Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1908-07-09
PRINCIPAL SECTIONS OF DEMOCRATIC PLATFORM

- ~ ~ 0utBvu
! preparations exceed the total expendi-
| lures of the last fiscal year by $780,
OO0,000,- in fragrant disregard of the
| fact that deficit of more than $780,
0G0000 is now assured
We denounce the needless waste of
| the peoples money which has result
ed in this appalling increase as
shameful violation of all prudent
considerations of government and as
no less than crime against the mil
lions of working men and women,
from whose earnings the great pro-
PORTION of these colossal sums must
| oe extorted through excessive tariff
exactions and other indirect methods
1t is not surprising that in the face
of this shocking record the republic
can platform contains no reference
to economical administration or prom
ises thereof in the future. We de-
mand that stop be put to this
f-ightful extravaganza and insist
upon rigid application of the strict
est economy in every department COM
ratible with frugal though efficient
administration.
CONSERVATION OF FORESTS.
Every consideration of public policy
suggests the conservation of our wood
lands and the removal of those i'm
port duties WHICH put premium upon
| the destruction of our forests. Exist
ing duties have given to paper man
ufacturers shelter behind which they
have organized combinations to raise
! the price of pulp and of paper and to
impose tax upon knowledge.
| The revenues derived from import
duties on pulp and printing paper are
SO small and the benefits to be OBJ
! tanned from the abolition of these du-
ties are SO considerable that we in
Gcrse the attitude of the democratic
representatives in congress who unan-
| mously favored the placing of pulp
and printing paper, lumber logs,
wood and timbers on the free list.
| PUBLIC HEALTH.
| Believing a vigorous, healthy popu-
lation to be our greatest national as
set and that the growth, power and
prosperity of the country depend pri-
marily upon the physical welfare of
its people and upon their protection
from preventable pestilences of both
foreign and domestic origin and from
ali other preventable causes of dis
ease and death, including the sanitary
supervision of factories, mines, tene-
| oh 1ah
and conditions of public employment
or occupations involving health and
! life, we advocate the organization of
all existing national public health
/ agencies into a national bureau oil
public health, with such powers and
duties as will give the federal gov
ernment control over public health
interests not conserved by and belong
ing to the state respectively.
PROTECTION OF AMERICAN
| CITIZENS.
i We pledge ourselves to insist upon
the just and lawful protection of oul
: citizens at home and abroad and tC
use all proper methods to secure fol
them, whether native born or natural
or creed, the equal protection of laws
and the enjoyment of all rights ant
privileges open to them under the
| covenants of our treaties of friend
!, ship and commerce, and if under ex
listing treaties the right of travel an(
: sojourn is denied to American citizens
or recognition is withheld from Amer
lean passports by any countries on the
. ground of race or creed, we favor the
beginning of negotiations with the
governments of such countries to Sc
cure by new treaties the removal o
t the unjust determinations.
: We demand that all over the worlC
: . duly authenticated passport issuet
: by the government of the United
/ States to an American citizen shall
5 be proof of the fact that he is al
/ American citizen and shall entitle hin
to the treatment due him as such.
STATEHOOD.
The national democratic party ha
} for the last 16 years labored for TIL
admission of Arizona and New Mex
: leo as separate states of the fedora
union, and. recognizing that each pos
sesses every qualification to success
: fully maintain separate state govern
,,nents, we favor the immediate admis
sion of these territories as separat
states.
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES,
The house of representatives wa
designed by the fathers of the, const
. t:tlon to be the popular branch of on
government, and, as such, intended t
be responsive to the public will. i
order for our scheme of federal COY
eminent to be a success it is nece:
sary that this purpose should b
, jealousy guarded and protected.
The house of representatives. a
controlled in recent years by the RI
publican party, has ceased to be d.
Lucrative and legislative body. II
: sponsive to the will of majority {
!, its members, but has become an a
, | Sembly Under the absolute dOmin;