The daily telegram. [volume] (Clarksburg, W. Va.) 1901-1926, 1916-05-30
The Broken pledges.

There is one plank OF the Democrat
&c platform OF 1912 that will certainly
not be repeated IN the platform at ST.
Louis in 1916. That is the closing par
agraph which asserts that Our pcdk-
Is are made TO be kept when in Office
as well as relied upon during the cam
Eaign. TO insert that plank III tn9
platform OF 1916 would make the Dom
ocratic national convention the laugh
ing stock OF the whole country. The
convention itself could not restrain its
expression Of mirth over such an as
surance rs that.
The first pledge in the Democratic
platform Of 1912 related to the tarilf
and asserted the purpose OF the party
to revise the tariff by legislation that
Will not injure or destroy legitimate
industry" Every citizen OF the United
States knows, and the records OF the
department Of commerce demonstrate,
that the Democratic tarifr threw our
markets open TO competition with the
products Of cheap labor in Europe and
Asia, with the result that our factor
les were either closed or went on part
time, employees were thrown out Of
work. their purchasing power was re-
duced and the injury was reflected up
on every Legitimate industry in the
United States. That injury was over
come by the outbreak Of the European
war, which established an almost absO-
lutte protection OF American industry
from foreign competition and created
market for our goods uneQualed in
our history.
The next plank in the platform OF
1912 pledged the Democratic party 10
reduce the cost OF living" but govern
ment records show that the cost OF liv-
ing increased, even before the out
break Of the European war, and that
cost has risen by enormous strides
ever since.
The next plank pledged the Demo-
cratic administration to a vigorous en-
forcement Of the criminal as well as
the civil laws against trusts. the par
~ having asserted that the record OF
the Republican party in this respect
was one Of failure. Upon this pledge
the Democratic party secured many Of
It's votes, but il has absolutely moth
ing in its record to show that any IL
legal trust has been successfully pros
ccuted. either ciyllly or criminally.
The next plank pledged The Demo-
cratic party 10 keep each OF the CO.
ordinate branches OF the government
within its own bounds and not TO per-
nit one TO Gncronch upon the just pow
ers Of any Of the others Notwith-
standing that pledge, Il IS notorious
hot ! n II u T.,
Gress has accepted dictation from the
White House in matters Of legisla-
ton.
The income tax and popular cleo
ton Of senators were the next planks
in the platform, but upon these there
was no issue, as the Republicans had
already submitted the constitutional
amendments for these measures 10
vote Of the states. and they were adj
vocated by both parties.
The next two planks advocated pres
identlal primaries and a single term
for the president, both Of which pledg-
es have been ignored or violated.
The next important pledge was pro
lection Of the personal and property
rights of American citizens at home
and abroad, and the unfolding of the
honor and dignity of the nation-a
pledge that has been so frequently vio-
lated as to make il hazardous for a
man to claim American citizenship in
our nearest sister republic.
= "retHrn to simplicity and econo-
my" and reduction in the number Of
public offices" came next in the Demo-
cratic platform of 1912-a pledge that
has been followed by increases in Of
hces, multiplication Of appropriations.
! and public extravaganza combined