The citizen-Republican. (Scotland, Bon Homme County, S.D.) 1???-19??, 1912-07-11

tional convention assembled, reaffrm our
devotion. to the principles of democratic
government formulated by Thomas JEFF
ferson and enforced by a long and illus
trious line of democratic president.
Tariff Reform.
We declare 1t to be a Fundamental prin-
ciple Of the democratic party that the fed
eral government under the constitution
has no right or power to impose or col
lect tariff duties except for the purpose
Of revenue, and we demand that the col
lection Of such taxes shall be limited to
the necessities of government honestly
and economically administered.
We favor the Immediate downward re-
vision of the existing high. and in many
cases. prohibitive tariff duties. insisting
that material reductions be speedily made
upon the necessaries Of life. Articles en-
tering into competition with trust-con-
trolled products and articles of American
manufacture, which are sold abroad more
cheaply than at home, should be put upon
the free list.
We recognize that our system of tariff
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 in
1ure or destroy legitimate industry. We
denounce the action of President Taft in
vetoing the bills to reduce the tariff in
cotton. wooden. metal II chemical sched-
IDS and the farmers free list, all of which
were designed to give immediate relief to
the masses from the exactions of the
trusts.
The republican party. while promising
tariff revision. has shown by its tariff
legislation that such revision is not to
be in the peoples interest and having been
faithless to Its pledges of 1908 it should no
longer enjoy the confidence OF the nation.
We appeal to the American people to sup
port us in our demand for a tariff for
revenue only. The high republican tariff
is the principal cause of the unequal dis
trtbution of wealth; 1t is Il system of tax
alton which makes the rich richer and the
poor poorer; under it's operation the
American farmer and laboring man are
the chief sufferers; it raises the cost of
necessaries of life to hem but does not
protect their product or wage. The farm
err sells largely in free markets and buys
almost entirely in the protected markets.
In the most highly protected industries,
such as cotton and wool. steel and iron
the wages of the laborers are the lowest
paid In any of our Industries. We de-
subject that American wages are estab-
lshed by competitive conditions and not
by the tariff.
High Cost of Living.
The high cost of living Is a serious prob
lem In every American home. The repub-
ltco N no Ytxy In ifS rJntfnrrN offaYofNfr tN
escape from responsibility for present con-
ditions by denying that they are due to a
protective tariff. We take issue with them
on this subject and charge that excessive
prices result in a large measure from the
high tariff laws enacted and maintained
by the republican party and from trusts
and commercial c~onspiracies fostered and
encouraged by sue 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 crimina conspiracieS broken
up
Antitrust Law.
A private monopoly Is indefensible and
fntolerable. We therefore favor the Wig
orous enforcement of he criminal as we'll
as the civil avs against trust and trust
officials and demand the enactment Of
such additional legislation as may be nee
S casa n to MAKE II II impossible aafss 70 no FOR I 2 Rrii
States. We favor the declaration by law
of the conditions upon which corporations
shall be permitted to engage in interstate
including among others, the preyen-
ton of holding companies, of interlocking
of stock watering, Of discrimina-
ton In price and the control by any M
corporation of so large a proportion of
any industry as to make 1t a menace to
competitive conditions.
We condemn the action Of the republic
administration in compromising with
the Standard OIL company and the Tobac-
trust and its failure to invoke the
criminal provisions of the antt-trust law
against the officers of those corporations
after the court a declared that from
the undisputed facts in the record they
had violated the criminal provisions of the
law.
has received a judicial construction
depriving 1t of much Of its efficacy and
we, favor the enactment OF legislation
VIII restore b3 to the statute the
by such interpretation.
Rights of the States.
We believe in the preservation and
maintenance in their full strength and in
tegrlty of the three coordinate branches
OF the federal government-the executive,
the legislative n the judicial-each keep
ing within its w bounds and not en-
croaching upon the just powers Of either
of the others.
Believing that the most efficient results
under our system of government are to be
attained by the full exercise by the states
Of their reserved sovereign powers. we de-
opponents to deprive the states of any of
the rights reserved to them, III to en-
large and magnify by indirection the pow
ers of the federal government.
We insist upon the full exercise OF all
the powers of the government, both state
and national to protect the people from
at the hands OF those who seek
set in business. There is no twilight zone
between the nation and the state in which
exploiting interests can take refuge from