The Fairmont West Virginian. (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1904-1914, 1914-09-05

lOIlIly lllHotll ih hhS PSSAN'OA y
candidate. constitutes the sixth dis
tinct breach Of pledge committed In
considerably less than half a presi-
Dental term.
We have before us the Democratic
national platform. adopted on Jul!
'2, 1912-thc product of the prolific
pen OF the man who achieved tho
nomination of Mr.. Wilson for the
presidency. Those pledges which in,
disputably have been violated We
quote In the order in which they &C.
cur in that forgotten document:
High Cost OF Living-The high
cost OF living is a serious problem IN
every American home. The Rcpubli
can party in its platform attempts Il
escape from responsibility for presen:
conditions by denying that they ar
due to protective tariff. We take
issue with them on this subject anC
chrage that excessive prices result II
large measure from the high tarill
laws enacted and maintained by TIT
Republican party, and from trust
and commercial conspiracies foster
ed and encouraged by such laws. ant
We assert that no substantial relic
can be secured by the people unit
import duties on the nccessaries o.
life are materially reduced and theS'
criminal conSpiracfcs broken up.
Whether the Democratic theor!
was right and the execution has peer
at fault, or whether it was wrong
the fact remains that the only result
Of the Democratic assault on thf
high cost of living has been restric
ton upon the purchasing power o.
the people, through reduced earnings
while the cost of living has steadii!
mounted. No one. even the most en-
thusiastic Democratic partisan, dare.
to say that the pledge to reduce IN
cost of living has been kept or tina
IT'S redemption has even been ap
preached.
Term of Presidcnt-We favor
single presidential term. and to thai
end urge the adoptio nof an amend.
ment to the Constitution making tn
President of the United States tneli
"iblc for reelection, and we pledge
the candidate of this convention IL
this principle. .
Mr.. Wilson's announcement tha'
he is n candidate to succeed himself
in 1916 openly flouts this pledge. J.
flies in the face of the promise Of thu
party solemnly uttered by its supreme
and final authority.
Republican EXtravagancc-We dc
nouncc the prohigatc waste OF mono!
wrung from the people by oppressive
taxation through the lavish appro'
priations of recent Republican Con
crosses. which have kept taxes higl
and reduced the purchasing power o.
the peoples toll. We demand re
turn to that simplicity and economy
which BELTS democratic govern
ment, and a reduction i'll the numbe'
of useless offices, the salaries O.:
which drain the substance OF th'
people.
As has been pointed out before. ap
preparations and authorizations 1o'
the present fiscal year exceed by S2"''
UUU,UUU lIlt Va 49, ~
ccding year. The first year of VII
son and economy resulted in the. att
tainment of the very top-notch OF eN
pcnditurcs in the history of the coun'
try. At this very time the admins
tration, committed to the solemn
promise we quote, having vastly in
creased the offices and salaries IN tn
public service, is seeking new means
of wringing money from the peopl'
by a system of taxation peculiarly
oppressive, and which invadeS he.
sources of the people untouched by
the Republican administrations whicl
the platform so vigorously denounccs
The unstinted extravaganza of til
present administration is the mos
elaring violation of platform pledg"
in the whole category of fragrant OF.
fenscs.
Panama Canal-Wc favor the en-,
cmption from tolls of American ship
engaged in coastwise trade. passin?
through the Panama canal
The Dispatch-News submits tina
no argument is necessary in supper
of the statement that in this behalf
there has been n most tlagrant re
versal of solemn platform promises.
Civil Service Law.-The law per
ltaining to the civil service should h
honestly and rigidly enforced. to th'
end that merit and ability should br
the standard of appointment and pro
notion. rather than service rendered
to, political party.
This plank has been openly ant
flagrantly violated. The public ser
vice has been reduced to partisan
spoils. Service rendered to politcu!
party or to the controlling faction o
the party, and such service alone, has
been the consideration in political
appointments. In West Virginia,
diploma from the naseous legislative
session of 1911 which sent West Viz
T,NEN n1 IN fng