Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1912-07-06
TAX DOES NOT RAISE WAGES
High Cost of Living Blamed on Re-
publican Protection System--Favors
Income Tax and Popular Election Of
United States Senators.


Income Tax and Popular Election of
United States Senators.
Baltimore, Md, July 3.-The Demo
cratic national convention adopted the
following platform:
We, the representatives of the Dem
ocratlc party of the United States in
national convention assembled, reaf-
firm our devotion to the principles OF
Democratic government formulated by
Thomas jefferson and enforced by a
long and illustrious line OF Democratic
presidents.
We declare It to be fundamental
principle OF the Democratic party that
the federal government under the con-
stitution has no right or power to i'm
pose or collect tariff duties except for
the purpose of 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 distri-
button of wealth; 1t is system OF
taxation which makes the rich richer
and the poor poorer. Under its opera
tons the American farmer and labor
ing man are the chief sufferers; 1t
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
dustrles, 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, In
many cases, prohibitive tariff duties,
insisting that material reductions be
speedily made upon the necessaries of
life. Articles entering into competi-
ton with trust controlled 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 tar
if 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 ihjure or destroy
legitimate industry.
We denounce the action Of President
Taft in vetoing the bills to reduce the
tariff in the cotton, wooden, metals and
chemical schedules and the farmers
free list bill, all of which were de-
signed to give immediate relief TO the
masses from the exactions of the
trusts.
The high cost of living Is a serious
problem in every American home. The
Republican party in its platform at
tempts to 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 re-
suit In 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
assert that no such substantial relief
can be secured for the people until i'm
port duties on the necessaries OF life
are materially reduced and these
criminal conspiracies broken up.
Antitrust Law.
A private monopoly is indefensible
and intolerable. We therefore favor
the vigorous enforcement of the Grim
inal as well as the civil law against
trusts and trust officials and demand
the enactment of such additional leg
islation as may be necessary to make
1t Impossible for private monopoly
TO exist in the United States.
We favor the declaration by law OF
the conditions upon which corpora
tions shall be permitted TO engage In
interstate trade, including among 9TH