The Progressive West Virginian. [volume] (Williamson, W. Va.) 1911-1913, 1912-07-11
LOWER TARIFF IS
LEADING PLANK OF
DEMOCRATIC CREED
Platform as Adopted Demands
Taxation for Revenue
Only.
THE HIGH COST OF LIVING

THE HIGH COST OF LIVING
Republican Party Hold Responsible for
Present serious conditIon-Antl-
Trust L1M-Pppniar Election
Of Senators by tho People
Favored ~ Work Of
Democratic Con-
1ress Praised.
Following Is the plat
form adopted by the Democratic ma
tiona1 contention:
We: the representatives OF the Dem
ocratic party OF the United States, In
national convention assembled. re-
affirm our devotion to the principles
Of Democratic government formulated
by Thomas Jefferson and enforced by
a long and fllustricus line of Demo
cratic presidents.
Tarin Reform.
We declare 1t to be a funda-
mental principle of the Democrat
10 party that the federal govern
ment under the constitution has no
right or power to impose or collect
tariff duties. except for the purpose Of
revenue. and We demand that the col
lection OF such taxes shall be limited
to the necessities of government hon
estly and economically administered.
The high Republican tariff Is the
principal cause Of the unequal dis
tribution OF wealth; 1t is system of
taxation which makes the rich richer
and the poor poorer: under its opera
ttons tho American farmer and labor
ing man ara 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
industries. such as cotton and wool,
steel and iron, the wages of the labor
ers are the lowest paid in any of
our Industries. We denounce the Re-
publican pretense on that subject and
assert that American wages are es-
tablished by competitive conditions
and not by the tariff.
We favor tho immediate downward
revision of the existing high and in
many cases prohibitiye 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 ut home should be put upon the
free list
We recognize that our system OF
tariff taxation Is intimately connected
with the business of the country, and
we favor the ultimate attainment OF
the principles we advocate by legis-
lation that WIN not injure or destroy
legitimate industry.
We denounce the action of Presi-
dent Taft In vetoing the bills to re-
duce the tarfm In the cotton, wooden,
metals and chemicals schedules and
the farmers free list bill, all of which
we're designed to give immediate re-
lief to the masses from the exactions
of the trusts.
The Republican party, while prom
Using tariff revision, has shown by
its tariff legislation that such revision
is not to be In the peoples interest
and. having been faithless to it's
pledges OF 1903. It should not longer
enjoy the confidence OF the nation.
We appeal to the American people
to support Ms in our demand for q
tariff for revenue only
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 responsibility for present con-
ditions, by denying that they are
due to protective tariff We take is
sue with them on this subject and
charge that excessive prices result in
q 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 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
conspiracies broken up.
Antitrust Law.
A private monopoly is indefensi.
Bile and intolerable. We therefore
favor the vigorous enforcement Of
the criminal as well as the civil
law against trust and trust officials
and demand the enactment of sncb
additional legislation as may be neces.
sary to make it impossible for a mi.
vate monopoly to exist In the United
States.
We favor the declaration by law
Of the conditions upon which corpora.
lions shall be permitted to engage in
interstate trade. including, among
others. the prevention of holding com.
panies, of interlocking directors. OF
stock watering. of discrimination in
price. and the control by any one cor.
poration Of 80 large proportion OF
any industry az to make it a menace
10 competitive conditions.
We condemn the action of tba pa.
publican administration in compromis.
ing with the Standard Oil COMPANY
and tie Tobacco Trust and its failure
to invoke the criminal provisions OF
the antitrust law against the officers
OF those corporations after the court
boH dor7nxad f$.aA F,o~. ~ =, .