The citizen-Republican. (Scotland, Bon Homme County, S.D.) 1???-19??, 1912-08-15

AeAAS ~ y
who should be nominated as the
standard bearer was removed by
the nomination of one Theodore
Roosevelt. For vice president
Gov. Hiram W. Johnson of Cali
fornia, was prevailed upon to ac-
cept. The platform is somewhat
ponderous in length, and consists
of a condensed presentation of Mr..
Roosevelt's speech to the con-
vention. It deals with a long list
of subjects, many of them purely
state issues evidently put in to
catch the popular fancy some Of
them pledging legislation along
lines that are already being fol-
lowed by the present administra-
tion, and some of them revolution
ary, and what might be termed
anarchistic. On the tariff issue it
declares for the protective princi-
pie, and for revision downward in
accordance with the recommend
ations of a tariff commission. This
is exactly what President Taft is
trying to do, but which congress
refuses to sanction. On the con-
servative question it also follows
the lines advocated by President
Taft, but very different from the
policy followed by Mr.. Roosevelt
when he was president. 1t favors
what is known as the "Blue Sky"
laws, a state issue, but good. On
the currency question it proposes
q sound and elastic currency, with
control lodged with the government
and protected from domination or
manipulation of Wall Street or any
special interests. This is exactly
what the present administra tion
has been trying to establish but no
satisfactory method seems yet to.
have been devised for accomplish
ing it, and the progressive plat
form proposes no remedy. 1t ad-
vocates an inheritance and income
tax. This is O measure that is al
ready being pushed. A necessary
amendment to the constitution has
been submitted to the states and
has been ratified by nearly enough
states to make it effective. AS
soon as the amendment is ratified
such law will be enacted, no
matter what party controls the
government. 1t advocates equal
suffrage, a purely state issue. 1t
declares in favor of direct pri-
maries for the nomination of state
and national officers, and prefer
ential primaries for the nomination
of presidential candidates, and
urges on the states the policy of
the short ballot. How these nomi
nations are all to be made by a
primary and still have short bal
lot the platform makes no effort to
explain. It declares for liberal
pensions for soldiers and their
widows, an act which the new
party promises and which the pre-
sent administration has already
accomplished, 1t favors teaching
of agriculture in the schools, a
purely state issue, and one that
most of the states have already
established. 1t pledges the party
to Immediately inquire into the
causes of the high cost Of living,
and ''to deal with every need the
inquiry discloses." This may be
good, but is just little mite vague
Under the heading of Courts
the platform says: "When al
act passed under the police power
of the state, is held unconstitution
al under the state constitution by
the courts, the people, after al
ample interval for deliberation
shall have an opportunity to vot'
on the question whether they de
sire the act to become law not
withstanding such decision" Thi
it will be noticed, applies only tt
, state courts and has no place in 4;
national platform, but it is revolu
, tionary and dangerous. It pre-
sumes that every voter is com