Atlanta Georgian. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1912-1939, 1912-08-08
Wilson's platform
IS


what the Aldrich bill provides in its
amended form.
But assuming that its opposition
to the Aldrich bill is genuine and
sound, what plan is substituted for
the Aldrich bill? What PROPOSE
ton has the Democratic party to
make to improve the financial con-
ditions which are universally con-
coded to need improvement?
The last panic demonstrated the
absolute necessity of new banking
legislation, and yet the Democratic
party, with all its knowledge of
past history and with all its recent
experience, has nothing to offer in
the way of a plan, has nothing to
say except to condemn a plan
which has been offered by the op-
position party.
The Democratic party can not
expect the people of this country
to have confidence in it or respect
for it unless it gives some evidence
of thought and intelligence and of
careful consideration and genuine
intention on this and other impor-
tant matters before the country
and demanding solution.
The plank in the platform in re-
gard to rural credit is proper
enough, although not a very posi-
tive or definite statement of a
policy.
The best plank in the platform
is the next one, which relates to
the waterways. This can be COM
mended throughout.
The plank regarding the post
roads is an excellent one and might
have been made more vigorous and
effective in its statement.
When a Democratic member Of
congress | introduced bill to this
effect, which did not at that time
secure. the support of the Demo-
cratic minority.
The Democratic plank on the
rights of labor is q good plank,
and if the nominees for president
and vice president will adhere
strictly to this plank they will do
much to overcome the weakness of
their personal labor records.
The Democratic plank on con-
servation is another discouraging
evidence of the lack of true pro-
gressive principle and true Demo-
cratic principle of many planks in
the platform.
This plank is composed of more
or less meaningless generalities
1t does not declare in favor of
government ownership or control Of
the water powers, which is one of
the main issues in the progressive
conservation program of this time
1t Is astonishing that this coun-
try and that a pretended progress
sive party of this country should
lag behind all parties of other
countries in such important and
essential progressive matters.
In Canada, the necessity for the
government controlling the water
powers has already been recog-
nized and acknowledged. Neither
party in Canada would fail to adj
nit and to state this necessity, and
as a matter of actual fact the Ca
madam government will no longer
grant water powers to private in
dividuals in outright ownership,
but will only lease them or sell
the power developed from them.
1t is obvious that electric power
developed by water power is to be
the motive power of the future,
and the immediate future, and a
pretended progressive platform
which does not deal with this vital
question is not progressive, not
worthy of consideration by genuine
progressives.
Again, in these conservation
planks no attack is made upon the
timber thieves and the plumber of
the public domain by the railroads
who exchanged thousands of
worthless sections of desert land
for the most valuable timber land
in the United States.
This section of the platform ex-
hibiS the same cowardice which
disgraces so many other sections,
and which prevents the platform
from being considered in any way
an honest progressive document.
The plank in regard to agricul-
ture is harmless enough and mean
ingIess enough, for that matter
Such recommendations as it makes
should properly be made, and many
others that it does not make should
properly be made.
The plank in regard to the mer-
chant marine shows an utter lack
of constructive policy or construc-
tive ability.
1t declares in favor of merchant
marine without giving the slight
est evidence of how it is to be de-
velOped or encouraged.
1t opposes the granting of sub
sides without substituting any
other plan.
1t does not even declare for the
old Democratic policy of preferen-
tial duties
After a few harmless and mean
ingless declarations about the civil
service and law reform. the Demo-
cratic platform takes up the ques-
ton of the Philippines, and. influ-
pOrp1 nv tbp small ArOaripanicr,, nf