Virginia free press. (Charlestown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1832-1916, 1914-07-02
Democratic Platform


dollars more money LuanPtn laat , ca
OF Glasscock. and yet in the face Of
+, this increase in taxes. the governor
publicly proclains the State to beprac-
tically bankrupt. If he tells the truth,
something is, radically wrong some-
where and we demand a rigid examina-
, ton and audit, under direction Of the
, legislature and expert accountants. Of
the financial affairs Of the State. and
that the report be made public,
We denounce the present tyrranical
efforts of the Governor, through ap
pointments and otherwise. to dominate
all branches and divisions of State gov
eminent to subordinate all functions Of
government to the executive win or
within and to drive Independent think
ers into submission to his will
18th. We deplore the substitution of
force and violence for reason and law
in the government of our State, and
fear for our good name among the sis
terhood of States if it is permitted to
continue.
We condemn the course Of the Re-
publican administration in this State
for the manner 10 which it has declared
enforced and upheld martial law in
certain industrial sections of this State
AMI express our belief that it is sub
versive of the fundamental principles
OF civil liberty and in hagrant violation
of the Constitutions of both State and
Nation.
8sh. We direct attention to the wa
ter Power question, as perhaps the
most important issue now. before the
people of this State, and the Demo
cratic party now takes its stand On
1 this issue upon the side of the people
of the State, and the generstio t,
come after us The present waite,
! power, act, we believe to jeo3arsiize
importsnt4 public tights.
The natural water power sites in The
public streams of West Virginia be.
lorg TO The people who live in the State
and we are opposed to giving then
away to private capital, II genera
tions To come when water power vii
be The only source Of heat and light il
] would mean that private capital coulc
tax the right to exist in this State.
We have always fossered the propel
development Of our State. but we are
unalterably opposed to the exploita.
tinn of its publicly owned resources
We are opposed to granting to any
person or corporation any such power
site for more than a limited period oil
yeara, at the end Of which time il
shouId revert TO hspublic.
And we declare, our opposition to tEt
building of dangerously high dams
across our rivers, impounding vast ar
tificial lakes Of water which w.u,d en-
4 danger the lives and homes of thous
ands of our citizens who live in the
| valleys below them. Such dams, VIII, 1
i permitted to be built, should be onl,
of such height and construction as mo-
to be menace to hpnanA life.
/ When we declare that the peopl,
should rule, we believe this means tina
all the people should rule Therefor,
| we favor the submission to the voter,
of constitutional amendment grant
| ing the franchise to women.
9th. We favor The enactment of !,
fair primary election law and pledg,
curse Ives. if in control of the rext leg
4 islature, to enact such law. and I,
4 throw around the election provided fo
in such act. all of the provisions fol
safety against fraud as are provid.t
for in general elections.
10th. We favor such amendments t,
the Corrupt Practices Act as will al
nearly as possible entirely elimiDat,
i corruption from our elections
i 11th. The Democratic party Of W
Virginia rnccgniz 8 as menace TO III,
| integritt Of the State ard nation cam
paign contributions mace by corpora
tons which are seeking legislative ia
vols auta gf nistic to the common inter
ests of the whole people, ard we in
struct all persons who are connected
with the coming campaign TO refuse t,
accept such contributions in sums O.
more than one hund ed dollars and th,
names of the people making such con
tributions, before the. election If4h.
honest, patriotic Democ' ats of Yves
Virginia do not have sufficient faith ii
the Democratic parts to finance Il
without the aid of those who woult
prostitute it to their own sc fish pur
poses. they do not deserve to win, ant
If they should win under any othel
conditions the victory would only re
suit in the Generalization of the party
| 18th. We recognize the growing i'm
Iportance of industrial peace to the bus
mess interests of this State, and WI
favor the enactment of such laws fol
the settlement of labor disputes as viii
enable labor and capital to cooperate
upon terms of mutual interest without
the war and waste Of the strike and
lock out, and W pledge ourselves t.
1.-The enactment Of an Industrial Dis.
putes Act which shall provide fol
boards of investigation and concilia,
ton in labor disputes, which boards
shall be composed of representation fol
capital and labor. said Representatives
to be selected by the parties interested
IN The dispute.
/ 13.h. We believe that the best in.
terests of the people are served by the
fullest participation of the electorate
in governmental affairs. and to this
end we pledge ourselves to the submis