About Americus times-recorder. (Americus, Ga.) 1891-current | View Entire Issue (June 30, 1924)
MONDAY AFTERNOON. ]b N E 30. 192+ TEXT OF DEMOCRATIC PLATFORM DRAFT Platform Presented to Delegates Declares America Should Assume ‘Moral Leadership m the Family of Nations’ and That There is No Substitute for League of Nations—Ques tiolL p ? That Should be Lifted Above Par ty Politics in Order to Establish Permanent Foreign Policy—Would Lift Burden of War From People—Referendum Is Favored. . d'p? N S x QL^ RE D p AR OEN. New June 28. (Bv the /I C ress )- The .. latform Conurwttee of the Democratic his X™ t,On saving time) platform to the ’d to^eTend 14 »p eP j r i Reso ’ ut 'ons Committee is epect- The tel f th s de,e^tes ’ater in the afternoon. is as foliows: ° ? ma}Oniy report the platform committee Democratic National Platform We, the representatives of the Democratic party, in national con vention assembled, pay our pro found homage to the memory of Woodrow Wilson. We affirm our abiding faith in his ideals, and pledge ourselves to lake up the standard which he bore and to strive for the full triumph of the principles of democracy to which he dedicated his life. Freedom of Religion, Freedom of Speech, Freedom of Press The Democratic party reaffirms its adherence and devotion to those cardinal principles contained in the constitution and the precepts upon which our government is founded, that congress shall make no laws respecting the establishment of re ligion, or prohibiting the free exer cise thereof, or abridge the free dom of speech or of the press, or the right of people peacebly to as semble and to petition the govern ment for a redress of grievances, that th e church and the state shall be and remain separate and ’ that no religious test shall ever be re quired as a qualification to any office of public trust under the United States. These principles we pledge ourselves to defend and maintain. We insist at all times upon obedi ence to the orderly processes of the law and deplore and condemn any effort to arouse religious or racial dissension. Affirming our faith in these principles we submit our cause’ to th e people. League of Nations The Democratic party jn it§ League of Nations plank declares “it‘Mil be the purpose of the next (administration to do all in it’s pow ker to secure for ouir countjwcse”' M mofal leadership in thfe 1 nations, which in the providencWH God, has been so clearly marked out for it.” There is no substitute for the League of Nations, the plank . de clares, as an agency working for peace, therefore, the Democratic party believes that, in the interest of permanent peace and in the lift ing of great burdens of war from thee backs of people and in order to establish a permanen foreign pol icy on these supreme questions, not subject to change with changing of party administration, it is ‘desir able, wise and necessary” to lift this question out of party politics and to that end take the sense of Amer ican people at referendum election advisory to the government-to be held officially under an act of Con gress, “free from all other questions and candidacies after ample time for full consideration and discus sion throughout the country.” Democratic Principles The Democratic party believes in equal all and special priv ilege to none. The Republican par ty hold that special privileges are essential to national prosperity. It believes that national prosperity must originate with the special inter, ests and seep down thorugh the channels of trade to the less faver t'd industries to the wages earners and small salaried employes. It has accordingly enthroned privilege an 4 unturned selfishness. The Re publican party is concerned chiefly with material things; th; Democra tic ' ; party is concerned chiefly with human rights. Comparison of Parties. We urge the American people to compare the record of eight unsull ied years of Democratic administra tion with that of the Republican ad. ministration. Republican Inefficiency, Corruption Never before in our history has th e government been so tainted by I corruption and never har an admin- K istration so utterly fa'd,j(L Thenar F tion has been appalled ‘ lations of political depravity which have characterized the conduct of public affairs. We arraign th e Re publican party for attempting to limit inquiry into official delin quencies and to impede, if not to frustrate the investigations to which in the beginning of the Republican party and leaders assented, but which later they regarded with dis may. ‘ .. Such are the exigencies of parti hn politics that Republican lead 1s are teaching the Strange doc- Ine that public censure should be i eated against tHjve •W’lfb* expose jfria rather than against criminals V hav e committed the Vmly three cabinet officers ouF {ten are disgraced, the country faked to marvel at how many are free from taint. v Istues . The dominant issues of the cam paign ar e created by existing con ditions. The Democratic party pledges it self to the following program; Honest Government We pledge the Democratic party to drive from public places all who barter of our national honor, its resources or the administration of its laws; to piTfiish those guilty of these offenses. To put none but honest in pub lic .offices; to practice economy in the expenditure of public money; to reverence and respect the rights of all under the constitution. To condemn and destroy govern ment by the spy and blackmailer, as by this Republican administra tion was both encouraged and practiced. Tariff and Taxation The Fordney-McCumber tariff act is the most unjust, unscientific and dishonest tariff tax measure ever enacted in our history. We denounce the Republican tar iff laws which are written in great part in th e aid of monopolies. The greatest contributing iactor in the increase and unabalancing of prices is unscientific taxation. Af ter having increased taxation and tile cost of living by two billion dol lars under the FordneyMcCumber tariff, all that the Republican party could suggest in the way of relief was a cuts of three hundred million dollars in direct taxes, that was to be given principally to those with the larges incomes. The issue between the president apd the Dmocratic party is not one 'Veductitfn or of the conser ||(T ' a ‘"‘ L*ue of -'burden of taxation and of the" distribution of capital as affec ted by the taxation of income. The income tax was intended as a tax upon wealth, It was .not intend ed to take from the poor any part of he necessities of life. We hull that the fairest tax with which to raise revenues for the federal gov ernmen is the income tax. We fav or a graduated tax upon incomes, so adjusted as to lay the burdens of government upon the taxpayers in proportion to the benefits they enjoy and their ability to pay. We denounce the Mellon tax plan as a device to relieve multi-million aire sat the expense of other tax payers, and we accept the issue of taxation tendered by President Cool idge. Agriculture During the four years of Republi can government, the economic con ditions of the American farmer has changed from comfort to bank ruptcy, with all its attendant mis eries. Railroads The sponsors for the Esch-Cum mins transportation act of 1920, at the time of its presentation to con gress, stated that i had for its pur pose the reduction of tlyr 1 - cost of transportation, the improvement of service the bettering of labor con ditions, the promotion of peaceful co-operation between employer and employe and, at the same time, the (assurance of a fair and just re turn to the railroads upon their in vestment. We are in accord with these an nounced proposes, but contend that the act has failed to accomplish them. It has failed to reduce the cost of transportation. Railroad freight rates should be so readjusted as to give the bulky, basic, low-priced raw commodities, such as agricultural products, coal and ores the lowest rates, placing the higher rates upon more valuable and, less bulky manufactured prod We reaffirm and pledge the ful fillment of the policy, with refer ence to Muscle Shoals, as declared and passed by the Democratic ma jority of the sixty-fourth Congress in the national defense act of 1916. “for the production of nitrate, or other products needed for the pro duction of nitrates or other prod ducts needed for munitions of war and useful in the manufacture of fertilizer.” We hold that the production of cheaper and higher-grade fertiliz ers i g essential to agricultural pros ■penty. We dchiand prompt action by congress for operation of the Muscle “Shoals plants capacity in the production, distribu-: tion and sale of commercial fertiliz- j era to the farmers of the country ’ and we oppose any legislation that limits the production of fertilizers at Muscle Shoais by limiting the amount of power to be used in their manfuacture. Republican Contraction cf Credit We denounce the recent cruel and unjust contraction of legiti mate and necessary credit and cur rency, which wag directly due to the so-called deflation policy of the Republican party as declared in its national platform of June, 1920, and in the speech of acceptance of its candidate for the presidency. Reclamation The Democratic party was fore most in urging reclamation for the arid and semi-arid lands of the west. These lands are located in the public land .states, and there fore, it is the duty of the govern ment to utilize their resources by reclamation. Postal Employes We declare in favor of adequate salaries to provide decent living conditions for postal employes. Popular Elections We pledge the Democratic party co a policy which will prevent members of either house who fail of re-election/rom participaing in th e subsequent sessions of congress. Probation We favor the extension of the probation principle to the courts of the United States. Activities of Women We welcome the women of the nation to their rightful place by the side of men in the control of government whose burdens they always shared. Mining 'Wining is one of the basic in dustries of this country. The value of our mineral production is sec ond only to agriculture. Mining has suffered like agriculture and from the same causes. It is the duty of our government to foster this industry and to remove the re strictions that destroy its prosperi ty. Regulation of Corporations We pledge the Democratic party to regulate by governmental agen cies the anthracite coal industry and all other corporations controll ing' the necessaries of life where public welfare has been subordinat ed to private interests. Merchant Marine The Democratic party coondemns the vacillating policy of the Repub lican administration in its failure to develop an American flagship ping policy. Education We believe with Thomas Jeffer son and other founders of the re public that ignorance is the enemy of freedom and that each state, be ing responsible for the intellectual and moral qualifications of its citi zens and for the expenditure of moneys collected by taxation for th e support of its schools, shall use its sovereign right in all matters pertaining to education. Civil Service We denounce the action of the Republican administration in its violations of the principles of civli service by its partisan removals and manipulations of the eligible lists in the postoffic e department and other governmental depart ments; by its packing the Civil Service Commission so that the commission became the service in strument of the administration in its wish to deny to the ex-service men their preferential rgiht under the law and the evasion of the re quirements of the’ law reference to appointments in the department. Conservation We pledge recovery of the navy’s oil reserves; and all other parts of the public domain, which have been fraudulently or illegally leased or otherwise wrongfully transferred to the control of public officials, pri vate citizens and corporations that participated in these tranactions; revision of the water power act,the general leasing act, and all other legislation relating to the public domain, that may be esential to its conservation and honest and effi cient use on behalf of the people of the country. We believe that ht enation should retain title to its water power and we favor the expeditious creation and develop ment of our water power. We fav or public control and conservation of all the nation’s natural resources such as coal, iron, oil and timber, and their use in such manner as may be to othe best interest of our citizens. Improved Highway* Improved roads are of vital im portance not only to commerce and industry but also to agreiulture and rural life. We call attention to the record of the Democratic party in this matter and favor a continuance of federal aid under existing fed eral and state agencies. Veterans of W«rs We favor generous appropria tions, honst management and sym pathetic care and assistance in the hospitalization; rehabilitation and compensation of the veterans of ah wars and their dependents. The humanizing of the veteran bureau is imperatively required. Campaign Contributions. The nation now knows that thq predatory interests have, by supply-’ ing republican campaign funds, sys tematically purchased legislative fa vors and administrative immunity. The practice must stop; oJr nation THE AMERICUS TIMES-RECORDER At “Communists" Party IT H I ill 2* .. .... This is a political convention. ■ But you’d never know it from all th e vacant seats. It’s a scene at the opening of the meeting of the National Farmer-Labor Pro gressive Party in St. Paul. There were almost as many newspaper men as delegates there. William Mahoney, St. Paul labor editor is delivering the keynote ad dress. Surrounding him on the stage are reporters and corre spondents. The “conservatives,” headed by Mahoney, sought the nomination of Senator Robert M. LaFollette. But LaFollette would have nothing to do with the con vention of wh|ch the radical's obtained control right from the start. must return to honesty and decency in politics. Narcotics Recognizing narcotic addiction ( especially the spreading herom m addiction among the youth asa grave peril to American and to the human race, we pledge ourselves vigor ously to take against against it all legitimate and proper measures for education, for control and for sup prssion at home and abroad. Enforcement of Prohibition Law The republican administration hds failed to enforce the prohibition law; is guilty of trafficking liquor permits, and has become the protec tor of this law. The democratic party pledges it self to respect and enforce the con stitution and all laws. The Rights of The States. __ We demand that the states of the I Union shall be preserved in all their 1 vigor and power. They con stitute a bulwark against the cen tralizing and destructive tendencies of the Republican party. Asiatic Immigration We pledge ourselves to maintain our establisheed position in favor of the exclusion of Asiatic immi gration. Philippine Independence The Philippine people nave suc ceeded in maintaining a stable gov ernment and have thus fulfilled th ■ only condition laid down by the congress as a prerequisite to the granting of independence. We de clare that it is now our liberty and our duty to keep our promise “to these people by granting them im mediately the independence which they so honrably covet. Alaska The mal administration of affairs in Alaska is a matter of concern to all our people. Under + he Repub lican administration of Alaska, de velopment has ceased and the fish ing industry has been considerably impaired. Territory of Hawaii We believe in a policy for cont inuing the improvements of the na tional party, the harb’or and break waters, and the federal roads of the territory of Hawaii. Virgin Island*. We recommend legislation for the welfare of the inhabitants of the Virgin Islands. We condemn the .Lausanne treaty. It bars legitimate American rights and betrays Armenia, for the Cester oil concession. Republic of Greece We welcome to the, sisterhood of republic the ancient land of Greece which gave to our party its price less name. We extend to her government arid people our cordial good wishes. War. War is a relic of barbarism and it is justifiable only as a measure of defense. In the event War in which the manpower of the nation is drafted all other resources should like wise be drafted. This will tend to discourage war by depriving it of Its profits. Disarament, War Referendum and National Defense We demand a strict and sweep ing reduction of armaments by land ■and sea, so that there shall be no competitive military program or naval building. Until International agreements to this end have been made, we advocate an army and navy adequate for our national safety. MRS. LYDIG HOYT FILES DIVORCE PLEA PARIS. June 2?.—Mrs. Lydig Hoyt, wife of the wealthy New York club ii i . filed a petition for di vorce hift’e June 20, it became known today. What this country needs most is a law against men wearing coats. DELEGATES QUIT TILL 3 O’CLOCK TO FRAME PLANK Delegates Recess Until 3 O’clock, Eastern Day light Saving Time Still Seemingly Hopelessly Divided On Issue of Whether Ku Klux Klan Is to Be Named Specifically in Platform Chairman Cummnigs Makes Dramatic Re cital of Committee’s Deliberations—Bryan Asks Divine Guidance For Convention. NEW >ORK, June 28.—Democratic party leaders failed to- U?’ in renewed effort to reconcile their differences over the Ku Klux Klan issue and avoid an open fight on the floor of the na tional convention. I he morning session of the convention was adjourned to provide opportunity to further peace conferences, but after more than two hours in consultation with other party chieftains, advo cates of an out-and-out klan plank announced that the issue must be settled, by the delegates themselves. Bainbridge Colby, former secretary of state, was selected to conduct the floor fight for a plank condemning the klan by name and it appeared likely that William Jennings Brvan would lead the element that only wants to put into the platform a gen eral reaffirmation of the principles of religious liberty. CONVENTION ADJOURNS TILL AFTERNOON MADISON SQUARE GARDEN, June 28.—Responding to the ap peals of party leaders to give mor? tiipe for platform committee work on the Ku Klux Klan plank, tha Democratic national convention, af ter a brief morning session, re cessed until 3 o’clock this after noon, eastern daylight saving''time, Seemingly hopelessly divided on the issue of whether the klan is to be named specifically and surround ed by war clouds loaded with threats of a party split, the conven tion managers sent Homr Cummings chairman of the platform commit tee, to the bat to explain to the convention why the platform is be ing,delayed and to plead for more time. Tired and worn by continuous loss of sleep since last Tuesday, Chaii man Cummings gave as dramatic recital as ever been heard in the national convention. Explaining the deliberations of the committee and its inability to reach an agree ment, he told,- amid the deathly sil ence. how, after an all-night session the committeemen gathered around their table, in the breaking dawn pf anoher day, and recited in unison the Lord’s prayer, after which William Jennings Bryan had raised his voice and spoken in prayer for divine guidance. COMMITTEE FAVORS LEAGUE REFERENDUM NEW YORK, June 28.—A pro posal for a national referendum on the question of American member ship in the league of nations was approved last night by the plat form committee of the democratic national convention by a vote of 34 to 16. With this subject disposed of, the commiteee took up the other single controverted matter—the Ku Klux Klan—with every indication that majority and minority reports on the question of naming the klan would be submitted and the fight then thrown into the convenion. Except for the league and klan planks, the platform had been put in final form and the committee made a determined drive last night to complete these so that the entire plaform might be presented to the convention early tomorrow. To -io this members said a near all-night session would be necessary. M’ADOO LEADERS OPENLY ‘DUMP’ KLAN AT N. Y. NEW YORK, June 28—The McAdoo leaders here are openly and militantly dumping the Ku Klux Klan, according to James A. Hollo mon, special convention correspon dent of the Atlanta onstitution, Hollomon asserts that the dumping process began when Major Jack Co hen was firs quoted as saying there were no klan delegates from Geor gia, and when prepared statements were given out by Judge Rockwell denying that his candidate had any klan allegiance of any klan sym pathies. As an offset to this however, there were further circulations of a secret order issued by grand dra gon of Georgia asking all klan delegates to attend the McAdoo con vemimi in Atlanta" and to support Major Cohen for committeeman because .a- had agreed to • protect the klan’s interests at the New- York convention. Fully aware that the klan pillory was choking their candidate to death, a program of seconding speeches from all the McAdoo states that had not already been called in the nomination roll was prepared and the speakers coached that the klan should either be directly de nouned by name or that the liberty guaranties of the federal constitu tion should be stressed as a McAdoo characteristic. ; Hence it was that an Irishman from North Dakota denounced the klan by name in one breath and lauded William Gibbs McAdoo, whose nomination he sconded in the other. When he pronounced McAdoo’s name the Georgia delegation, which has stood a lot of finger pointing and none too kindly kidding as a “klan delegation,” jumped up on its chairs and put its flag as high in the air as they could. When a New York newspaper man talked with O’Connor, the Mc- Adoo Irishman and asked him if his speech was the result of instruc tions by Judge Rockwell, the Mc- Adoo manager. “I refuse to say.” He said, and turned away. Then he turned back and said intently: “Os course, you may draw your own conclu sions.” The McAdoo board of strategy tonight is desperately endeavoring f.o arrange a William Jennings Bryan coup by having the former candidate, with his matchless elo quence, make a thrilling personal appeal for McAdbo just after Ne braska swings away from his broth er, Charles W. Bryan, and enters ■.he McAdoo column. Under tne rules he can only speak by unani mous consent. This would probably be given by courtesy. The McAdoo leaders figure the psychology of such a drama would swing McAdoo through in a stam pede all of this however, it is believed will now be of little avail. At any rate the strategy is antic ipated. M’ADOO OR DARK HORSE MUST WIN NEW YORK, June 28. If Me. Adoo does not win, the convention will enter the field of the da'k horses. It is McAdoo or a dark horse; Smith cannot win. Smith is less a candidate- than a spear point. Among the anti-McAdoo leaders, a few from New York really hope and think that Smith may win. This opinion was ex- PAGE THREE SMERCER INDICTED BY FULTON GRANO JURY Prominent Georgian Named in True Bill Charging Commix sicn of Serious Offense ATLANTA, June 28. —True bills charging two serious offenses to Jesse Mercer 1 , a leaner in the fight against bootlegging in Georgia, were returned by the Fulton coun ty grand jury Friday. The cases relate to disclosures said to have been made by a young girls, the de tails of which have been withheld. One case, it is understood, grew out of complaint made by a family living in Cobb county, but the de tails of neither has been learned in asmuch as information from the court officials is that Mercer is out of the city and no service has yet been made. Mercer, who resides in the Kim ball house, was out of the city Fri day and had not been arrested on the bench warrant that issued un der the indictment early Saturday morning. Efforts to locate him far a statement failed. He was formerly connected with the federal prohibition department of Georgia. No disclosure as to the alleged offenses or the persons upon whose representations they were charged could be obtained at the offices of the solicitor general. pecan"growers want STATE APPROPRIATION ALBANY, June 28. "'repara tion of an important bill in which the pecan growers of the state are much interested has prevented Rep resentative Walter H. Burt, of Dougherty, from attending the opening session of the legislature of Georgia, but he stated yesterday that he would leave Sunday for the capital to begin his duties in the house Monday. The bill which Mr. Burt will in troduce for the pecan interests pro vides for an appropriation of $15,- 000 each in the years 1924, 1925, andJ93(> to the State off Entomology for experimental work in the treatment and eradication of diseases and pests which attack pecan trees and pecan nuts, and for other horticultural and agriculturtl purposes. HUGE SNAKE KILLED NEAR ICE PLANT HERE A huge rattlesnake, measuring five feet thre inches long and ad mittedly the largest snake killed in this section in a long time, was on exhibition during Friday afternoon near the plant of the Atlantic Ice & Coal Co., at the foot of Spring street. Many persons who saw the snake’s carcass stated the reptile was th 0 largest they had ever seen, including those exhibited in travel ing circuses, and generally advertis ed as “the largest boar constrictor in the world.” The snake was kill ed, according to Capt. Van Riper, by Ross Hubbard, and was located on the land surrounding the Dudley Warehouse property, near the ice plant. ALLEGED DRUG ADDICT SENTENCED FOR YEAR ATLANTA, June 28.—Found guilty of violating the Harrison nar cotic act, Charles H. Crosby, of Columbus, Thursday was sentenced to serve one year in the Atlanta federal pen by Judge Samuel H. Sibley in federal district court. Dur ing that time he will undergo treat ment as a “dope addict.” The same jury found James Elli son, a negro, guilty of the larceny of a watch in Columbus. He also was sentenced to one year in the* federal penitentiary. pressed here last night by Mark Sul livan, nationally known newspaper writer and political observer at 'he Democratic National convention. But the more important generals of the anti-McAdoo group, the ones who come from outside New York, do not expect to push Smith to vic tory. They are using him as the spear point of their resistance to Mr. McAdoo. If all the candidates except Mc- Adoo and Smith were removed from the fight, and if all the delegates* were obliged to vote for one of these two—in that event McAdoo would get about 650 votes and Smith about 450. McAdoo has about 400 delegates who are his own under all conditions. There are about 250 more who will always be for McAdoo as against Smith, although they would be as well sat isfied with Carter Glass or John W. Davis or Senator Robinson, of Ark ansas. So that it is McAdoo or one of the dark horses. In the dark-horse field it is a clear fact that there an more delegates favorable to John W. Davis than to any other one. Not only are many individual dele gates for him but in addition there is a prevailing current cf the oc-st sort of sentiment for him. They feel that he has dinstinctiuii, the! touch of eminence which in their hearts, the better sort of delegato wants. _
