Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1912-05-21
STATE DEMOCRATIC PLATFORM.
Principles Upon Which the South Car
oIina Democracy Will Stand.

STATE DEMOCRATIC PLATFORM.
! Principles Upon Which the South Car
oIina Democracy Will Stand.
Following is the platform adopted by
the state convention last Wednesday.
The tariff. The paramount issue
| in national affairs Is one Of taxation.
We condemn the Republican system
of protection. and declare for tar
iff for revenue only, so adjusted as to
place the burdens equally upon all
classes and industries, imposing the
minimum duties upon the necessa-
ries of life and the maximum duties
upon luxuries.
Agriculture being the predominant
interest and pursuit of our people,
we denounce the policy of the Re-
publican party in levying an exorbi-
tant tariff upon the articles Of COM
mon consumption and permitting
free trade in the commodities pro-
duced by us as discrimination against
portion of the country, as unjust,
unfair and a robbery Of the people.
We commend the policy Of the pres
ent Democratic leaders in congress in
their efforts to reduce the burdens of
our people and properly adjust the
cost of living
We condemn the action Of a Re-
public"1 president, who, while pro-
claiming his belief in revision down.
wards of the tariff, vetoed from pure
ly political motives measures honestly
and sincerely passed by our DEM
ocratic representatives in the interest
of the whole people.
The monetary system Of the repub-
lie, founded and based upon the neces-
sites of civil war, is obsolete, made
quate and a means Of oppression of
the people in the hands of shylocks
who are thus enabling them to per-
petuate their power by the contri-
buttons Of enormous sums to the party
in power. The power to restrict or
increase the volume of currency
should be placed in the hands Of the
people whose representatives alone,
under the constitution, have the au-
thority to coin money.
We condemn the Aldrich plan pro-
posed by northern millionaires as CAL
culated to form and perpetuate a
money trust in the hands Of lenders,
to the injury Of the borrowers and
builders of great industries and the
developers of our resources. Money
should be a medium Of exchange and
not a commodity to be bartered and
sold.
We believe in the conservation of
our public resources for the use of
the people and we urge upon all DEM
ocrats in congress to vote for meas
ures looking to the preservation OF
our forests and the perpetuation of
our natural water powers. designed to
turn the wheels Of industry and min
lister to the happiness Of mankind.
The efforts now being made through
congressional action by means Of farm
dem onstration work to develop and
stimulate scientific methods Of ag-
riculture and thereby increase the
productive capacity Of our lands has
our hearty commendation.
The predatory invasions Of the ma
tional treasury by the hungry horde
Of pensioners and the politicians who
are exploiting them, are a menace to
the financial stability Of the country,
an inexcusable waste of the natural
resources and a pretext for the main
tenance of a protective tariff which
meets with our reprobation. We are in
favor of a just pension for veterans
Of the civil war, their widows and or
phans. More than this we contend is
an unjust imposition upon a people
already bearing more than proper
tionate share Of the expenses Of an ex-
travagant administration.
The education of our people means
the preservation Of the republic and
we commend any efforts Of our legis-
lature to extend the common school
term in the state to a period of nine
months in the year. An ignorant con-
stituency means a corrupt govern
ment, disrespect of law and order and
an increase in crime.
We shall ever hold inviolate the
right of every white man to express
his preference honestly and fairly in
our primary elections and we call up
on all our people to exercise this priv
| ilege and guarantee a government
which safeguards the life, liberty and
property of our citizens, and which
will insure the proper punishment of
the guilty, the protection Of the honest
and innocent. Public servants should
be held TO a strict accountability for
the trusts reposed in them by the peo-
pie, and, if found unworthy, should be
condemned by all law abiding citizens.
The happiness of the people should be
the supreme aim of an honest public
servant.