Evening star., 1924-07-09
Democratic Platform Meets
Customary Praise and Jeers

Pretty generally the Democratic
press boosts its party's platform, ap-
plauding the Progressive features.
Equally as true to form, the Repub-
lican newspapers fail to find in. it
much Of constructive party policy.
Naturally one looks to the newspa-
pers classed politically as "indepen-
dent" for expressions containing less
of the party bias. as well as for the
partisan views of the out-and- out
Republican and Democratic news
papers
Among the independent newspapers
which editorially praise the Demo-
cratic platform Is the Portland
Oregon Journal, which declares that
cepted the challenge of the Cleve-
land platform and draws the issue
on which the presidential campaign
OF 1924 will be contested. That Is
sue is whether the government shall
serve the masses Of the country by
direct means or whether it shall
serve industry and business and de-
pend upon them to deal fairly with
the people of the nation. The New
York platform insists that industry
and business shall serve the people
rather than that the people of the
country shall serve business and In
dustry" Characterizing the plat
form as Thoroughly Democratic and
courageously Progressive" the Omaha
World Herald independently agrees
it belongs. Enthusiastically on the side
Of the common people and at war with
special privilege in all it's hateful
forms; 1t constitutes a new declara-
tion of independence for all those
millions who suffer today under the
heavy and unjust burdens. imposed by
sectional and class government. The
Detroit News independently and
Lansing State Journal independently
point out that the platform is more
specific on more issues than the Re
publican. While the Chicago Daily
News independently concludes the
platform as a whole, because or It's
significant declarations. is bound to
play an important part in the coming
national campaign"
The Democratic convention in deal
ing with the Ku Klux Klan is
sue, according to the Baltimore Sun
(ndependent), "has initiated the Re-
publican convention, for both set forth
familiar constitutional platitudes;
each sedulously avoids giving them
special application" therefore. "the
representatives Of the Khan claim the
Republican plank as a victory for
that organisation, and 1t is to be as
sumed that the Demo plank will
be no less satisfactory to it." 1t all
shows "how far parties have degenz
Grated, how men try to make my par
ty' mean not the party to which be-
long," according to the Milwaukee
Journal independently, "but the par
ty which belongs to me to use II
can"
The springfield Republican unde-
pendent) says that "why Mr.. Bryan
and the other members of the reso-
lutions committee should have fallen
to their knees to seek divine guild
ance concerning the Democratic plat
form must ever be q mystery. The
platform contains no evidence Of hav-
ing received the divine blessing" In
deed, the Providence Journal (inde-
pendent) calls 1t - cavernous de-
pository for fads and fancies of the
most various description, though for
some unexplained reason it has moth
ing to say about bobbed hair, tn e
growing use Of tobacco and tho right
way to keep hens" With all due
respect to the Democratic party, es-
pecially to those leaders who have
occasionally lifted It above the. pale
Of cheap political expediency," the
Houston Chr6nicle (indepsndsnD says
The Tns san Franciscoa Bulletin tin
! |depsndsnt) concludsA. It Is the same