The Forrest City times., 1912-07-05
WANT LOWER TARIFF
Taxes for Revenue Only Is Lead ing Plank of Democratic
 Platform.
FAvORS VIGOROUS TRUST WAR

income aS and Popular Election of
 Senators Is commended-Govern-
 ment Supervision of Inter-
 state Business Demanded. The leading plank of the platform adtpted by thi Democrttic 1ational convention at Baltimore calls for an immediate downward revision of the tariff. On this subject the platform says:
 The Tariff Reform.
 We declare 1t to be a fundamental principle of the Democratic party that the federal government under the Constitution has no right or pow CT 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.
 The high Republican tariff is tho 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 It's opera tions the American farmer and labor ing man are the chief sufferers; 1t raises the cost of the necessities of life to them, but does not protect their product or wages"
 The action of President Taft in ve- toing the bills to reduce the tariff in the cotton, woolen. metals and chem icals schedules and the farmers free list bills is denounced
 Issue is taken with the Republican platform and much of the present high cost of living is laid to the high tariff laws
 Antitrust Law.
 The platform declares that a pri- vate monopoly Is indefensible and in- tolerable and says:
 We therefore favor the vigorous enforcement of the criminal as we'll | as the civil law against trusts and trust officials, and demand enactment of such additional legislation as may be necessary to make 1t impossible for private monopoly to exist in the United States"
 The action of the Republican ad- ministration in compromising with the Standard oil company and the to- baeco trust and Its failure to invoke the criminal provisions of the anti trust law against the officers of those corporations after the court had de- clared that from the undisputed facts in the record they had violated the criminal provisions of the law" is de- nounced
 We regret that the Sherman anti. trust law has received a judicial con- strucuon depriying it of much of it's efficiency and We favor the enactment of legislation which will restore to the statute the strength of which 1t has been deprived by such interpre- tation."
 The platform urges people to SUD- port proposed constitutional amend ments, providing for an income tax and election of United States sena- tors by direct vote of the people. As Justification of the demands of the party for publicity of campaign ex- penditures attention is directed "to the enormous expenditures of money in behalf of the president and his predecessor in the recent presidential contest
 Asks Presidential Primaries.
 Following is summary of some of the more important blanks:
 Declares for presidential preference primaries. Directs national committee to provide for selection at primaries of members of national committee.
 Pledges party to enactment of law prohibiting campaign contributions by corporations and unreasonable cam paign contributions by individuals.
 Opposes AIdrich BILL
 In connection with a demand for such a revision of the banking laws as will give temporary relief in case of financial distress there is denuncia- tion of the Aldrich bill prepared by the monetary commission. The pres ent method of depositing government funds is condemned and the party is pledged to the enactment of a law for the deposit of such funds by eompeti tive bidding in state or national banks without discrimination as 10 locality.
 Recommends investigation of agri cultural credit societies in Europe to ascertain whether a system of rural credits may be devised suitable to con- dltions in the United States
 Pledges party to enactment of legis- lation to prevent devastation of low CT Mississippi valley by floods and the control of the Mississippi is declared to be a national rather than state problem. The maintenance of nav igable channel is also recommended
 Refers 10 Russian treaty and re- news pledge to preserve sacred rights of American citizenship at home and abroad.