Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1916-06-14
DEMOCRATS WANT
'PEP AND PUNCH
IN THE PLATFORM
Leaders Criticise Presidents
Mexican and Foreign Re-
lations Planks
MUST BE "L1vENED UP"
By E. R. sARTwELL

| punch in the platform was tne ueiiio' =,
voiced today by delegates and leaders wwn' w
will have the final say in framing the dec
| laration Of faith of the Democratic ma
tlonal Convention. The final dratt o.
| President Wilson's platform suggestions
| brought to st. Louis by Secretary OF wa
Baker, was subjected to close scrutiny oy
members of the Resolutions Committe'
which will pass on the document. AS
result many delegations prepared TO mak'
n vigorous fight for changes In the tresi
| dents tentative proposals as TO PLAINS vi
| foreign relations and the Mexican stua'
| tion.
'"The suggested foreign relations ano
Mexican planks" said one member OF tne
committee reads altogether too mucn hke
q historical review. II needs puhcn. y
must be lIvened UP. A platform shouid no'
be a historical essay"
The draft of the planlts on the suoJects
indicated. delegates declared did not GoIl-
tain enough affirmative matter. Inc crnics
of the Presidents proposals demahueu @ .ua'
the Resolutions Committee 80 after tne,ll
that they carry a real, live message 10
the people They argued that review and
defense of the Presidents course In tne
European and Mexican situations wouiu
not win votes
WILSON'S SUGGESTIONS ONLY.
Secretary Baker said the platform mat
ter brought from Washington was in the
nature of "suggestlons." He SAID that
these suggestions would be submitted 10
the Resolutions Committee with tne state,
ment that they represented the views Oh
the President He asserted that tine COM
mittee would be at liberty to make "hae
charges it thought necessary
with the weight of the White House be-
hind the text. however critics of the planks
believed they had hard fight ahead OF
them to obtain any alterations whatever.
They were nevertheless prepared 10 make
the fight. Some leaders inclined TO the
view that what the President said on the
two vital planks should prevail no matter
how weak or insufficient 1t might be con-
sidered They argued that the President
was responsible for his own record and
that he was the man who must make the
fight before the people on the platform
Therefore, they said, he should be allowed
to dictate such platform planks as he de-
sired.
The presidential suggestions outside Of
the foregoing relations and Mexican planks
were not reduced to final form. These
suggestions outline the remainder of the
platform in a skeleton form. The text Of
these planlts will be framed by the Resolu-
tlons Committee, many of whom conferred
with the President as to the planks In
which they were personally interested before
leaving Washington. Secretary Baker will
represent the President In passing on final
form OF such planks as have not been
reduced to definite terms.
STERN FIGHT FOR SUFFRAGE PLANK.
With the organizations of the Resolutions
Committee preparations were made for
stern fight to force into the platform a
woman suffrage declaration. Senator Hol-
lis of New Hampshire one of the Dem
ocratc leaders who participated in the
Washington conferences on the platform
and who is a member of the committee,
came out into the open as the leader of the
fight for the suffrage plank. While admit
ting that the suffrage proposal faced a bit
ter struggle, Senator Hollis declared that he
was confident of success.
II have proposed and will make every
possible effort to have included In the plat
FORM" he said, "a plank which will put
the party fatty on record as favoring ex-
tending full suffrage to women 1 know
that / Will have strong support for the
proposal both in the committee and among
the rank and file of the delegates"
Senator Hollis conferred with the leaders
Of the woman suffrage lobby which has or
ganzed systematic fight for the suffrage
plank, and arrangements werel made for a
strenuous attack on the opposition in the
committee.
The American Federation OF Labor lead
ers, headed by Samuel Gompers, president
Of the Federation. submitted their proposals
today. The labor leaders Joined in the fight
for the suffrage plank. submitting demand
that the platform include plank stating:
I'VE favor the absolute suffrage OF wom-
en- co-equal with men,"
DEMANDS OF LABOR
The labor leaders expect to be heard by
the Resolutions Committee on their de-
nands Gompers, Frank Morrison and John
B, Lennon will present the arguments of
t,l al,
they will demand are the following:
A general declaration that the Federal
Government must protect the rights OF la
Dor and that the principles of human well
fare must be made paramount to any other
A pledge to maintain and enforce the Fed
aral laws legalizing labor organizations,
disputes and guaranteeing the right Of trial
by jury in cases of contempt of court.
A pledge for the liberal Interpretation
and strict enforcement of the seamen's
law.
A statement favoring Federal legislation
to aid schools and colleges in vocational
and Industrial education.
A demand for the enactment OF Fed
eral child labor law
Demands for a comprehensive and gem
erous woritmen's compensation law" The
and extension OF the Federal
eight-hour law and legislation excluding
from Interstate commerce the products OF
convict labor.
A pledge for the creation OF a bureau OF
safety IN the Department OF Labor to "abol-
ish present preventable and appalling loss
of life and manning OF human beings IN
American Industries and transportation
A demand that "all adoptlons OF speed
ing-up systems shall be forbidden In all
work In which the Government is con-
cerned,"
demand for the extension OF the pow
ers and functions Of the Federal Bureau Of
Mines.
A pledge for the extension OF American
citizenship to people OF Porto Rico.
A declaration In favor Of adequate COM
and the establishment OF min
imum wage for civil service employees for
a tribunal TO redress the grievances OF civil
service workers; for civil service federal
Compensation law for a civil service retire.
ment law and for the guaranteeing OF the
right OF petition 10 Federal employees,
A declaration In favor OF Government
ownership OF telegraph and telephone
systems
These v0luminous demands will be pre-
sented to the committee as vigorously a.
nossible. But the decision OF the leaders
indorsed By President Wilson, to keep the
democratic planks of the platform as brlei
-