Evening journal., 1914-09-23

/
he said. 1--WE come next in litter
acy to the Southern States with their
hordes OF ignorant negroes"
DR.. Layton said It was necessary
that agriculture In Delaware should
/ be lightened of some OF the great bur-
den II bears today. He added
1--WE can't afford to have 100000
acres of swamp land IN Delaware, the
second smallest State. 10 remain un-
/ improved. We are the sixth State In
point of per capita wealth and the
second smallest State, yet we can't
help ourselves to grow. What's the
! reason? The ancient tax laps adopted
125 years ago. Let US have new laws
whereby every man in Delaware will
pay according to his wealth."
There were calls, next. for former
Senator Drexler. He said that not
a man who went on the Progressive
ticket two years ago had an idea he
would be elected and he could not say
what the future would bring forth, but
he believed persistent advocacy Of the
/ Progressive principles would bring
men to the Progressive standards.
He pledged his support to the Pro-
I EINttlNf NOullntNns
Platform Adopted.
The platform adopted is as follows;
We, the Progressive party of the
State Of Delaware in convention as
sembled hereby ratify and confirm
our national platform.
We commend the policy Of the
national administration in its at
titude of neutrality in the Euro
pean conflict.
We condemn the administration
for negotiating "a treaty with Co
lumbia, providing for a virtual APP
plogy and an indemnity of S25OO0,-
600 growing out Of the purchase by
this government Of the Panama
Canal Zone, which is merely black
i mail
We condemn the attitude of the
national administration in repeal
ing free tolls through the Panama
/ Canal for American shipping.
We stand for the building up of
4 am adequate merchant marine.
TARIFF.
The Progressive party stands for
protection. The tariff is a matter
of business, not politics. SEIZED
ules should be adjusted on a bust
ness basis free from political in
nuence. To this end we advocate
the non bipartisan Tariff Commis-
sion and the revision of the tar
if. one schedule at time.
We stand for definite program
of State legislation.
To this end;
First-We advocate the initia-
tive, referendum and the recall of
judicial decisions where the judicial
power nullifes an act of Legisla-
ture on the ground of non-consti-
tutionality.
Second-1he equalization of tax
alton, whereby the rich man shall
be equitably taxed in proportion
TO the poor man.
We believe that the holding of
unimproved real estate for specula-
tion in no way contributes 10 prog
ress.
We believe that a system of tax
alton which handicaps the improver
of real estate and encourages the
II holder of unimproved land is wXong.
We deplore the fact that much of
the unimproved land in our State
is held by persons who are adding
nothing to its business activity. and
are in many cases non-residents.
We affirm that such condition Is
| inimieal TO progress.
To encourage the use of land for
manufacture, building and all other
useful purposes. we believe that
II each county, city, town, village or
other community should have pow
er to lessen the taxes upon the inn
provements upon real estate within
its boundaries, and to proper
tionately increase the taxes upon
community made land values,
thereby removing or lessening the
handicap which is now placed upon
: business activity and discouraging
the holding of land purely for
speculation
Third-A graduated inheritance
A tax.
4 In the settlement OF estates of de-
4 ceased persons the fees charged
! are proportionately higher for small
estates than for larger estates.
Inasmuch as it is a matter Of pub
lie interest that the accumula-
tion of small estates should be
encouraged for the benefit of
widows and orphans, we recommend
change in the law whereby the
fees for settling small estates shall
be merely nominal
Fourth-Good roads
Fifth-Drainage Of canals.
In lcvying school taxes we con-
denim the assessment of live stock