The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1912-07-26
NEW PARTY's PLATFORM.
AS Adopted At the Burlington Con-
Vention Tuesday.

Burlington Tuesday:
We denounce in unequivocal terms
the crime against popular govern
ment perpetrated at Chicago in the
national Republican convention. We
repudiate the action of that conven
ton, made up in part of fraudulently
seated delegates, and declare that
the fraud here perpetrated strikes a
blow at the very foundations of the
republic which can only survive
through free and untrammelled pop
ular government We declare that
the action thus consummated cannot
be and is not binding upon any cit
iZen.
The situation thus produced makes
it imperative that proper steps be Ia
ken to give the people of the State
of Vermont the opportunity to ex-
press their will in the selection of
president of the United States, out
of which they were cheated by the
successful fraud practised by the re-
pudiated national committee at Chic
ago at the behest of the special in
terests; and an opportunity to ex-
press their will in the selection of a
governor, acknowledgement, secre-
tary of state, treasurer, auditor OF
accounts, and Encouragement of the
State of Vermont, and to make such
selection of men who are not bound
to a platform which endorses that
crime against popular government
perpetrated at Chicago in the nation
al Republican convention.
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vote for the Republican state ticket
on the Republican state platform of
1912 will actually be a vote endors-
ing the administration of President
Taft, his denomination and the ac-
tion of the Chicago convention.
Therefore, we are forced to the con
clusion that it is the imperative
duty of the freemen of Vermont to
place in nomination a ticket of pres
idential electors to be voted for at
the November election and ticket
of state officers to be voted on at
the coming September state election.
The constant efforts of crooked
business in unholy alliance with
crooked bosses TO ,usurp the powers
of government through the control of
party machinery constitutes the
greatest menace to real popular
rule.
Therefore, this body of independ-
ent citizens here and now dedicate
their efforts to the maintenance and
perpetuation of those principles. so
cial and industrial justice and equal
ity of opportunity upon which the re-
public was founded and which must
endure and be transmitted into a rule
of political conduct if the nation is
to survive
We are especially concerned in the
election of progressive men to the
various offices in Vermont, including
members of the national and state
senate and the House of Representa-
tives, and we repudiate as unworthy
of the confidence of the people of the
state of Vermont any candidate FOR
office and any person now holding of
flee who does not favor the progress
sive measures advocated by Theodore
Roosevelt delegations 7 in Congress
and who do not make open and spec
| ific declaration of their fidelity there
to.
We pledge the delegates to the ma
| ticnal convention to be held at Chic
/ ago August TO the nomination of a
| progressive for president of the Uni
| ted States and instruct them to bring
| into the national convention a thor
ough discussion. a clear declaration
of the progressive principles to be
embodied in the national platform,
and among others the following: The
| fpsT Ii
nomination and election through pri-
maries, not only as applied to the
state, but also an extension of these
principles through the nation as a
whole
The direct election of United
States senators.
Equalization of the burdens of tax
| alton upon a property basis.
\ universal parcels post.
The extension of the postal saw
ings bank system.
Government operation and owner
ship of express and telegraph service
The reasonable valuation of the
physical property of railroads and
making such values the base line for
determining reasonable rates and a
fair return on the actual investment
The extension of the powers and
control OF the interstate commerce
commission.
Federal regulation of all corpora
tons engaged in interstate business
and the prohibition of the creation of
artificial values by watered stocks
and bonds.
The extension of the civil service
laws to the consular service of the
United States.
The severance of the diplomatic
services from such financial interests
as are seeking to exploit the de-
fenseless nations.
Opposition TO the Aldrich currency
scheme in the interests of competi-
ton in banking and insurance.
The maintenance of a productive
tariff for the benefit of the industrial
and laboring men of the United
States. except where competition in
the trade has been destroyed by
monopoly and the tariff is used to
exact an unjust tribute from the peo-
pie and unjustly increase the cost Of
living.
The conservation OF the natural re-
sources of the state and nation. and
the rescue Of public property and
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