The Washington herald., 1912-07-03

Convention by the committee on reso-
buttons:
THE TARIFF REFORM.
I'VE declare II to be a fundamental
principle Of the Democratic party that
the Federal government under the Con-
Btitution has no right or power to i'm
pose or collect tarin duties except for
the revenue, and we demand that collec-
ton Of such taxes shall be limited to
the necessities Of government honestly
and economically administered.
The high Republican tariff Is the prin-
ctpal cause Of the unequally distributed
wealth; It is q system Of taxation which
makes the rich richer and the poor
poorer; under its operations the Ameri-
can farmer and laboring man are the
chief sufferers; Il raises the cost OF the
necessaries OF life to them, but does not
protect their product or wages
The farmer sells largely in free mar
kets and buys almost entirely In the pro-
tected markets. In the most highly pro-
tected industries such as cotton and
wool, steel and iron, the wages OF the
laborers are the lowest paid in any Of
our industries. We denounce the Re
assert that American wages are es-
tablished by competitive conditions and
not by the tariff.
For Downward Revision.
We favor the immediate downward
revision Of the existing high and in
many cases prohibItive tarif duties, In
slsting that material reductions be speed
lily made upon the necessaries OF life.
Articles coming into competition with
trust controlled products and OF Amer
lean manufacture. which are sold abroad
more cheaply than at home. could be put
upon the free List.
We recognize that our system OF tar
IN taxation Is intimately connected with
the business of the country, and VIC
favor the ultimate attainment OF the
principles We advocate by legislation that
will not inJure or destroy legitimate in
dustry.
I'VE denounce the action OF President
Taft in vetoing the bill to reduce the
tariff in cotton, woolens, metals, and
free LIST bills, all Of which was designed
to give Immediate relief TO the masses
from the eXactions OF trusts.
The Republican party, while promis-
ing tariff revision, has shown by its tar
IN legislation that such revision Is not
to be in the peoples interests, and, hav-
ing been faithless to its pledges Of 1903,
II should no longer enjoy the confidence
Of the nation. We appeal to the Amer
for a tariff for revenue only
HIGH COST OF LIVING.
The high cost Of living is a serious
problem in every American home. The
Republican party in its platform at
tempts 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 the Republi-
can party and from trusts and CONNER
cial conspiracies fostered and encour-
aged by such laws and We assert that
no substantial relief can be secured for
the people until import duties on the
necessities OF life are materially reduced
and these criminal conspiracles broken
up.
ANTITRUST LAW.
"A private monopoly is indefensible
and intolerable. We therefore favor the
vigorous enforcement Of the criminal as
well as the civil law. against trusts and
trust officials and demand enactment OF
such additional legislation as may be
necessary to make II impossible for a pri-
vate monopoly TO 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 inter-
locking directors. Of stock watering, OF
discrimination in prices and OF the con-
troll by any one corporation OF 50 large
a proportion Of any Industries as TO
make it a menace to competitive COndi-
tons
We condemn the action OF the Re
publican administration in compromising
with the Standard OIL Company and the
Tobacco Trusts in its failure TO invoke
the criminal provisions Of the antitrust
law against the officers of those cor
porations after the court had declared
that from the undisputed facts in the
record they had violated the criminal
provisions OF the law.
Against Unreasonable" Construction.
we regret that the Sherman antitrust
law has received a judicial construction
depriving it Of much OF its efficacy. and
we favor the enactment OF legislation
which will restore TO the statute the
strength of which II has been deprived
by such Interpretation.
INCOME TAX AND POPULAR
Election OF SENATORS.
We congratulate the country upon
the triumph Of two important reforms
demanded In the last national platform,
namely, the amendment of the Federal
authorizing the income tax
and the amendment for the direct cleo |
ton Of Senator'S and we call upon the |
people Of all the States to rally to the |
support Of the pending propositions and |
secure their ratification.
I'VE note with gratifcation the unanl- |
nous sentiment in favor Of publicity be-
fore the election Of campaign contriou- |
tions-a measure demanded in our national |
platform OF 1908, and at that time OPP |
posed by the Republican party
I'VE commend the Democratic. House
Of Representatives for extending the doc
trine of publicity to recommendations,
verbal and written. upon which Presi- |
Dental appointments are made, to the
ownership and control OF newspapers, and |
the expenditures made by and in behalf 1
Of those who aspire TO Presidential nomi- |
nations, and we point for additional |
Justification for this legislation TO the
enormous expenditures of money in behalf
Of the President and his predecessor IN
the recent contest for the Republican
for President
PRESIDENTIAL PRIMARIES.
The movement toward more popular
government should be promoted through
legislation in each State, which will per-
nit the expression Of the preference Of I
the electors for national candidate at
Presidential primaries
I'VE direct that the National Commit
tee incorporate in the call for the next
convention a requirement that
all the expressions OF preference for