ropa » } |
Alco, |
Bellefonte, Pa., July 13, 1928.
EE ——
THE AVERAGE MAN.
His face had the grim look of granite,
As wrinkled and brown with the sun
As the coat on his narrow shoulders—
And his hands showed the work he had’
done :
For his wife and the babe on her bosom,
Yet he smiled through his palor and tan
In a patient, sad way, as if saying,
“I'm only the average man.”
“I can’t be a hero or poet,
Nor a General, decked with a crown; . |
I'm only a badly-paid servant
For them set above we. I'm down,
An’ it’s no use complaining,
I'll get along the best way I can—
But one 0’ these days’ll come mornin’
An’ hope for the average man.”
As I looked on this wistful-eyed toiler
A fire flashed into my brain, ;
And I cried from my heart's deepest cen-
ter
Above the wild roar of the train:
“I have seen the hero of battles,
I have looked on the hand for the plan—
The mightiest force of the world is
The arm of the average man!
He wages all battles and wins them,
He builds all the towers that soar
From the heart and the heat of the city;
His hand sets the ship from the shore.
‘Without him the General is helpless,
The earth is but a place for a plan,
He moves all, and builds all, and feeds all,
This sad-smiling average man!’*
Then I lifted my hand in a promise,
With teeth hard-set and my breath
Held close in my throat, as I uttered
In a vow that shall outlive death;
“I swear that the builder no longer
To me shall be less than the plan;
Henceforth. I. give honor and glory—
Being just to the average man!”
~—Hamlin Garland in Exchange.
THE DEMOCRATIC PLATFORM.
Pledges Aid for Farmers and Dry
Law Enforcement.
We, the Democratic Party in con-.
vention assembled, pause to pay our
tribute of love ang respect to the
memory of him who in his life and
his official actions voiced the hopes
and the aspirations of all good men
and women of every race and clime,
the former President of the United
States, Woodrow Wilson. His spirit
moves on and his example and deeds
will exalt those who come after us as
they have inspired us. :
We are grateful that we were priv-
ileged to work with him and again
pay tribute to his high ideals and ac-
complishments.
We reaffirm our devotion to the
principles of Democratic Goevrnment
formulated by Jefferson and enforced
by a long and illustrious line of Dem-
ocratic Presidents.
We hold that Government must
function,
but to preserve equal opportunity, so
that all may share in our priceless re-
sources; and not confine prosperity to
a favored few. We, therefore, pledge
the Democratic Party to - encourage
_ business, small and great alike; to
conserve human happiness and liber.
ty; to break the shackles of monopoly
and free the business of, the Nation;
to respond to popular will, ~ °
The function of a national platform
is to declare general principles and
party policies. We do not, therefore.
assume to bind our party respecting
local issues or details of legislation.
We, therefore, declare the policy of
the Democratic Party with regard to
the following dominant issues:
RIGHTS OF STATES.
We demand that the constitutional
rights and powers of the States shall
be preserved in their full vigor and
virtue. These constitute a bulwark
against the centralization and the de-
structive tendences of the Republican
Party.
We oppose bureaucracy and the
multiplication of offices and “office-
holders.
We demand a revival of the spirit
of local self-government with o ut
which free institutions cannot be pre-
served. . Rt
REPUBLICAN CORRUPTION.
Unblushingly, the Republican Par-
ty offers as its record agriculture
prostrate, industry depressed, Ameri-
can shipping destroyed, workmen
without employment, everywhere dis-
gust and suspicion and corruption un-
punished and unafraid.
Never in the entire history of the
country has there occurred in any giv-
en period of time or, indeed, in all
time put together, such a spectacle of
sordid corruption and unabashed ras-
cality as that which has character-
ized the administration of Federal af-
fairs under eight blighting years of | to
Republican rule.
Not the revels of reconstruction,
nor all the compounded frauds suc.
ceeding that evil era, have approached
in sheer audacity the shocking thiev-
eries and startling depravities of of-
ficials high and low in the public serv-
ice at Washington. From Cabinet
Ministers, with their tyeasonable
crimes, to the cheap vendors of of- d
ficial patronage. From the purchas-
ers of seats in the United States Sen-
ate to the vulgar grafters upon alien
trust funds and upon the hospital re-
sources of the disabled veterans of the
World war; from the givers and re-
ceivers of stolen funds for Republican
campaign purposes to the public men
who sat by silently consenting and
never revealing a fact or uttering a
word in condemnation, the whole of-
ficial organization under Republican
rule has Jecoms saturated with dis-
honesty, efiant of public opinion and
actuated o
perpetuate’
ment. w
As in the time
by a partisan desire to
control of the Govern-
of Samuel J. Tilden,
from whom the Presidency was
stolen, the watchword of the day
should be: “Turn the rascals out.”
This is the appeal of the Democratic { th
party to the people of the country. To | b
fixed purpose should be devoted | dq
this
et
source of the party. To this end ev-
|lete and
‘| the end of ‘the
| al activities.
not to centralize our wealth, | b
, publican administrations.
fore favor further reduction of the |
‘general have everything to gain from
every effort and applied every re-
ery minor difference on non-essential
issues should be put aside and a de-
to rescue the Government from those
who have betrayed their trust by dis-
gracing it. .
ECONOMY AND REORGANIZATION.
The Democratic Party stands for
efficiency and economy in the admin--
istration of public affairs and we
pledge: . aot
(A)—Business-like ' reorganization
of all departments of the govern-
ment. So
.(B)—Elimination of duplication,
waste and overlapping.
(C)—Susbhtitution of modern busi-
ness-like methods -for - existing - obso-
antiquated . conditions, SL
No economy’ resulted ‘from the Re.’
publican Party rule. . The . savings
they. claim take no account of the
elimination, of expenditures following.
World war, the large
sums realized from the sale of war
materials, ‘por its failure to supply
sufficient funds for the efficient con-
duct of many important government-
4 1
FINANCE AND TAXATION.
(A4)—The Federal Reserve System
created and inaugurated .under Dem--
ocratic auspices is the greatest leg-
islative contribution to .constructive
business ever. adopted. . The adminis-
Yration of ‘the system for advan-
tage of stock market sepculators
should cease. It must be administered
for the benefit of farmers, wage
earners, merchants, manufacturers.
and others engaged in constructive
business. ‘
(B)—The taxing function of gov-
ernment, free of despotism, has .for
centuries been regardegd.as the power
above all others which requires vig-
ilant scrutiny to the end that it be not
exercised for purposes of favor or
opression_ ;
Three times since the World war
the Democrats in Congress have fa- |
vored a reduction of the tax burdens
of the people in face of stubborn op-
position from a Republican Adminis-
tration. And each. time these reduc-
tions have largely been made for the
relief of those least able to endure
the exaction of a Republican fiscal
policy. The Tax bill of the season re-
cently ended was. delayed by Repub-
lican tactics and juggled by partisan
considerations so as to make impossi-
ble a full measure of’ relief to the
greater body of taxpayers. The mod-
erate reductions afforded were grudg-
ingly conceded, and the whole pro-
ceeding in Congress, dictated as far
as possible from the White House and
the Treasury, denoted the proverbial
desire of the Republican party always
to discriminate against the masses in
favor of privileged classes."
The Democratic party avows its be-
lief in the fiscal policy inaugurated
by the last Democratic administration
which has ‘provided a sinking fund
sufficient to extinguish the nation’s
indebtedness. within a reasonable per-
iod of time, without harassing the
present and next succeeding genera-
tions with tax burdens, which, if not
unendurable, do in fact check initi-
ative in enterprise and progress in
usiness.. 7
led ‘beyond ‘the actual re-
quirements of. the legally established
sinking fund are but an added’ bur-
den upon the American people, and
the surplus thus accumulated ‘in the
Federal Treasury is an incentive to
the increasingly extravagant expendi- |
tures which have characterized Re-
We, there- |
internal taxes.af the people.
x : ‘TARIFF.
The Democratic tariff legislation
will be based on the following poli-
eles: "rn
The maintenance of legitimate bus-
iness and a high standard of wages
for American labor, tat
Increasing the purchasing power of
wages and income by the reduction
of those monopolistic and extortien-
ate tariff rates bestowed in payment
of political debts.
Abolition of log-rolling and restora-
tion of the Wilson conception of a
fact-finding Tariff Commission, quasi-
judicial and free from the executive
domination which has destroyed the
usefulness of the present commission.
Duties that will permit effective
competition, insure against monopoly
and at the same time produce a fair
revenue for the support of Govern-
ment. Actual difference between the
cost of production at home and abroad
with actual safeguard for the wage
of the American laborer, must be the
extreme measure of every tariff rate.
Safeguarding the public against
monopoly crated by special tariff fa-
vors.
Equitable distribution of the bene-
fits and burdens of the tariff among
all.
Wage earner, farmer, stockman,
producer and legitimate business in
a Democratic tariff based on’ justice
L
CIVIL SERVICE.
Grover Cleveland made the exten-
sion of the merit system a tenet of
our political faith. We shall preserve
and maintain the Civil Service,
AGRICULTURE.
Deception upon the farmer. and
stock raiser has been practiced by the
Republican party through false and
elusive promises for more than fifty
years. Specially-favored industries
have been artificially aided by Repub-
lican legislation. Comparatively lit-
tle has been done for agriculture and
stock raising, upon which national
prosperity rests. Unsympathetic in-
action with regard to this problem
must cease. Virulent hostility of the
Republican Administration to the ad-
vocates of farm relief and denial of
the right of farm organizations to
lead in the development of farm pol-
icy, must yield to Democratic sym-
pathy and friendliness. 3
Four years ago the Republican par-
ty, forced to acknowledge the critical
situation, pledged itself to take all
steps necessary to bring back a bal-
anced condition between agriculture
and other industries and labor. To-
day it faces the country not only with
at pledge unredeemed, but broken
y the acts of a Republican Presi-
ent, who is primarily responsible for
the failure to offer a constructive pro-
gramme to restore equality to agri- so that the farmers in all sections.
culture.
| While he had no constructive and
; i ht be made | ad
termined and a united fig Thade aden he has twice vetoed farm re- |
juate programme to offer in its
lief legislation and has sought to jus-
tify his disapproval of agricultural
legislation partly on grounds wholly
inconsistent with his acts 1g in-
dustrial monopolies the beneficiaries
of Government favor, and in endors- |
ing the agricultural jpolicy of the
present Administration the Republi-
can party in its recent convention
served notice upon the farmer that
the so-called protective system is not
meant for him; that, while it offers
protection to the privileged few, it
promises continued world prices to
the producers of the chief cash crops
of agriculture, Tn Rea
We condemn the policy of the Re-
publicari party, which promises re-
lief to agriculture only through a re-
duction of American farm production
to the need of the domestic .market.
Such a programme means the con-
tinued deflation of agriculture, the |
forcing of additional millions “from
the farms, and the pefpetudtion of
| agricultural distress for years to
come, with continued bad effects on
business and labor throughout the
United States. t
The Democratic party recognizes
thatthe problems of production differ
as between agriculture and industry.
Industrial production is largely under
human control, while agricultural pro-
duction, because of lack of co-ordina-
tion among the 6,500,000 individual
farm units, and because of the influ-
ence of weather, pests and other caus-
es, is largely beyond human control.
The result is that a large crop fre-
quently is produced on a small acre-
age and a small crop on a large acre-
age; and measured in money value it
frequently happens that a large crop
brings less than a small crop. -.. -
Producers of crops whose: total vol-
ume exceeds the need of the domestic
market must continue at a disadvan-
tage until the Government shall 'in-
tervene as seriously and as'effective- |
ly in behalf of the farmer as it has
intervened in behalf of labor and in-
dustry. There is a need of supple-
mental legislation for the control and
orderly handling of agricultural sur-
pluses in order that the price of the
surplus may not determine the price
of the:whole crop. Labor has bene-
fitted« by collective bargaining and
some industries by tariff. Agriculture
must be as effectively aided,
The Democratic party in its 1924
platform pledged. its support to such
legislation. . It now reaffirms that
stand and pledges the united efforts
of the, legislative and executive
branches of government, as far as
may be controlled by the party, to
the immediate enactment of ‘such leg-
islation ‘and to such other steps as
are necessary to place and maintain
the purchasing power of farm ‘pro->
ducts and the complete economic qual-
ity of agirculture. sok i
The Democratic party has always
stood against special privilege and
for common equality under the law.
It is a fundamental principle of the
party that such tariffs as are levied
must not discriminate against any
industry, class or section. Therefore,
we pledge that in its tariff policy
the Democratic party will insist upsmn
equality of treatment. between agri-
culture and other industries. :
Farm relief must rest on the basis
of an économic equality of agricul-
ture with other industries. To give
| this equality a remedy must be found
which will include among other
things: : .
Credit aid by loans to co-operatives
on at least as favorable a basis as the
Government aid to the merchant ma-
rine.
Creation of a Federal Farm Board
to assist the farmer and sto ck raiser
in the marketing of their products, as
the Federal Reserve Board has done
for the banker and the business man.
‘When our archaic banking caused
panics under Byoibram Administra-
tions, it was a Democratic Congress,
in the administration of a Democrat-
ic President, that accomplished the
stabilization through the Federal Re- |
serve Act, creating the Federal Re.
serve Board with powers adequate to
its purpose. Now in the hour, of ag-
riculture’s need the Democratic Par-
ty pledges the establishment of a new
agricultural policy fitted to present
conditions, under the direction of a
farm board vested with all the pow-
ers necessary to accomplish for agri-
culture what the. Federal Reserve
Board has been able to occomplish for
finance, in full recognition of the fact
that the banks of the country,
even through ‘co-operation, ‘were nev-
er able to stabilize the financial sys-
tem of the country until government
powers were invoked to. help them.
Reduction through proper Govern-
ment agencies of the spread between
what the farmer and stock raiser get
and the ultimate consumer pays, with
consequent benefits to both.
Consideration of the condition of
agriculture in the ' formulation of
‘Government financial and tax mea-
sures. :
We pledge the party to foster and
develop co-operative marketing asso-
ciations through appropriate Govern-
ment aid.
We recognize that experience has
demonstrated that members of such
associations alone cannot successful-
ly assume the full responsibility
for a programme that benefits
all producers alike. We pledge the
party to an earnest endeavor to solve
this problem of the distribution of
the cost of dealing with crop sur-
pluses over the marketed units of the
crop whose producers are benefitted
by such assistance, The solution of
this problem would avoid Government
subsidy, to which the Democratic par-
ty has always been opposed. The so-
lution of this problem will be a prime
and immediate concern of a Demo-
cratic administration. :
We direct attention to the fact that
it was a Democratic Congress, in the
Administration of a Democratic Pres-
ident, which established the Federal
Loan System and laid the foundation
for the entire rural credits structure,
which has aided ‘agriculture to sus-
tain in part the shock of the policies
of two Republican Administrations;
and we promise thorough-going ad-
ministration of our rural credits laws,
may secure the maximum benefits in-
tended under these acts,
} MINING.
Mining is one of the basic indus-
tries of this
more coal, iron and copper than any
i other country. The value of our
I mineral production is second only to
i agriculture. Mining has suffered like
‘agriculture, and from similar causes.
It is the duty of our Government to
foster this industry and to remove the
restrictions that destroy its prosper-
{1% * FOREIGN POLICY. :
The Republican Administration has
‘no foreign policy. It was drafted
not afford to play a minor role in
world politics. It must have a sound
and negative one, We declare for a
constructive foreign policy based on
{ His principles: :
(A)—Outlawry of war and an ab-
horrénce of militarism, conquest and
imperialism.
(B) Freedom from entangling po-
litical alliances with foreign nations.
(C —protection of Ameriean lives
and rights. ;
- (D)—Non-interference with the
elections or other internal political
affairs of any other foreign nation.
This principle of non-interference ex-
tends to Mexico, Nicaragua and all
other Latin-American nations. Inter.
ference in the ‘purely internal affairs
of Latin-American countries must
cease.
(E)—Rescue of our country from
its present impaired world standing
and restoration to. its former position
as a leader in the movement for in-
ternational arbitration, conciliation,
conference and limitation
ment by international agreement.
(F)—International agreements for
reduction of all armaments and the
end of competitive war preparations
,and, in the meantime, the mainte-
; nance of an Army and Navy adequate
for national defense. :
-(G)—Full, free and open co-opera-
tion with all other nations for the pro-
motion of peace and
out the world.
. (H)—in our foreign relations,. this
country should stand as a unit, and
to be successful, foreign policies must
i have the approval and the support of
the American people, =
the President of entering into and
carrying out agreements with a for-
eign government, either de facto or
de -jure, for the protection of such
eign attack, or for the supervisien of
its internal affairs, when such agree-
ments have not been advised and con-
sented to by the Senate, as provided
States, and we condemn the Admin-
istration for carrying out such un-
a.
(J)—Recognition
Doctrine is a cardinal. principle of
| this ‘Government, promulgated for the
protection of ourselves and our Latin-
American neighbors.
their: friendly co-operation
maintenance of this doctrine.
. (K)—We condemn . the Republican
Administration for lack of statesman-
ship and efficiency in negotiating the
1921 treaty for the limitation of arm-
aments, which limited only the con-
| struction of battleships and ships of
over 10,000 tons,
towards peace, it accomplished no
| limitation of armament, because it
i simply resulted in the destruction of
one, battleships, and the blue prints of
| battleships of other nations, It placed
upon construction of
in the
ino limitation
| aircraft,
{ ships under 10,000 tons, poisonous
gases or other weapons of destruc-
regard to submarines and poisonous
gases. The attempt of the President
to remedy the failure of 1921 by the
Geneva
acterized by the same lack of states-
manship and efficiency and resulted in
entire failure.
‘In consequence, the race between
nations in the building of unlimited
weapons of destruction still goes on
and the peoples of the world are still
threatened with war and burdened
with taxation for additional arma-
ment,
WATER POWER, WATER WAYS
FLOOD CONTROL.
The Federal Government and State
Governments respectively, now have
absolute and exclusive sovereignty
and control over enormous waterpow-
ers, which constitute one of the great-
est assets of the nation. The sov-
ereign title and control must be pre-
served respectively in the State and
Federal Governments, to the end that
the people may be protected against
exploitation of this great resource and
that waterpowers may be expeditious-
ly developed under such regulations
as will insure to the people reason-
able rates and equitable distribution.
We favor and will promote water-
ways and removal of discrimination
against water transportation. Flood
control and the lowering of flood lev-
els are essential to the safety of life
and property, the productivity of our
lands, the navigability of our streams,
and the reclaiming of our wet and
overflowed lands. We favor expedi-
tious construction of flood relief
works on the Mississippi and Colora-
do rivers and such reclamation and
irrigation projects upon the Colorado
river as may be found feasible.
We favor appropriation for prompt
co-ordinated surveys by the United
States, to determine the possibilities
of general navigation improvements
and water power developments on
navigable streams and their tributar-
ies, and to secure reliable informa-
tion as to the most economical navi-
gation improvement, in combination
with the most efficient and complete
development of water power.
We favor the strict enforcement of
the Federal Water Power Act, a Dem-
ocratic act, and insist that the gublic
interest in water power sites, ignored
by two Republican administrations, be
protected.
CONSERVATION AND RECLAMATION.
We shall conserve the natural re-
sources of our country for the benefit
of the people and to protect them
against waste and monopelization,
country, “We produce that
| without plan. This great Nation can- |
of arma-.
justice through- |
putes.
“(I)—Abolition of the practice of |
in the Constitution of the United:
ratified agreement that requires us’
to use our armed forces in Nicara-:
that the Monroe
We shall seek |
1
Merely a gesture b
submarines, cruisers, war- |
tion. No agreement was ratified with '
resources of timber
policy of reforesta-
Our disappeari
call for a Di
i tion. :
| The Federal Government should im-
: prove and develop its public lands so
y may go into private owner-
ship and become subjected to taxa-
tion for the support of the States
wherein they exist, The Democratic
administration will actively, effective-
ly, efficiently and economically car-
ry on reclamation projects and make
equitable adjustments with the home-
stead entrymen for the mistakes the
. Government has made and extend all
| practical aid to refinance reclamation
and drainage projects.
TRANSPORTATION.
Efficient and" economical transpor-
tation is essential to the prosperity of
every industry. Cost of transporta-
| tion controls the income of every hu-
' man being and materially affects the
| cost of living. We must, therefore,
' promote every form of transportation
in-a state of highest efficiency.
Recognizing the prime importance
of air transportation, we shall encou-
"rage its development by every possi-
ble means. “
Improved roads are of vital im-
portance, not only to commerce andr
industry, but also to agriculture and
rural life. :
should construct and maintain at its
own expense roads upon its public
lands. We reaffirm our approval of
the Federal Road Law; enacted by a
Democratic administration: Common
carriers, whether by land, water or
rail, must be protected in an equal
opportunity to compete, so that Gov-
¢rnmental regulation against exor-
bitant rates and inefficiency will be
aided by competition.
LABOR.
(A)—We favor the principle of col-
lective bargaining and the Democratic
principle that organized labor: should
choose its own representatives with-
out coercion or interference.
(B)—Labor is not a commodity,
Human rights must be safeguarded.
Labor should he exempt from the .op-
eration of anti-trust laws. --
(C)—=We recognize that legislation
and other: investigations have shown
the existence of grave abuse in the
issuance of injunctions in labor dis-
5 Injunctions should not be
granted in labor disputes except upon
| proof of threatened irreparable injury
and after notice and hearing, and the
injunction should be confined to those
lacts which do directly threaten irre-
parable injury.. The expressed purpose
of representatives of capital, labor
government against revolution or for-.| and the bar to. devise a plan for the
| elimination of the present evils with
respect to injunctions must be sup-
ported, and legislation, designed _to
| accomplish these ends, formulated and
passed. ;
(D)—We favor legislation provid-
ing that products of convict labor,
shipped from one State to another,
shall be subject to laws of the latter
| State, as though they had been pro-
duced therein; ;
UNEMPLOYMENT.
i Unemployment. is present, wide-
spread and increasing. Unemploy-
ment is almost as destructive to the
, happiness, comfort and well being of
| human beings as war. =
| We expend vast' sums off money to
| protect our people against the evils
| is anticipated to prevent the awful
suffering and economic losses of un-
It threatens the well-
eing of millions of our people and
endangers the prosperity of the na-
tion. We favor the adoption by the
| Government, afer a study of this sub-
ject, of a scientific plan whereby, dur-
ing periods of unemployment, appro-
employment.
works and the lessening, as far as
| consistent with public interests, of
of Government construction work
when labor is generally and satisfac- ;
torily employed in private enterprise, |
| Study should also be made of mod- : 2
Conference of 1928 was char- ' orp methods of industry and a con- Shibping services
structive solution found to absorb and : 'é&ional United
| utilize the surplus labor released by |
the increasing use of machinery.
ACCIDENT COMPENSATION TO U. 8
EMPLOYEES.
We favor legislation making fair
and liberal compensation to Govern-
ment employees. who are injured in
accident or by occupational disease,
and to the dependents of such work-
ers as may die as a result thereof.
FEDERAL EMPLOYEES,
Federal employees should receive a
living wage based upon American
standards of decent living. Present
wages are in many instances far be-
low that standard. We favor a fair
and liberal retirement law for Gov-
ernment employees in the classified
service. ‘
: VETERANS.
Through Demoratic votes, and :n
spite of two Republican Presidents’
opposition, the Congress has main-
tained America’s traditional policy to
generously care for the veterans of
the World war. In extending them
free hospitalization, a statutory
award for tuberculosis, a programme
of progressive hospital construction,
and provisions for compensation for
the disabled, the widows and orphans,
America has surpassed the record of
any nation in the history of the world.
We pledge the veterans that none of
the benefits heretofore accorded by
the Wilson administration and the
votes of Democratic members of Con-
gress shall be withdrawn; that these
will be added to more in accordance
with veterans’ and their dependents’
actual needs. Generous appropria-
tions, honest management, the remov-
al of vexatious administration delays,
and sympathetic assistance of the vet-
erans of all wars, is what the Demo-
cratic Party demands and promises.
WOMEN AND CHILDREN.
We declare for equality of women
with men in all political and govern-
mental matters.
Children are the chief asset of the
Nation. Therefore, the protection in
infancy and childhood against ex-
ploitation is an important national
duty.
The Democratic Party has always
opposed the exploitation of women in
industry and has stood for such con-
ditions of work as will reserve their
health and safety,
|" We favor an equal wage for equal
The Federal Governpent
{of war, but no government program’
service; and likewise favor adequate:
appropriations for the Women’s and.
Children’s Bureau. 3
IMMIGRATION, -
Laws which limit immigration must
be preserved in full force and effect,
but the provisions contained in these-
laws that separate husbands from.
wives and parents from infant chil-
dren are inhuman and not essential
le the prupose or the efficacy of such
aw. :
RADIO.
Government supervision must se-.
cure to all people the advantage of,
radio communication and likewise
guarantee the right of free speech.
Official control, in contravention of"
this guarantee, should not be toler-
ated. Governmental control must pre-
vent monopolistic use of radio com-
munication and guarantee equitable -
distribution and enjoyment thereof.
COAL. :
Bituminous coal is not only the-
common base of manufacture, but is
a vital agency in interstate transpor-’
tation. The demoralization of this in-
dustry, its labor conflicts and distress,
its waste of a national resource and’
disordered public ervice, demand con-
tructive legislation that will allow.
capital and labor a fair share of pros-.
perity with adequate protection to the
consuming public.
CONGRESSIONAL ELECTION REFORM.
We favor legislation ‘to prevent de-'
feated members of both Houses of
Congress from participating in the:
sessions of Congress by giving the
date for convening the Congress im-
mediately after the biennial national ‘
election. :
LAW ENFORCEMENT, :
The Republican party, for eight’
years in complete control of the Gov-'.
ernment at Washington, presents the:
remarkable spectacle of feeling com--
pelled in its national platform to.
promise obedience to a provision of
the Federal Constitution which it has
flagrantly disregarded, and to apoio-
gize to the country for its failure to
enforce laws enacted by the Congress -
of the United States. Ha ;
Speaking for the national Democra-*
cy, this convention pledges the party
and its nominee to an honest effort
to enforce the Eighteenth Amend-
ment and all other provisions of the
Federal Constitution.and all laws en-
acted pursuant thereto. ;
We condemn the improper and ex-.
cessive use of money in elections as a
danger threatening the very existence -
of democratic institutions. - Republi-
can expenditures in senatorial pri-
maries and elections have been so ex-
orbitant as to constitute a national
scandal, .
CAMPAIGN EXPENDITURES. !
We favor publicity in all matters.
affecting campaign contributions and
expenditures. We shall begin not
later than August 1, 1928, and every
‘thirty days thereafter, the publica-
tion and filing being not later than
five days before the election, publish:
in the press and file with the appro-
Lhate committees of the House and
enate a complete account of all con-
tributions, the names of the contri-’
butors, the amounts expended and the
purposes. In the event that any finan-
cial obligations are contracted and not:
paid for, our national committee will
similarly report and publish, at least ®
priations shall be made available for |
the construction of necessary public’
| successfully
*1ance of any of these lines.
five days before the election, all de-"
| tails respecting such obligations,
€ agree to keep and maintain =a
bermanent record of all campaign
contributions and expenditures and to-
insist that contributions by the citi-
zens of one State to the Campai
Committe of other States shall have
| immediate publicity.
MARINE.
. We reaffirm our support of an effi-
cient, dependable American merchant.
marine for the carriage of the great-
er portion of our commerce and for
the national defense, a
he Democratic party has consist-
ently and vigorously supported the
maintained by the
. i States Shipping-
oard in the interest of all ports and’
all sections of our country, and has:
opposed the discontinu--
We favor
the transfer of these lines gradually
to the local private American com-
panies, when such companies can’
show their ability to take over and
permanently maintain the lines. Lines .
that cannot now be transferred to pri--
vate enterprise should continue to be -
operated as at present and should be -
kept in an efficient state by remodel-
Ing of some vessels and replacement
of others. . Homi
We are unalterably opposed to a .
monopoly in American shipping, and :
are opposed to the operation of any
of our service in a manner that would °
retard the development of any ports :
or sections of our country. ht
We oppose such sacrifices and fa--
voritism as exhibited in the past in
the matter of alleged sales, and insist
that the primary .purpose of the leg-
islation upon this subject be the os :
lishment and maintenance of an ade--
quate American merchant marine,
We favor the most earnest efforts
on the Zan of the United States to
secure the fulfillment of the promises.
and engagements made during and.
following the World war by the Unit-
ed States and the Allied Powers to.
Armenia and her people.
EDUCATION.
‘We believe with Jefferson and oth--
er founders of the republic that ig-
norance is the enemy of freedom and.
that each State, being responsible for -
the intellectual and moral qualifica- -
tions of its citizens and for the ex-
penditure of the monies collected by
taxation for the support of its schools:
shall use its sovereign right in all
matters pertaining to education.
The Federal Government should of-
fer to the States such counsel, advice, .
results of research and aid as may be -
made available through the Federal
agericies for the general improvement.
of our schools, in view of our nation- -
al needs.
MONOPOLIES AND ANTI-TRUST LAWS
During the last seven years, under:
Republican rule, the anti-trust laws .
have been thwarted, ignored and vio- -
lated so that the country is rapidly -
becoming controlled by trusts and sin- -
(Continued on page 7, Col. 1.)