The Blackfoot optimist. [volume] (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1907-1918, 1912-07-15
TARIFF REFORM IS
| DEMOCRATIC CREED
Leading Plank Of Platform
Adopted by Baltimore Con-
venti0n.
FAvoRs FIGHT on TRUSTS

6AvOno TIo0I Wv l0OOJO
Action Of Republican Administration
In Compromising With Standard
1 on and Tobacco Combines
Condsmned-vlews On
Other subjects.
Following are the principal planks
Of the platform adopted by the Demo
cratic national convention at Balti-
more.
The Tariff Reform.
I'VE declare It to be fundamental
principle Of the Democratic party
that the federal government under
the Constitution has no right or pow
Or to impose or collect tariff duties
Dxcspt for the purpose Of revenue
and We demand that the collection Of
such taxes shall be limited to the ne
csssities Of government honestly and
| economically administered.
"The high Republican tariff IL the
principal cause of the unequal distri-
button Of wealth; 1t 10 system Of
taxation which makes the rich richer
and the poor poorer: under its opera
lions the American farmer and labor
Ing man are the chief sufferers: it
raises the cost Of the necessaries Of
life to them, but does not protect their
product or wages.
I'VE favor the immediate down.
ward revision Of the existing high.
and In many cases, prohibitive tarin
duties, insisting that material reduc-
tons be speedily made upon the nee
to competition with trust controlled
products and articles Of AmericaS.
manufacture where sold abroad more
iheaply than at home could be put
upon the free list.
I'VE 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 thet3Asts
"The Republican party. while
promising tariff revision. has shown
by its tariff legislation that such 70
vision is not to be in the peoples In.
terests and having been faithless to
i, It's pledges Of 1908 1t should no longer
enjoy the confidence Of the nation.
High Cost Of Living.
The high cost of living 10 a Sc
rious problem in every American
home. The Republican party in its
platform attempts to escape from re
sponsibility for present conditions by
denying that they are due to pro
tective tariff We take issue with
them on this subject and charge thai
excessive prices result In large
measure from the high tariff laws en-
acted and maintained by the hepub
lican party, and from trusts and com
mercial conspirators fostered and en-
couraged by such laws, and We asser
cured for the people until import du
ties on the necessaries of life are ma
terially reduced. and those crimina
conspiracies broken up
Antitrust Law.
"A private monopoly 10 indefensi
Bile and intolerable. We therefore ia
vor the vigorous enforcement Of tn
criminal as we'll AZ the civil Law
against trusts and trust on1cials. an
demand enactment Of such additions
legislation AZ may be necessary t
make It impossible for q private me
nopoly to exist In the United Statet
I'VE condemn the action Of the RI
publican administration in comprt
!. missing with the Standard OIL Con
: pany and the tobacco trust and II
failure to invoke the criminal PR
visions Of the antitrust law againa
;, tho o0icers of those corporations af
Or the court had declared that frol
the undisputed facts in the recor
= they had violated the criminal provi
ions Of the law.
I'VE regret that Sherman anti-tru,
II law has received judicial constru'
10 ton depriving It Of much Of its .
- ncacy. and We favor tho enactment {
y LEGISLATION which will restore to th
N statute the strength Of which it he
been deprived by such Interpretation
n income Tax and Popular Election I
20 Senators.
!. we congratulate the country upo
the triumph Of two important reform
at demanded In tho last national pla
m form. namely, the amendment of II
federal constitution authorizing an i
W come tax and the amendment provi
=. to- Por tina nonular election of sen
d. tors. and We call upon the people
Is all the states to rally to the suppo
of Of the pending propositions and secul
It. their ratification.
%. I'VE note with qualification Il
So unanimous sentiment In favor
The OId-Fashloned Fire.
=. Could anything be more refreshir
VI tA.c Tho email Of the Old-faShiOn<