The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1916-06-15

be dealt with in long plank de-
claring for their protection at home
and abroad, In defense of Ameri-
q an neutrality as strict and honest
Li5cGe the provisions would make an
ar. RcS although not specific, ref
erenco ges of partiality to the
entente a.. and would point out
that questions involving not life, but
only property can be settled by in
demnity and reparation when the pas
sions OF war have subsided.
A permanent peace tribunal would
be advocated in one of the platform
planks as a court of arbitral justice
to which all disputes between nations
should be referred. How far the plat
form may reflect the presidents re-
cent declaration of willingness to have
the United States join q world league
to enforce peace by a common police
force is not yet determined.
While the platform would deal with
the peaceful settlement of disputes
between nations, it would be out
spoken in its declarations that the
navy should be of proportions and eff
ficiency to make effective the Monroe
doctrine, and that the standing army
should be of sufficient strength to Sc
cure the country against unexpected
aggression. The platform, in the
same connection, would declare for
sufficient reserve force to secure the
nation against invasion and aggres-
sion at all times. Coupled with this
declaration for a strong army and
navy would be a straightforward pro-
nouncement against all wars of ag-
grandizement and against violations
of territorial aggression. This would
be intended as declaration to the
world that the United States, as the
foremost spokesman for peace and
judicial settlement of disputes, makes
its military preparations not for ag-
gression but for defense.
Touching internal questions, the
platform would declare for an eight
hour day for working men, and also
civil service pensions with declara
ton that the government should care
for those upon whom it depends to
man its operating machinery One
plank would deal with child labor and
another would advocate legislation in
the interest Of labor in all government
institutions.
In several succeeding planks the
legislative record of the administra-
tion would be set forth, with refer
ences to the federal reserve law, the
trade commission bill, the shipping
bill. the tariff bill, rural credits leSis-
lation and other measures passed by
Congress or now being pressed by the
administration. Then the platform
would contain a definite pronounce
ment that when the program now
under way is completed there will be
no more legislation which the business
world could regard as restraining, in
short. business would be promised a
rest from congressional interferences
The draft as Secretary Baker car
ried it from the White House made no
claims for general approval of the
| presidents course for peace prosperi
| ty." but President Wilson's friends in
| st. Louis are insistent that the plat
| form would not be complete without a
| strong presentment on that point, and
| Senator Husting of Wisconsin was as
signed to prepare plank, with the
| suggestion that it be drafted in terms
| sufficiently strong to make it one ol
| the keynCtes OF the campaign. The
enthusiastic manner in which the con
vention yesterday received Temporary
Chairman Glynn's speech of justiica
tion of the presidents policies in keep
ing the country at peace has lent force
10 this plan.
A plank on woman suffrage which
was suggested by the president him
self probably will be redrafted. Some
of the resolutions committeeman
thought it might be regarded as no
sufficiently definite. Indications las
night were that the plank will b.
| not unlike the republican plank, reeog
nizing the right of suffrage for womei
hut holding to the right of the state
u to regulate the ballot themselves
President Wilson has repeatedly statel
his position in that way to suffrag
Z leaders, and in the New Jersey eleC
tons last year voted for the suffrag
amendment which was beaten.