The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1909-09-20
DEMOCRATS MUST TAKE THE
REVISION sioe TO WIN. SAYS
THE GREAT coMMoNER.
CRITICISM FOR PROTECTIONISTS
And the Party Should Insist Upon
Binding Pledge to Vote for Lower
Out es. Too. tive Nebraskan AS.
scrts-he Suggests Planks.

Lincoln. Nrb. Sept IT, Tariff ..
the battle cry sounded by Wulam
= Bryan Tor the congressional cam
paign of 1910 In the current ssuc
OF his Commonor Mr. bryan says
I'm every fight there must be-
battle line. II the democrats dcIte
to control the next congress thoy
must convince the voters that they
not only intend to reduce the tarifi
but can De relied upon to do So
II the democrats I'm the senate and
house had voted so,idly for every
proposed decrease In the tariff and
against every proposed increase W
might make the next congressional
fight on the party's record without
outlining a specific affirmative police,
but the fact that considerable mum.
hcr Of democrats in the house and
majority Of the democrats I'm the
senate rcpudiatcd parts OF the last
democratic national platform and vot
I'd against reductions urged by the
rest OF the democrats and by pro
prcssive republicans makes II I'm.
possible for MS 20 make the fight
next year upon the party's record Ia
congress
The country must have assurance
that the democratic party can agoc
upon tariff policy and carry It
ont If the democratic candidates
for congress cannot agree upon
program before the election they
are not likely 10 agree upon bill
afterwards The influence OF the
special interests Is so great that It
is absolutely necessary To pledge
congressman in advance I'm order that
they may be fortified against the
d pressure which the protected inter.
est bring TO bear against the legls.
lators. The necessity for specific dec.
larations was shown In the last
congress when the republican tariff
reformers attempted to Interpret
their ambiguous platform Even the
democratic platform was Interpreted
differently by different members OF
the party. In view Of the fact that
some Of the democrats denied the
binding force of platforms every
democratic platform should contain d,
plank indorsing the democratic doc
trlre that platform pledges are n.
vlo'able.
1, "The Ccmmoner presents a sample
tariff plank It contains three propo.
sitions, the first declaring that a
PLATFORM IS binding: the second.
= promising a revision Of the rules OF
the house OF representatives. and the
third outlining a tariff policy No
democratic candidate Is deserving
nf support who denies that a plat
form Is binding or who refuses Ia
announce his position on question
at issue. and no democrat should be
elected to congress who Is not will
ing TO assist In restoring pop ,al
government In the house OF repr,
sentatves.
Democrats may honestly differ as
10 schedules but they are not lkrr,
to differ much unless they are tine
!, tured with the protective tariff idea
II IS only when they are seeKinl
a pretext for giving protection tC
4 some industry that they begin q,
< manufacture reasons for opposing re-
ductions. Here are the sample tarif
planks:
a 81 4 platform Is n pledge Rlyei
d by the candidates 10 the voters, al
4 when ratified AT the polls, become
: contract between the official an,
J. his constituents. TO violate H. In l.
q ter or In spirit, is not only uudemc
= cratic but repugnant to the prime
/ pies of representative government
d and constitutes an embezz'emout q
II power
il "2 We denouuce the despotiI
8 known as Cannonism and favor su
AN amendment of the rules Of ;n
1 national house Of representatives. a
o viii restore popular government /
n that body and insure the rule Of "a
,v majority on every question,
n. "3 We indorse the tariff plank {
s the last national democratic patforl
~ and believe that the measure carr
ii ing out the promise Of that plat'p1
es shorld, among other things, proyld
IS for. Free wool the abolition Of n
70 ~ compensatory duties on woolens AN
substantial reduction in the a.
s., ya'orem rate on woolens, free lur
20 her. free wood pulp, free paper, II,
of hides, free leather free harnes
products OF oil free iron ore an