Courier Democrat. (Langdon, N.D.) 1891-1920, 1910-09-15
STATE DEMOCRATIC PLATFORM

features of the platform adopted by the
state committee of the democratic party
of North Dakota at a meeting held
in Bismarck during the past week:
Following is a summary of the plat
form of the democratic party for 1910:
1t notes with a feeling of satisfaction
the turning of the people toward the
principles of democracy; views with
alarm the vast increase of corporate
capital and it's invasion of the field of
politics and believes the dominant issue
in this campaign is, which shall rule,
men or money; condemns in unmeasured
terms the Payne.Aldrich bill and de-.
mands a revision of the tariff by a
reduction of the import duties; argues
that a material reduction should be
made on the necessaries of life and a
tariff tax should be for tariff purposes
only and not for private gain;% denounces
the suggestion by the head of
the republican party that the
schedules should be revised one at a
time as a delusion and a snare. The
democratic party charges the republi-
can party of the state with having
through its representatives in cong ress,
favored and supported legislation in
behalf of the special interests and
against the people Of the state and
having voted for the policies of Aldrich
and Cannon. The platform favors the
improvement of the navigable rivers of
the state and nation and condemns the
retention of Secretary of the Interior
Ballinger as a national crime: favors the
national grain inspection law and
believes the agricultural interests of the
state demand the passage of a law
looking to better terminal facilities;
favors the income and inheritance tax as
a part of the revenue system: favors the
selection of United States senators by a
direct vote of the people and favors a
constitutional amendment to that emo
and until such is made favors the
election by the legislature of the candi.
date receiving the highest number of
votes, irrespective of party.
The platform favors a law which will
give the governor the power to remove
officers for the non-performanee of
duties: favors the initiative and re-
ferendum and recall: demands the
enactment by the legislature of such
laws as will aid and encourage better
construction and maintenance of high
ways: believes there should be a radical
reduction of the 80 per cen clause and
a limiting of the amount a candidate
can spend on an election; favors the
anti-pass law. 1t strongly endorses
the administration of Governor Burke
and endorses him for the democratic
nominee for president in 1912. The
platform also calls attention to the
legislation that has been brought about
under the Burke administration and the
increase in the taxes paid by the rail
roads operating in the state. The party
also heartily welcomes the assistance
that has come to the party from the
progressive republicans in the support
of democratic doctrines, but calls at
~tention to the fact that the democratic
party was the first to start a fight for
just what the progressives are fighting
for now. The last paragraph of the
platform reads as follows:
"The fact that the republican party
is absolutely ruled by crooked business
and corrupt politicians is no longer open
to argument, but is universally admitted.
II evidence is needed we point to the
speeches of such republicans as La
Toilette, Bristow, Cummings and
Dolliver. Therefore, we call upon the
rig%ht-thinking people to join US so that
legislation in the interests of the people
may be enacted and enforced"
The platform also reaffirms allegiance
to the principles of democracy as
%enunciated at the democratic national
convention at Denver in 1908. 1t also
favors an amendment to the constitu-
ton making the term of state and
county officers four years instead of two
and favors a change in the primary
election law placing the candidates of
all parties on the same ballot.
FIGURES THAT Talk