The sun., 1910-01-31
PARTY PLATFORMS.

To rnE EprroR or TEE suN-Sir: Ref
erence by the President to party plat
form as a reason for legislation by Con-
gress in a novelty. Three or four cita-
tions Of what the Republican platform
Of 1908 declared" are in the recent special
message recommending amendments OF
the interstate commerce law. suggesting
the wisdom OF Federal incorporation Of
industrial companies and consequent en-
largement Of the constitutional area Of
the "instrumentalities" OF interstate com
merce on which the power OF Congress
can be exerted.
II was not possible for a President
to make such references during the first
forty-fve years OF Federal life under
the Constitution. Until 1882 neither ma
tional conventions nor national platforms
existed.
There is no obviously controlling rea-
son. now that national party platforms
have come to be such elaborate exposi-
tions Of party doctrine. why President
may not point Congress to them as q
reason for conforming legislation. Pub
lie opinion and legislative opinion are
an argument for new laws. Why not
platform opinion2 It cannot, however,
be fairly expected that the minority in
Congress. loyal to rival and different
platform OF political principles. shall be
bound by an alien platform. The Denver
platform respecting State corporations
selling commodities across State lines
did not when il demanded Federal Ii
censes greatly differ in principle from
the Chicago platform.
The President appreciated that. In
his late special message he referred to
those who deny the constitutionality OF
Federal incorporation OF producing com
panies as incidental" to the power OF
transportation over State boundaries.
Certainly the thirty-two Senators and
liz members of the House who are Demo-
Gratis in the present Congress- could re-
quire to be satisfied. first. that the Chi
cago platform specifically required the
portentous increase Of the -instrumen-
talities" Of interstate commerce exhibited
by the President. from regulating which
the States are TO be ousted. They
would next be entitled to know some
thing OF the authorship Of the planks
in the Chicago platform relied upon by
the President. Did the draughtsmen
sit In Washington or in Chicago? Did
the members Of the convention debate
the novel planks and vote intelligently
on the important constitutional ques-
tions? In fact. did the body of the con-
vention know anything Of them excepting
by hearing one hasty reading, made in
audible by bowling mob in the gallery
II IL is to be henceforth the rule Of our
national political life that Congress must
| in legislation obey the mandate Of the
party convention triumphant in the elec-
ton Of President and Congress. then the
voters should have more care over whom
they send to the State primaries that
create a national convention As such
conventions are now managed the fore
ordained presiding officer names the
committee on resolutions. a majority
of which decides on the platform that
shall be jammed through the convention
Strict laws to control the primary party
caucus in the State and also the State
convention. as we'll as laws to regulate
the doings of the national convention
will be needed il the edicts Of the con-
vention on critical questions Of consti-
tutional law are 20 govern absolutely
the President and Congress in new iegis-
lation. WHAT Next?
| NEW YORK January 20