New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1912-07-03


aiken up before the balloting on the
Vice Presidential nominations.
The motion was carried, and Senator
Kern, Of Indiana. read the document
AS offered by Senator Kern, the plat
orm follows:
We, the representatives Of the Demo
cratic partv Of the United states. in ma
tional convention assembled. reathrm our
devotion to the principles of Democratic
government formulated by Thomas Jet
ferson and enforced by Ions ana Nus
trious line Of Democratic Presidents
Tariff Reform.
We declare il TO he a fundamental
principle Of the Democratic party that
the federal government under tire Con-
stjtutior has no right or power tc i'm
nose or collect tariff duties, EXCEPT tor
the purpose OF revenue. ana we &C.
nnsrd that the collection OF such taxes
shall be limited to the necessities o.
government honestly and economically
administered,
The high Republican tariff IS the n IN,
ciral cause IF The UNEQUAL distribution -
-,,slt0. n is a system Of taxation which
makes the rich richer and the poor poorer,
under its operations the American iailnPl
and aboring man arc the .chleI Suhei ts,SS,
IL raises the cost Of the rccessarieS N lie
10 them but does roJ protect thtlr pi9dbcl
or wages The faTDc, sells largely I'D
free markets and luyS almost entnel
in the protected markets IN ~" m9s'
highly protected Industries. SGcn as COZ
Ton and wool. steel and won. the wages
OF the laborers are the lowest paid IN any
Of oar industries. We denoNN'e 'Ne -
publican preterCc ON that subject ana
assert that American wages are cst20-
lishcd nv competitive conditions and not
by he tariff.
We favor the immediate downward
revision OF the existing high and IN
many cases prohibtVe tariff ddties,
insistino that material reductions be
speedily made upon the recessarles OF
life. Articles entering into competition
with trust controlled products and, ar
ticles Of American manufacture which
are sold abroad more cheaply than az
home should be put upon the free list.
We recognize that cur system Of tariff
taxation is intimately connected with the
business Gf the country and We favor u"
ultimate attainment Il the principles Ne
advocate BY legislation that Nin not in
lure or destroy legitimate industry.
We denounce the action OF Jresiueht
Taft in vetoing the bills 20 reduce the
tariff In the cotton woollen. metals ana
chemical schedules and the farmers iree
lis bill, all Of which were designed 10
'AAs@-~N'
III exactions Of the trusts.
The Republican party, while promising
tariff revision, has shown "N It's tarnI
legislation that such revision is not to he
In the peoples interesT and, having been
falthless TO It's pledges Of 1908, it should
not longer enjoy the confidence Of the
nation. We appeal to the American pee
pie 10 support us IN our demand Tor
tariff for revenue only.
High Cost of Living.
The hiah cost Of living is a serious
problem in every American home. The
Republican party in it's platform, at
tenpts 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 result
in a large measure from the high tariff
laws enacted and maintained BY tbs
Republican party and from trusts and
commercial oonspiraoes fostered ard
encouraged by such laws, and we as
sert that no substantial relief can be
secured for the people until import
duties on the necessaries OF life are
materially reduced and these criminal
conspiraeies broken up.
Antitrust Law
A private I0pIlOpOlS - lllucltttolCie anu
intolerabie. We, therefore, favor the Wig
orous enforcement Of the criminal as Well
as the civil law against trusts and trust
officials and demand the enactment Of
such additional legislation as may be
necessary TO make ii impossible for pri.
vate monopoly 10 exist IN the United
States.
We favor the declaration by law OF
the conditions upon which corporations
shall be permitted TO engage in inter
state trade, including, among others,
the prevention of holding companies, OF
interIockinq directors, of stock water
ina, OF discrimination in price, and the
control by any one corporation OF so
large a proportion Of any industry
TO make it menace to eonpetitiV,
conditions.
We condemn the action Of the Rep'Lb-
lican administration in compromising with
the Standard OIL Company and tho To-
bacco Trust and its failure 10 Invoke the
criminal provisions Of the antitrust law
against the officers of those corporations
after the court had declared mat from tng
uDdisputed facts in he record they had
violated the criminal provisions of the
law
We regret that the Sherman antitrust
law has received q judicial construction
depriving IL of much Of its efficacy. and
We favor the enactment 81 legislation
which will restore 10 the statute tho
strength Of which Il has been deprived
by such Interpretation.
Rights of the States.
We believe in the preservation and
maintenance in their full strength and
Il 49,