
has been blazing the way for the pro.
gressive forces Of the nation. 1t has
borne the heat and burden of new poll
cies to see them, after they have been
popularizeG, taken up by its oppol ents
and urged as means ofobtaining popu-
lar favor. And entering another ma
tional campaign, with William j. Bryan,
its leader, who more than any other
man is Unidentified with the moverasn:
to restore popular government and
bring the predatory classes under re-
straint, it has taken no backward step.
Wisely, we think, the democratic
party has not sought to blaze a new
trail 1t stands by the progressive
measures that it has originated and has
definitely and clearly stated its position;
but instead of plunging ahead upon a
Lew trail, it purposes to permit the peo-
pie to catch up with it and accomplish
the work that it has cut out to do.
For twelve years the democratic party
has opposed the abuse of the writ of in
junction and favored legislation. to Sc
cure to citizens their constitutional
guarantee of trial by jury. Today it
stands as firm as ever in favor of this
essential right. Its historic position
upon the tariff question remains I'M
changed. 1t is opposed to high tariffs
designed to enrich the few at the ex-
pense of the many. The first to demand
the regulation of the railways, it insists
that regulation should be made effective
that the interstate commerce commits
sion should be given ample powers to
protect the public from unfair rates and
that to enable it to act intelligently and
justly the property of the railways
should be valued 1t adheres to its ira
| ditional doctrine that the constitutional
rights of the states should be held
sacred, while insisting upon the exer-
else of its full powers by the federal
| government to the end that there shall
be no twilight zone" between their
jurisdictions in which public exploiters
may take refuge. Upon the currency
question it takes the stand that
The panic of 1907. coming without any
| legitimate excuse, when the republican
| party had for decade been in complete
control of the federal government, fur
I nishes additional proof that it is either
| unwilling or incompetent to protect the
| interests of the general public. 1t has
so linked the country to Wall street that
the syndicate sins of the spectators are
visited upon the whole people. While
refusing to rescue the wealth producers
from spoilation at the hands of the stock
gam blers and spectators in farm pro-
ducts. it has deposited treasury funds,
| without interest and without COMPETE
ton, in favorite banks. 1t has used an
| emergency for which it is largely re-
| sponsible to force through congress a
bill changing the basis of bank currency
and inviting market manipulation, and
has failed to give to the Is, 600, 900 deposit
tors of the country protection in their
| savings.
| We believe that in so far as the needs
| OF commerce require an emergency cur
rency, such currency should be issued,
controlled by the federal government
and loaned on adequate security to ma
1 II H., IL. Il
selves to legislation under which The ma
| tional banks shall be required to gestab-
lish guarantee fund for the prompt
payment of the depositors of any
| insolvent national bank under an
| equitable system which shall be avail
able to all state banking institutions
wishing 20 use it.
| We favor postal savings bank, if the
| guaranteed bank cannot be secured, and
| that it be constituted so as to keep the
| deposited money in the communities
where it is established But we con-
denim the policy of the republican party
] in providing postal savings banks under
plan of conduct by which they will
| aggregate the deposits of rural COM
munities and redepost the same while
under government charge in the banks
of Wall street, thus depicting the Cir
| culating medium of the producing re-
gions and unjustly favoring the specu-
lative markets. -
Throughout the platform, the posi-
| ton taken is that the interests of the
general public are paramount to the
interests of the privileged classes. 1t
is platform thar will bring little COM
fort to the tariff beneticiaries, to the
franzied financiers, to the Carpegies,
Rockefellers, Morgans and Harrimans.
But it is platform that should meet
with the approval of the masses of the
people whose interests it consults and
for whose rights it Observation-Disclosures
| boo N ax.yc