The diamond drill. (Crystal Falls, Iron County, Mich.) 1887-1996, 1912-07-06
DEMOCRATIC PLATFORM


we. the representatives OF the Dem
ocratic party OF the United States In
national convention assembled, reaf-
flrm our devotion TO the principles Of
Democratic government formulated by
Thomas Jefferson and enforced by a
long and lllustrious line or Democratic
presidents
Tariff Reform.
We declare u 10 be a fundamental
principle OF the Democratic party that
tie federal government under the con
siltution has no right or power 10 i'm
pose or collect tariff duties except for
the purpose % revenue. and we de-
mand that the collection OF such taxes
shall be limited to the necessities OF
government honestly and economically
administered
The high Republican tariff is the
principal cause OF the unequal dlstri-
button OF wealth. II Il system or
taxation which makes the rich richer
and the poor poorer Under It's opera.
lions the American farmer and labor
Ing man are the chief sufferers: il
raises the cost OF the necessaries OF
life to them. but does not protect their
product or wages The farmer sells
largely IN free markets and buys al.
most entirely IN the protected mar
kets. In the most highly protected IN.
dustries such as cotton and wool. steel
and iron the wages Of the laborers
are the lowest paid IN any OF our In.
dustries We denounce the Republican
pretense on that subject and assert
that American wages are established
by competitive conditions and not by
the tariff
We favor the immediate downward
revision OF the existing high and. IL
many cases. prohibitive tariff duties.
insisting that material reductions be
speedily made upon the neccssaries OF
life. Articles entering into competi-
ton with trust controlled products and
articles OF American manufacture
which are sold abroad more cheaply
than AZ home should be put upon the
free list.
We recognize that our system OF tar
III taxation Is intimately connected
with the business OF the country, and
we favor the ultimate attainment OF
the principles we advocate by legisla-
ton that will not inJure or destroy le-
climate industry.
We denounce the action OF President
Taft In vetoing the bills 20 reduce the
tariff I'm the cotton. wooden. metals and
chemical schedules and the farmers
free list bill. all OF which were design
cd 10 give immediate relief TO the
masses from the exactions OF the
trusts.
High Cost Of Living.
The high cost OF living IL a serious
problem In every American home The
Republican party In its platform at.
tempts 70 escape from responsibility
for present conditions 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 n 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 as.
sert that no such substantial relief can
be secured for the people until import
duties on the necessarics OF life are
materially reduced and these criminal
conspiracies broken up
Antitrust Law.
A private monopoly is lndefensIble
and intolerable. We therefore favor
the vigorous enforcement OF the Grim
ina as well as the civil law against
trusts and trust officials and demand
the enactment OF such additional leg
islatlon as may be necessary TO make
II impossible for private monopoly
to exist I'm the United States.
We favor the declaration by law OF
the conditions upon which corpora
tons shall be permitted to engage in
interstate trade. including among 9th.
ers the prevention OF holding compa
MES OF Interlocking directories, OF
stock watering OF discrimination I'm
price aud the control by any one cor.
III mum " ~ AtAA - a HAVlfNAAANh "
any industry as TO make IL n menace
20 competitive conditions.
We condemn the action OF the Re
publican administration In compromls
ing with the Standard OH company
and the tobacco trust and It's failure
~ Invoke the criminal provisions OF
tho antitrust law against the officers
OF those corporations after the court
had declared that from the undlsputed
facts In the record they had violated
the criminal provisions OF the law.
Income Tax and Popular Election Of
Senators.
We congratulate the country upon
the triumph OF two important reforms
demanded in the last national platform
namely. the amendment OF the FEEDER.
al constitution authorizing an Income
tar and the amendment providing for
the popular election OF senators-and