The Democratic banner. (Mt. Vernon, Ohio) 1898-192?, 1912-06-28
PARTY PLATFORM
BEING DRAFTED
Representatives Of Various In.
terests Given Z Hearing,
eOMpERS BEFORE COMMITTEE

Assured That a Plank VIII BE ineor.
poratsd Rsattrmins the Denver Dec.
iaration and Possibly For Employ.
ere Liability and Workmsn's Com.
psnsation Lesis'atlon-Rsprsssnta.
tive ~ the Manusactursrs' Assoeia-
tloN Questioned BY Bryan.
Baltimore, June 27.--A subcommit.
tee Of II distinguished Democratic
statesmen are at work on the first
draft Of the party platform. The full
committee listened to arguments in
support Of various planks submitted
to the committee for its cOnsidera.
ti0n. Before the hearings began, Sen.
at0r Kern Of Indiana, chairman Of the
committee on resolutions, announced
the names Of the subcommittee Of IL
who. together with himself. are draft
ing the platform. This subcommittee
10 composed Of the following. In addi.
,ion to Mr.. Kern, who will be ex.
ofYicio chairman:
Senator Charles A. Culberson OF
| Texas, w. J. Bryan Of Nebraska, Sen.
at0r Isador Rayner, Senator James
A. O'Gorman of New York, Senator
Thomas s. Martin OF Virginia, Senator
POmerene OF Ohio. George w. Fithian
Of Illinois. A. M. Dockery of Missouri.
8. w. BelfOrd Of Nevada, Thomas j.
Walsh Of Montana and Congressman
II. II. Broussard of Louisiana. The
subcommittee hope to have 1t ready
to submit to the full committee this
evening or tonight.
| Mr.. Bryan clearly dominates the
resolutions committee. BY vote OF
Al to II ne forced through a motion
at the meeting In favor Of pOstponing
the adoption Of the platform until
after the candidates for president and
vice president have been nominated.
The rules committee. as a result
Of the Bryan motion, adopted by the
resolutions committee. by . vote Of %
to 16 voted to report In the order
| OF business to the convention that
| the platform be reserved until after
nominations are made.
oempsrs Heard.
The full committee on resolutions
began hearings on the platform. The
hrst 70 be heard was Samuel Com
pers. president Of the American Fed.
erati0n Of Labor. He was assured
that the resolutions committee will
report . plank reafFirming the decia.
ration. made by the Denver conven.
tion and possibly for some form Of
employers liability and workmen's
compensation legislation.
Mr. GOmpers touched upon the EN-.
pioyers' liability legislation. and he
aroused the committee. Senator Cul.
bers0n opposed the bill that Is now
pending In the senate. and Mr.. Bryan
showed plainly by his questions that
he was opposed to II.
Mr.. 0Ompers shocked the commit.
tee somewhat by saying the present
bill, framed by a Joint committee Of
congress and recommended by Presi.
dent Taft. Is the most perfect bill
ever offered.
Senator Culberson pointed out his
two objections to the employers liza.
bility bin, The first was that It made
the remedy exclusive instead Of op.
ti0nal. and the second was that tho
compensation was inadequate.
Mr.. 0ompers replied that the labor
people could hardly insist that they
be given an option without c0nceding
to the employer the same right.
, Mr.. GOmpers approved the Clayton
anti-intunction bill and the Clayton
contempt bill. Mr.. Gompers. In the
course OF hts remarks before the com.
mittee. said:
II admit that early In life I acted
with the Republican party. voting for
Its candidates and the platform, but
] made up my mind several years ago
that the Republican party was not
playing fairly with the great masses
Of tho American people" Gompers
closed with condemnation Of the
way the Republicans at Chicago had
treated lab0r's demands.
i oulxxsd BY eryan.
Mr., Bryan then turned his atten.
ton to grilling Mr., Emery. represen.
tative Of the manufacturing assOcia.
ttOns, After he had secured from the
speaker the admission that the late
President Van Cleve Of the associs.
tion had come out for the Republican
ticket Ia the campaign Of 1908 and
advised the manufacturers In q letter
sent out by them to vote for Taft and
Sherman, Mr., Bryan observed. Then
your organization IL q political one
not . commercial one!" Mr.. Emery
declared that II was not a political
organization. but that II stood ready
/, 20 repel the attacks upon Il.
Representative Rucker OF Colorado
warned the committee on resolutions
h0t TO endorse Canadian reciprocity
which, he told them. had "enabled
Roosevelt to beat President Taft In
!. many important states"
!. Albert Sidney Gregg OF Cleveland
O.. urged an amendment to the con
4 stitution prohibiting polygamy, ant
expressed the hope that Il would no,
affect any member OF the committee
personally"
NJ l.. Qnezon. delegate from the