Bluefield evening leader. [volume] (Bluefield, W. Va.) 1906-1911, 1910-10-26
DEMOCRATIC COUNTY PLATFORM

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platform adopted at Princeton July 2,
is reprinted below:
BE 1T RESOLVED BY THE DEM.
OCRATIC PARTY OF MERCER
COUNTY, IN MASS CONVENTION
ASSEMBLED:
[ FIRST: We declare our allegiance
to the principles of good clean gov
eminent, justly and economically ad.
ministered for the benefit of all the
people without regard to party, race
or conditions. We stand for that time
honored Democratic doctrine of ECU.
al rights for all, special privileges
for none;" and we demand that on
ly men who are capable, honest and
above suspicion or reproach, and who
will represent and carry out the will
of the people, be elected to office.
We direct attention to the record of
insincerity, sham and hyprocisy of
the Republican party in this State
upon practically every question of i'm
portance to the peopl which has aris-
en- in the past ten years, and declare
that party so completely controlled
and dominated by INSCRIPTIONS poll
ticans who make politics a business
Tor private gain Is a merfE6e to the
welfare Of our country and can not
/ be trusted.
SECOND: The Dawson tax-laws, so
loudly proclaimed by those who adj
vocated the system, as. being a great
reform for the relief of the tax-pay-
ers, have proven to be but subter4
fuge OF asture politicians to deceive
and not to relieve the people.
Time has demonstrated that the
purpose of tampering with the tax
law was to obtain more money, which
has been extravagantly squandered
with the natural result that the bur-
dens of taxation have been greatly
increased.
we favor such a revision of the tax
laws as will tighten the taxes of the
people and distribute the burdens of
taxation equally and uniformly upon
all classes of taxpayers and every
kind of taxable property.
THIRD: The history of the Repub.
lican party in both State and County
administration in West Virginia, has
been one Of extravaganza, rampant
and inexcusable. The peoples mon
ely has been squandered without re-
fgard to the public welfare, if not with
a direct view to private gain.
To meet these wanton and lavish
expenditures of the public funds the
assessed values of property have been
forced up out Of all reason, until the
oppression from unjust taxation threat
ems to drive the people from their
homes and confiscate their property.
We demand that stop be put to
this reckless extravaganza, and insist
upon the strictest economy, consist
ent with good government, in the ex-
penditures of the public revenues.
FOURTH: For over a quarter of a
century the Democratic party was in
control of both our State and County
government, and we point with pride
to the record it then made. Although
the state revenues were then small,
state institutions were built, equipped
and maintained, and the State turn
ed over to the Republicans on March
the 4th, 1897, free from debt. Now,
some of our state institutions are in
delapidation and decay, while an
army of useless offcials, maintained
for political purposes, consume the
public revenues. DO roc
During said period OF Democratic
supremacy the affairs Of our County
were so justly and economically ad-
ministered, that, although ASSESS
MENTS AND TAXES WERE Low.
our roads were kept up, we built
bridges, two court houses and a jail;
the expenses OF our County were
paid; and when the Democratic party
went out of power the County owed
no debt and about sixteen hundred
dollars was left in tho treasury.
Since that time the enormous reye-
inues collected by taxation have been
squandered, and in addition thereto a
county debt of over one hundred thou.
sand dollars has been created. with
practically no public improvements to
show for It. To the already over bur
dened taxpayers this presents an alar.
ming condition, the seriousness of
which can not be over estimated.
We declare that a party response.
BILE for these conditions is not to be
trusted. and that relief can only be
secured by electing to office men who
viii serve the public and not their
own private interests, and who will
not be under obligation TO a party
controlled by machine politicians who
are In politics for wnat they can get
out of IT, and not for tho pub1ic GOOD