The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1912-07-10
TARIFF REFORM IS
DEMOCRATIC CREED
Leading Plank of Platform
Adopted by Baltimore Con-.
Venti0n.
FAvoRs FIGHT ON TRUSTS
Action of Republican Administration
In Compromising With Standard
OIL and Tobacco Combines
condemned-Vlews on
Other Subjects.

oW
Other Subjects.
Following are the principal planks
Of the platform adopted by the Demo
cratic national convention at Balti-
more
Tho Tariff Reform.
I'VE declare 1t to be a fundamental
principle Of the Democratic party
that the federal government under
the Constitution has no right or pow
er to impose or collect tariff duties
except for the purpose OF revenue
and we demand that the collection OF
such taxes shall be limited to the ne
~cessities of government honestly and
economically administered.
1.-THE high Republican tariff Is the
principal cause Of the unequal distri-
button Of wealth; 1t Is a system OF
taxation which makes the rich richer
and the poor poorer; under its opera
tons the American farmer and labor
ing man are the chief sufferers; 1t
raises the cost Of the n-ecessaries OF
life to them, but does not protect their
product or wages.
1--WE favor the immediate down
ward revision of the existing high,
and in many cases. prohibitive tariff
duties, insisting that material reduc-
lions be speedily made upon the nec.
essaries Of life. Articles entering In
to competition with trust controlled
products and articles OF American
manufacture where sold abroad more
cheapiy than at home could be put
upon the free list. r
1--WE denounce the action Of Presi-
dent Taft in vetoing the bills to re-
duce the tariff in the cotton, wooden,
metals and chemicals schedules and
the farmers free list bills, all Of
which was designed to give immedi-
ate relief to the masses from the ex-
actions Of the trusts.
1.-THE Republican party, while
promising tariff revision, has shown
by It's tariff legislation that such re-
vision is not to be in the peoples In
terests and having been faithless. to
its pledges Of 1908 1t should no longer
enjoy the confidence Of the nation.
High Cost Of Living.
"The high cost of living Is a Sc
rious problem in every American
home. The Republican party In It's
platform attempts to escape from re-
sponsibility for present conditions by
denying that they are due to a pro
tective tariff. We take issue with
them on this subject and charge that
excessive prices result in a large
measure from the high tariff laws en-
acted and maintained by the kepub'
lcan party, and from trusts and com
mercial .conspirators fostered and en-
couraged by such laws, and W e assert
that no substantial relief al be &C.
cured for the people until import du.
ties on the n~ecessaries Of life are ma
terially reduced, and those criminal
conspiracies broken up. p.
Antitrust Law.
"a private monopoly Is indefensi
BILE and intolerable. We therefore ia
O the vigorous enforcement Of the
criminal as well as the civil law
against trusts and trust officials, and
demand enactment Of such additional
legislation as may be necessary to
make it impossible for a private mo
ropoly to exist in the United States
I'VE condemn the action Of the Re
publican administration in compro
missing with the Standard OIL Com
pany and the tobacco trust and Its
failure to- invoke the criminal pro
visions of the antitrust law against
the officers of those corporations aft
or the court had declared that from
the undisputed facts In the record
they had violated the criminal proVis'
ions of the law.
I'VE regret that Sherman antitrust
law has received a judicial construc'
ton depriying 1t of much Of its ef'
fcacy, and We favor the enactment OF
legislation which will restore to the
statute the strength of which 1t has
been deprived by such Interpretation,
Income Tax and Popular Election Of
Senators.
I'VE congratulate the country upon
the triumph of two important reforms
demanded in the last national plat,
form, namely the amendment OF the
federal constitution authorizing an In
come tax and the amendment provid'
ing for the popular election of sena'
tors, and we call upon the people OF
all the states to rally to the support
of the pending propositions and secure
their ratification.
I'VE note with qualification the
unanimous sentiment. in favor OF