The commonwealth. (Greenwood, Miss.) 1896-1923, 1912-07-05
The Tariff Reform.

Of the platform adopted By the Demo
cratic national convention at Balt-
more.
The Tariff Reform.
We declare II TO be q fundamental
principle Of the Democratic party
that the federal government under
the Constitution has no right or pow
er to impose or collect tariff duties
except for the purpose of eyenu
and we demand that the collection Of
such taxes shall be limited 10 the ne
cessities Of government honestly and
economically administered.
The high Republican tariff is the
principal cause OF the unequal distri-
button of wealth; it is q 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.
We favor the immediate down
ward revision Of the existing high,
and in many cases, prohibitiye tariff
%suties, insisting that material reduc-
lions be speedily made upon the nee
sssaries OF life. Articles entering in
to competition with trust controlled
products and articles of American
manufacture where sold abroad more
eheaply than at home could be put
upon the free list.
we denounce the action OF Presi-
dent Taft in yetoing the bills to re-
duce the tariff In the cotton, wooden,
metals and chemicals schedules and
the farmers free list bills, all of
which was designed TO give immedi-
ate relief to the masses from the ex-
actions of the trusts.
The Republican party, while
promising tariff revision, has shown
by its tariff legislation that such re-
is not to be in the peoples In
and~having been faithless to
It's pledges Of 1908 1t should no longer
enjoy the confidence of the nation.
High Cost of Living.
The high cost of living is a Sc.
rious problem in every American
home. The Republican party in its
platform attempts to escape from re-
'ponsibility for present conditions by
lenying that they are due to a pro
.ectiVe tariff. We take issue with
hem on this subject and charge that
excessive prices result in a large
from the high tariff laws en-
and maintained by the Repub.
lean party, and from trusts and com.
nerctal conspirators fostered and en-
outraged by such laws. and We assert
hat no substantial relief can be Sc
.pred for the people until import du.
les on the necessaries of life are ma
erially reduced, and those criminal
'onspiraCies broken Up.
Antitrust Law.
"A private monopoly is indefensi-
lie and intolerable. We therefore IA
CT the vigorous enforcement Of the
riminal as well as the civil law
gainst trusts and trust officials, and
enactment of such additional
agtslation as may be necessary to
It impossible for a private mo
opoly to exist in the United States.
We condemn the action Of the Re
administration In coTnpro~
aising with the Standard OIL Com
any and the tobacco trust and its
allure to invoke the criminal pro !
isioDs Of the antitrust law against
officers Of those corporations aft.
T the court had declared that from j
he undisputed facts ia the record
hey had violated the criminal provis.
MS Of the Law.
We regret that Sherman antitrust !
has received a judicial construc. /
on dsprtTiug it Of much OF its ef- /
cacy, and we favor the enactment OF !
'gislation which will restore to the 3
.arute the strength OF which 1t has
aa1 deprived by such Interpretation. i
Tax and Popular Election of !
Senators. 4
We congratulate the country upon /
le triumph Of two important reforms
smanGed In the last national plat. /
nm, namely, the amendment of the I
constitution authorizing an in d
me tax and the amendment provid. 8
g for The popular election OF sena. i
and we call upon the people of T
] the states 10 rally to the support :
the pending propositions and secure Ii
ratification. i
We NOTE with Eratifcation the A
luminous sentiment in favor of Q
"a IL