The herald and news. [volume] (Newberry S.C.) 1903-1937, 1912-07-05
PLATFORM AS ADOPTED
BY DEMOCRATIC PARTY

f,Ill text of the platform adopted oy
the Democratic national convention:
We, the Representatives of the Dem
ocratic party of the Uaited States, in
national convention assembled, reaf-
firm our devotion to the principles of
the Democratic government formu-
lated by Thomas Jefferson and en-
forced by a long and illustrious line
of Democratic presidents.
Tariff Reform.
We declare it. to be fundamental
principle of the Democratic party that
thefederal government under the con-
stitution has no right or power to i'm
pose or collect tariff duties except
for the, purpose of revenue, and we
demand that the collection of such
taxes shall be limited to the necessi-
ties of government honestly and
economically administered.
The high Republican tariff is the
principal cause of the unequal distri-
button of wealth; it is system of tax
alton which makes the rich richer and
the poor poorer; under its operations
the American farmer and laboring
man are the chief sufferers; the tarff
raises the cost of the neceSsaries Of
life to them, but does not protect their
products or wages. The farmer sells
largely in free markets and buys al
most entirely in the protected mar
kets. In the most highly protected
industries, such as cotton and wool,
steel and iron, the wages of the labor
ers are the lowest paid in any of our
industries. We denounce the Republi-
can pretence on that subject and as
sert that American wages are estab-
lished by competitive conditions and
not by the tariff.
We favor the immediate downward
revision of the existing high and, in
many cases, prohibitive tariff duties,
insisting that material reductions be
speedily made upon the decessaries of
life. Articles entering into competi-
ton with trust controlled products
and articles of American manufacture
which are sold abroad more cheaply
than at home should be put On the
free list. ~>
We recognize that our system of
taxation is intimately connected with
the business of the country and we
favor the ultimate attainment of the
principles we advocate by legislation
that will not injure or destroy legiti-
mate industry.
We deneunee the action of President
Taft in vetoing the bill to reduce the
tariff in the cotton, woollen, metals
and chemical schedules and the farm
ers' free list bill, all of which were de-
signed to give relief to the masses
from the exactions of the trusts.
We appeal to the American people
to support us in our demand for tar
iff for revenue only.
= High Cost of Living.
The high cost of living is a serious
problem in every American home. The
Republican party, in its platform, at
tempts to escape from responsibility
for present conditions by denying that
they are due to protective tariff. We
take issue with them on this subject
and charge that excessive prices re-
suit in a large measure from the high
tariff laws enacted and maintained by
the Republican party and from trusts
and commercial conspiracies fostered
and encouraged by, such laws, and we
assert that no substantial relief can
be secured for the people until import
duties On the necessaries of life are
materially reduced and these criminal
conspiracies broken up.
Antitrust Law.
A private monopoly is indefensible
and intolerable. We therefore favor
tn vigorous enforcement of the GRIM
inal as well as the civil law against
trusts and trust officials, and demand
the enactment of such additional leg
islation as may be necessary to make
it impossible for private monopoly
to exist in the United Stases.
We favor the declaration by law of
the conditions upon which corpora
tions shall be permitted to engage in
interstate trade, including among 9TH
or. aoa,.a