The labor journal. [volume] (Everett, Wash.) 1909-1976, 1917-12-14
PLATFORM OF
NATIONAL PARTY


radical crops of political thinkers
gathered in Chicago on October Bird
and 4th and formed a new political
party, adopted a platform and de-
cided to recommend it to national
convention TO be called in future by
the executive committee of the Ma
tional Party.
The draft of the new partys
platform has been published, and
the Journal will submit an epitome
of it's provisions to the readers of
the Journal The platform is gotten
up in three section-I, political
Democracy" II, Industrial Demo-
cracy," III, international Democ-
racy." 1t is long declaration of
principals and will be submitted to
a convention to be called by the
executive committee of the party.
The epitomized platform, first sec
ton, is as sfollows:
Part Political Democracy
a. Universal male and female
suffrage. Urges the adoption of
the Susan B. Anthony amendment to
the constitution.
(2) Initiative, referendum and re-
call.
49, Short Ballot. Declaring for
any Capitalization of administrative
power in the hands of the few to
the end that the people may fix
responsibility for official acts more
easily.
az Executive Budget. To stop
waste, extravaganza and corruption,
schedule of annual expenditures
prepared for all governmental pur-
poses and submitted to legislative
bodies for discussion or modification.
Thus placing responsibility on leg
islative bodies for increasing APP
preparations above the requests of
disbursing officers.
(5) Proportional Representation:
In democracy the obligation of the
minority to abide Loyalty by COM
munity decisions carries with it the
right of the minority to participate
in community decisions. 1t is there
fore of the highest Importance that
minorities should not only take part
in the election of the peoples rep
resentatives, but that they should be
assured a direct voice in the legis-
lative council itself. Under our pre-.
sent electoral system every minority
party is deprived of representation
in the Federation Congress and il
the seube legislatures, except insofar
as it may happen to form major
lty in some one Congressional Of
Legislative district.
To remove this obvious Injustice
we favor the adoption of a system
OF proportional representation where
by the members of Congress t,
which each state is constitutional,
entitled, and also the members O.
the state legislatures, shall be elect
ed at large from the state as {
whole, or from districts electing sew
eral members each, rather than from
single-member districts as at pres
ent, so as to assure to every party
representation in the Legislative,
councils of the state and nation, il
proportion to it's numerical strength
We favor the application of the
same principle in the government Of
our cities.
eve print the full plank as there
is much lack of information con
corning proportional representation.
CO. Election Laws: We favor
the passage of election laws that will
afford minority parties fair chance
to nominate candidates and place
them before the people.
(0 Absentee Votes: We hole
that no citizen should be deprived OF
| viz llS III w NOGC III CltCblOIlS DA
reason of change in residence or en-.
forced absence from home. We there,
fore advocate the amendment of oui
present laws to make it possible fol
all duly qualified and registered vot.
ers who are unable to vote in per.
son in the district where they are
so qualified and registered, to vote
by affidavit.
(S) Cabinet Responsibility: We
believe that all members of the Cab
met should have seats in Congress
but without votes, and be subject tt
Interpolation.
(9) Freedom of Speech and Press
AS individual liberty of mind anc
conscience is no less a part of dem
ocracy than equality of political anC
economic opportunity, and as prog
ress in civilization is always de
pendent on the right of individuals
to express ideas opposed to those
held by the majority, we are un