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. _
