Cresco plain dealer. (Cresco, Howard County, Iowa) 1913-1945, 1919-07-18
Issued on Friday of Each Week
Entered at the Post Office at Cresco,
Iowa, as second class mail matter.

Entered at the Post Office at Cresco,
Iowa, as second class mail matter.
Proxre.sives Ak and Democrats Gave
From speech delivered by Chairman
Homer S. Cummings, of the Democrat
ic National Committee, at Wichita.
Kansas.
Only few hours ago, one of my as
sociates who is with me here handed
me copy Of what was called "A Con-
tract With the People," q platform OF
the Progressive party adopted at it's
first national convention in Chicago
August 2, 1912. After some pream-
bles clarifying both Jefferson and Lin
coin, it begins this way: 'The DELHI
crate betrayal of its trust by the Re-
publican party, and the fatal incapacity
of the Democratic party to deal with
the new issues of the new time, have
compelled the people to forge new
instrument of government through
which to give effect to their will in
laws and institutions.
And 30 they founded their party be-
cause they wanted certain new and nee
essary social legislation and because. Is
they, believed. the Republican party
had betrayed ito trust, having had an
Opportunity and having failed to i'm
prove it, and that the Democratic par
ty Vas incapable Of carrying through
these great reforms.
( Nov, they were correct in their first
proposition-that the Republican party
had betrayed it, trust and no longer
was worthy of the confidence of the
American people, but they were wrong
in their suggestion that the Democrat
ic party was incapable of carrying for
ward these new measures and placing
them in the structure of our laws-re.
medal statutes which have proved so
beneicent in their operation, and so
splendid in their effect that no oppo-
nent dares suggest their repeal.
And just glancing through this Pro.
grsssive platform ofl9l2, find that
they ak for effective legislation look
ing to the prevention of industrial &C.
cidente, occupational diseases, over
work, involuntary unemployment, and
other injurious by-products of modern
industry. You all know what we have
done in the matter of vocational train
ing, You know what we have done in
the mstter Of the Workmen's Compen-
sstion Act. You know that the Demo
cratic party, for the first time in the
history Of the Government, has placed
in tho Cabinet of the United States q
Secretary Of Labor, and you know what
the Federal employment agencies are
endeavoring to do and you know that
the power Of these agencies to find en-
pioyment for the unemployed has been
deliberately impaired by the Republi-
can party.
One other Of the prominent planks in
the Progr essive platform was the pro-
hibition Of child labor. You oil know
what the Democratic party has done in
that regard. For the first time in the
history of America, We passed the
child-labor law and, when the courts
declared it unconstitutional. We were 20
intent upon that measure that We have
provided alternate measures 90 that it
may be effective. The eight-hour law,
q recognition of the rights of labor in
that regard, urged by the Progressivet,
was one of the Democratic bills, and to
it has been added the great interns-
tioual recognition of labor which 10 one
Of the splendid things Of the covenant
of peace drafted at Paris.
pass along to q more important
plank. They wanted this: 1--WE pledge
ourselves to the establishment of nom
partisan scientific tariff commission.
The Democratic party established and
there is now in operation . scientific
non.partisan tariff commission. They
condemned the Payne-Aldrich bill as
unjust to the people. We repealed it
and supplied q vast improvement over
that system.
They asked for reform in the cur
rency Of this country, believing that
the present existing method-that was
in l9l2-would be harmful to American
businhss. Against the greatest oppo-
sition that ever confronted q Congress,
against the combined power of the
financial interests of America, against
the protest of the great Republican
leaders in the Senate and in the House,