The Leon reporter. (Leon, Iowa) 1887-1930, 1914-05-21
ELECT A DEMOCRATIC CON.
GRFSS.

Democrats and independent voters
who believe in the platform adopted
at Baltimore, and believe that the
Wilson administration and the demo
cratic congress are conscientiously
carrying out that platform in the in
terest of the people, should beware
of the efforts being made in the var
ious parts of the country to divert the
minds of the people to other unim-
portant issues which might result in
failure to elect a democratic con-
gress and thus prevent President Will
son and the democratic party from
fulfilling the pledges made to the
people in the democratic national
platform of 1912.
The reform legislation promised
to the people in the Baltimore plat
form was first presented in the Chi
cago platform of 1896. In each cam
paign since that time the spirit OF
that platform has been reiterated in
each state and national platform pro-
mulgated by democrats. The people
have been educated to believe that
the legislation promised in democrat
ic platforms is for the protection of
the people as whole. And while
the democratic party has been max
ing these promises for eighteen
years, this is the first opportunity
they have had to fulfill their promis-
es, and they have undertaken their
work in spirit and in afnanner that
is meeting with the approval of not
only democrats but of the people
generally. q
When the present congress ad-
journs, the democratic program, as
outlined in the Baltimore platform,
will be only partly completed. While
the legislation already enacted, and
that under process of enactment by
congress, is sufficient to justify the
reelection of a democratic congress,
yet there is still more important
reason why a democratic congress
should be returned this fall. When
this session OF congress adjOurns
scarcely more than one-half of the
democratic platform pledges will
have been fulfilled A democratic
congress is needed to help President
Wilson carry out the remainder of
the democratic program. The re-
naming planks of the Baltimore
platform are of vital interest to the
" Cllol VI luC pCoplC l1C ldllu1
to elect a democratic congress this
fall would not only prevent the full
fillment of the remainder of the ma
tional platform pledges, but it would
be construed by the special interests
as an indication that the people did
not approve of the legislation that
has already been passed during the
first two years of the Wilson admins
tration The interest of the demo-
cratic party and the welfare of the
people make it important that the
sentiment in the approaching cam
paign should be crystalliZed as far as
possible around the national issues.
An effort is being made both within
and without the party to divert the
peoples mind by injecting other is
sues for consideration. The success
of such efforts will jeopardize the
election of democratic congress. A
majority of the people are supporting
the presidents policies and they
should not permit the various groups
of special interests or disgruntled
persons to place the people in po-
sition in the approaching campaign
where they cannot express their ap-
prevail of the presidents policies
without endorsing principles that
they do not care to consider at this
time.-The Commoner.