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TEXT OF DEMOCRA TIC PLA TFORM OFFERED A T CONVENTION
fIEPUBUCfIN PARTY
CORRUPT POLICIES
f SEVERELY SCDREO
NEW YORK, June 27.—The text
of the platform submitted to the
Democratic national convention by
its resolutions follows:
Democratic Platform
We, the representatives of the
Democratic party, 'n national con
vention assembled, pay our pro
found homage to the memory of
Woodrow Wilson. Our hearts are
filled with gratitude that American
Democracy should have produced this
man, whose spirit and influence will
live on through the ages; and that
it was our privilege to haVe co-op
erated with him in the advancement
of ideals of government which will
serve as an example and inspira
tion for this and future generataions.
We affirm our abiding faith in those
Ideals and pledge ourselves to take
tip the standard which he bore and
to strive for the full triumph of
the principles of democracy to which
he dedicated his life.
Democratic Principles
The Democratic party believes in
equal rights to all and special priv
ilege to none. The Republican party
holds that special privileges are es
sential to national prosperity. It be
lieves that national prosperity must
originate with the special interests
and seep down through the chan
nels of trade to the less favored in
dustries, to the wage earners and
small salaried employes. It has ac
cordingly enthroned privilege and
nurtured selfishness. The Repub
lican party is concerned chiefly
with material things. The Democrat
ic party is concerned chiefly with
human rights. The masses, burden
ed by discriminating laws and un
just administration, are demanding
relief. The favored special interests,
represented by the Republican
party, contented with their unjust
privileges, are demanding that no
change be made. The Democratic
party stands for remedial legisla
tion and progress. The Republican
party stands still.
Comparison of Parties
We urge the American people to
compare the record of eight unsul
lied years of Democratic adminis
tration with that of the Republican
administration. In the former there
was no corruption. The party
pledges were faithfully fulfilled, and
% Democratic congress enacted an
extraordinary number of construc
’tive and remedial laws. The eco
nomic life of the nation was quick
ened. Tariff taxes were reduced.
A federal trade commission was cre
ated. A federal farm loan system
was established. Child labor legis
lation was enacted. A good roads
bill was passed. Eight hour laws
were adopted. A secretary of labor
was given a seat in the cabinet of
the president. The Clayton amend
ment to the Sherman anti-trust act
was passed, freeing American la
bor and taking it from the cate
gory of commodities. By the Smith-
Lever bill improvement of agricul
tural conditions was effected. A
corrupt practice act was adopted. A
well-onsidered warehouse act was
passed. Federal employment bu
reaus were created, farm loan banks
were organized and federal reserve
system- was established. Privilege
was uprooted. A corrupt lobby was
driven from the national capital.
A higher sense of individual and na
tional duty was aroused. America
enjoyed an unprecedented period of
social and material progress.
During the time which intervened
between the inauguration of a Dem
ocratic administration on March 4,
1913, and our entrance into the world
war, we placed upon the statute
books of our country more effective,
constructive and remedial legisla
tion than the Republican party had
placed there in a generation.
During the great struggle which
followed we had a leadership that
carried America to greater heights
of honor and power and glory than
she had ever known before in her
entire history.
Transition from this period of ex
alted Democratic leadership to the
sordid record of the last three and
a half years makes the nation
ashamed. It marks the contrast be
tween a high conception of public
service and an avid purpose to dis
tribute spoils.
Republican Inefficiency*’and Cor
ruption
Never before in our history has
the government been so tainted
With corruption and never has an
administration so utterly failed. The
nation has been appalled by the rev
elations of political depravity
which have characterized the con
duct of public affairs. We arraign
the Republican party for attempting
to limit inquiry into official delin
quencies and to impede, if not to
frustrate the investigations to which,
in the beginning the Republican par
ty leaders assented but which later
they regarded with dismay. These
investigations sent the former sec
retary of the interior to Three Riv
ers in disgrace and dishonor. These
investigations revealed the incapaci
ty and indifference to public obli
gations of the secretary of the navy,
compelling him, by force of public
opinion, to quit the cabinet. These
investigations Tonfirmed th e general
impression as to the unfitness of the
attorney general by exposing an of
ficial situation and personal contacts
which shocked the conscience of the
nation and compelled his dismissal
from the cabinet. These investiga
tions disclosed the appalling condi
tions of the veterans’ bureau with
its fraud upon the government and
Its cruel neglect of the sick and
disabled soldiers of the World war.
These investigations revealed the
criminal and fraudulent nature of
the oil leases, which caused the con
gress, despite the indifference of the
executive, to direct recovery of the
public domain and tlje prosecution
of the criminal.
Such are the exigencies of parti
san that Republican lead
ers are teaching the strange doc
trine thax public censure should be
directed against those who expose
crime ra‘her than against crim
inals wh- have committed the of
fense. tt only three cabinet offi
cers out of ten are disgraced, the
country is asked to marvel at how
many are ftee from taint. Long
boastful that it was the only party
“fit to govern,” the Republican par
ty has proven its inability to govern
even itself. It is at war with itself.
As an agency of government it has
ceased to function. This nation can
not afford to intrust its welfare to
a political organization that cannot
master itself or to an executive
whose policies have been rejected by
his own party. To retain in power
an administration of this character
would inevitably result in four years
more of continued disorder, internal
dissension and governmental ineffi
ciency. A vote for Cool dr«* i« >
tiif; uHAmA lui JuturtAk
Issues
The dominant issues of the cam
paign are created by existing condi
tions.
Dishonesty, distress and bankrupt
cy in agriculture, the basic industry
of our country, is affecting the hap
piness and prosperity of the whole
people. The high cost of living is
causing hardship and unrest. The
slowing down of industry is adding
to the general distress. The tariff,
the destruction of our foreign mar
kets and the high cost of transpor
tation are taking the profit out of
agriculture, mining and other raw
material industries. Large standing
armies and the cost of preparing
for war still cast their burdens upon
humanity. These conditions the ex
isting Republican administration has
proven itself unwilling or unable to
redress.
The Democratic party pledges it
self to the following program:
Honest Government
We pledge the Democratic party
to drive from public places all who
make barter of our national honor,
its resources pr the administration
of its laws; to punish those guilty
of these offenses.
To put none but honest in pub
lic office; to practice economy in the
expenditure of public money; to rev
erence and respect the rights of all
under the constitution.
To condemn and destroy govern
ment by the spy and the blackmailer,
as by this Republican administra
tion was both encouraged and prac
ticed.
Tariff and Taxation
The Fordney-McCumber tariff rTct
is the most unjust, unscientific and
dishonest tariff tax measure ever
enacted in our history. It is class
legislation, which defrauds all the
people for the benefit of a.few; it
heavily increases the cost of living,
penalizes agriculture, corrupts the
government, fosters paternalism,
and, in the long run, does not bene
fit the very interests for which it
was enacted.
We denounce the Republican tariff
laws, which are written in great part
in aid of monopolies and thus pre
vent that reasonable exchange of
commodities which would enable for
eign countries to buy our surplus
agricultural and manufactured prod
ucts with resultant benefit to the
toilers and producers of America.
Trade interchange, on the basis of re
ciprocal advantages to the countries
participating, is a time-honored doc
trine of Democratic faith. We de
clare our party’s position to be in
favor of a tax on commodities enter
ing the customs houses that will pro
mote effective competition, protect
against monopoly, and at the same
time produce a fair revenue to sup
port the government.
The greatest contributing factor in
the increase and unbalancing of
prices is unscientific taxation. After
having increased taxation and the
cost of living by two billion dollars,
under the Fordney-McCumber tariff,
all that the Republican party could
suggest in the way of relief was a cut
of three hundred million dollars in
direct taxes, and that was to be given
principally to those with the largest
incomes. Although there was no
evidence of a lack of capital for
investment to meet the present re
quirements of all legitimate industrial
enterprises, and although the farm
ers and general consumers were
bearing the brunt of tariff favors al
ready granted to special interests, the
administration was unable to devise
any plan except one to grant fur
ther aid to the few. Fortunately
this plan of the administration was
defeated and, under Democratic lead
ership, aided by Progressive Repub
licans, ’a more equitable one was
adopted, which reduces direct taxes
by about four hundred and fifty mil
lion dollars.
The issue between the president
and the Democratic party is not one
of tax reduction or of the conserva
tion of capital. It is an issue of a
relative burden of taxation and of
the distribution of capital as affect
ed by the taxation of income. The
president still stands on the so
called Mellon plan, which his party
has just refused to indorse or men
tion in its platform.
The income tax was intended as a
tax upon wealth. It was not intend
ed to take from the poor any part of
the necessities of life. We. hold that
the fairest tax with which to raise
revenues tor the federal government
is the income tax. We favor a gradu
ated 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 oppose the so
called nuisance taxes, sales taxes,
and all other forms of taxation that
unfairly shift to the consumer the
burdens of taxation. We refer to
the Democratic revenue measure
passed by the last congress as dis
tinguished from the Mellon tax plan
as an illustration of the policy of
the Democratic party. We first made
a flat reduction 25 per cent
upon the tax of all incomes pay
able this year and then we so chang
ed the proposd Mellon plan as to
eliminate taxes upon the poor, re
duced them upon moderate incomes
and, in a lesser degree, upon the in
comes of multi-millionaires. We hold
that all taxes are unnecessarily high
and pledge ourselves to further re
ductions.
We denounce the Mellon tax plan
as a device to relieve multi-million
aires at the expense of ether taxpay
ers, and we accept the issue of taxa
tion tendered by President Coolidge.
Agriculture
During the four years of Repub
lican government, the economic con
dition of the American farmer has
changed, from comfort to bankruptcy,
with all its attendant miseries. The
chief causes for this are:
(a) The Republican party policy of
isolation in international affairs has
prevented Europe from getting back
to its normal balance, and, by leav
ing unsolved the economic problems
abroad, has driven the European
city population from industrial ac
tivities to the soil in larg'er numbers
in order to earn the mere necessaries
of life. This has deprived the Amer
ican farmer of his normal export
trade.
(b) The Republican policy of a
prohibitive tariff, exemplified in the
Fordney-McCumber law, which has
forced the American farmer, with
his export market debilitated, to buy
manufactured goods at sustained
high domestic levels, thereby making
him the victim of the profiteer.
(c) The Republican policy of high
transportation rates, both rail and
water, which has made it impossible
for the farmer to ship his product
to market at even a living profit.
-To offset these policies and their
| disastrous results, and to restore the
farmer again > to economic equality
with other industrialists, we pledge
ourselves-
(a) To adopt an international policy
cf such co-operation, by direct offi
cial instead of indirect and evasive
unofficial means, as will re-establish
! the farmers export market by restor
) :ng the industrial balance in Europe
I and the normal flow of inaterna
[ t onal trade with the settlement of
Europe’s economic problems.
a<b) To adjust the tariff so that the
farmer and all other classes can buy
again in a competitive manufactur
ers’ market.
I water rates, which will make our
markets, both for the buyer and the
seller, national and international in
stead of regional and local.
(d) To bring the early completion
of international waterway systems
for transportation and to develop our
waterpowers for cheaper fertilizer
and use on our farms.
(e) To stimulate by every proper
governmental activity the progress
of co-operative marketing movement
and the establishment of an export
marketing corporation or commis
sion in order that the exportable
surplus may not establish the price
of the whole crop.
(f) To secure for the farmer cred
its suitable for his needs.
(g) By the establishment of these
policies and others naturally supple
mentary thereto, to reduce the mar
gin between what the producer re
ceives for/his products and the con
sumer has to pay for his supplies,
to the end that we secure an equali
ty for agriculture.
Railroads
The sponsors for the Esch-Cum
mins transportation act of 1920, at
the time of its presentation to con
gress, stated that it had for its pur
poses the reduction of the 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 return
to the railroads upon their invest
ment.
We are in accord with these an
nounced purposes, but contend that
the act has failed to accomplish
them. It has failed to reduce the
cost of transportation. The prom
ised improvement in service has not
been realized. The labor provisions
of the act have proven unsatisfac
tory in settling differences between
employer and employes. The so
called recapture clause has worked
out to the advantage of the strong
and has been of no benefit to the
weak. The pronouncement in the
act for the development of both rail
and water transportation has proven
futile. Water transportation upon
our inland waterways has not been
encouraged, and limitation of our
coastwise trade is threatened by the
administration of the act. It has
unnecessarily interfered with the
power of the states to regulate pure
ly intrastate transportation. It must,
therefore, be so rewritten that the
high purposes which the public wel
fare demands may be accomplished.
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
ucts.
Muscle Shoals and Fertilizers
We affirm and pledge the fulfill
ment of the policy, with reference
to Muscle Shoals, as declared and
passed by the Democratic majority
of the sixty-fourth congress in the
national defense act of 1916, “for
the production of nitrates or other
products needed I for munitions of
war and useful in the manufacture
of fertilizers.”
We hold that the production of
cheaper and high grade fertilizers
is essential to agricultural pros
perity.
We demand prompt action by con
gress for the operation of- the
Muscle Shoals plants to maximum
capacity in the production, distribu
tion and sale of commercial fertiliz
ers to the farmers of the country
and we oppose any legislation that
limits the production of fertilizers
at Muscle Shoals by limiting the
amount of power to be used in their
manufacture.
Republican Contraction of Credit
and Currency I
We denounce the recent cruel and
unjust contraction of legitimate and
necessary credit and currency, which
was directly due to the so-called de
flation policy of the Republican par
ty as declared in its national plat
form of June, 1920, and in the
speech of acceptance of its candi
date for . the presidency. Within
eighteen months after the election
of 1920 this policy resulted in with
drawing bank loan s and discounts
by over five billions of dollars and
in contracting our currency by over
fifteen hundred millions of dollars.
This contraction bankrupted him-!
dreds of thousands of farmers and'
stock growers in America and re- i
suited in widespread industrial de-’
pression and unemployment. We I
demand that the federal reserve sys- ;
tern be so administered as to give >
stability to industry, commerce and I
finance; as was intended by the
Democratic party, which gave the
federal reserve system to the na
tion.
Reclamation
The Democratic party was fore
most in urging reclamation for the |
immediate arid and semi-arid lands
of the west. The lands are located
in the public land states, and, there
fore, it is due to the government
to utilize their resources by reclama
tion. Homestead entry men under
reclamation projects have suffered
from the extravagant inefficiencies
and mistakes of the federal govern
ment.
The reclamation act of 1924, rec
ommended by the fact finding com
mission, and added as an amend
ment to the second deficiency ap
propriation bill at the last session
of congress, was eliminated from
that bill by the Republican conferees
in the report they presented to con
gress one hour before adjournment.
The Democratic party pledges it
self actively, efficiently and economi
cally to carry on the reclamation
projects, and to make equitable ad
justment for the mistakes the gov- [
ernment has made.
Conservation
We pledge recovery of the navy’s |
oil reserves, and all other parts of 1
the public domain which have been
fraudulently or illegally leased or
otherwise wrongfully transferred to
the control of private interests; vig
orous prosecution of all public of
ficials, private citizens and corpora
tions that participated in these trans
actions; revision of the water power
act, the general leasing act, and all
other legislation relating to the pub
lic domain, that may be essential to
its conservation and honest and ef
ficient use on behalf of the people
of the country. We believe that the
nation should retain title to its
water power and we favor lie expe
ditious creation and development of
our water power. We favor strict
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 the best interest of our citi
zens.
The conservation of migratory
birds, the establishment of game pre
serves and the protection and con
servation of wild life is of impor
tance to agriculturists as well as
sportsmen. Our disappearing natur
al resource of timber calls for a na
tional policy of reforestation.
Improved Highways
Improved roads are of vital im-'
portance not only to commerce and
industry but also to agriculture and
natural life. We call attention to
the record of the Democratic party
in this matter and favor continuance
of federal aid under existing federal
and state agencies.
Mining
Mining is one of the bas e Indus-
than any other country. The value
of our mineral'production is second
only to agriculture. Mining has suf
fered like agriculture and from the
same causes. It is the duty of our
government to foster this industry
and to remove the restrictions that
destroy its prosperity.
Regulation of Corporations Control
ing Necessities of Life
We pledge the Democratic party
to regulate by governmental agen
cies the anthracite, coal industry and
all other corporations controlling the
necessar’es of life where public wel
fare has been subordinated to pri
vate interests.
Merchant Marine
The Democratic party condemns
the vacillating policy of the Republi
can administration in its failure to
develop an American flag shipping
policy. There has been a marked
decrease in the volume of American
commerce carried in American ves
sels as compared to the record under
a Democratic administration.
We oppose as illogical and unsound
all efforts to overcome by subsidy the
handicap to American shipping and
commerce imposed by Republican
policies.
We condemn the practice of cer
tain Amer: .an r ailroads in favor
ing foreign ships, and pledge our
selves to correct such discrimina
tions. We declare for American
owned merchant marine, American
built and manned by American
crews, which is essential for naval
security in war, and is a protection
to the American farmer and manu
facturer against excessive ocean
freight charges on products of farm
and factoryy.
We declare that the government
should own and operate such mer
chant ships as will insure the ac
complishment of these purposes and
to continue such operation so long
as it may be necessary without ob
structing the development and
growth of a privately owned Ameri
can flag shipping.
Education
We believe with Thomas Jefferson
and founders of the republic that
ignorance is the enemy of freedom
and that each state, being respon
sible for the intellectual and moral
qualifications of its citizens and for
the expenditure of the moneys col
lected by taxation for the support of
its schools, shall use its sovereign
right in all matters pertaining to
education. The federal government
should offer to the states such coun
sel, advice and aid as may be made
available through the federal agen
cies for the general improvement of
our schools in view of our national
needs.
Ci.nl Service
We denounce the action cf the
Republican administration in its vio
lations of the principles of civil
service by its partisan removals and
manipulation of the eligible lists in
the postoffice department and other
governmental departments; by its
packing the civil service commission
so that that commission became the
servile instrument of the administra
tion in its wish to den/ to the ex
service men their preferential rights
under the law and the evasion of
the requirement of the law with ref
erence to appointments in the de
partment.
We pledge the Democratic party
faithfully to comply with the spirit
as well as the regulation of civil
service; to extend its provisions to
internal revenue officers and to
other employes of the government
not in executive positions, and to
secure to ex-service men preference
in such appointments.
Postal Employes
We declare in favor of adequate
salaries to provide decent living
conditions for postal employes,
Popular Elections
We pledge the Democratic party
to a policy which will prevent mem
bers of either house who fail of
re-election from participating in the
subsequent sessions of congress.
This can be accomplished by fixing
the days for convening the congress
immediately after the biennial na
tional election; and to this end we
favor granting the right to the peo
ple of the several states to vote on
proposed constitutional amendments.
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
the government whose burdens they
have always shared.
The Democratic party congratu
lates them upon the essential part
which they have taken in the prog
ress cf our country, and the zeal
with which they are using their
political power to aid the enact
ment of beneficent laws and the
exaction of fidelity in the public
service.
Veterans of Wars
We favor generous appropria
tions, honest management and sym
pathetic care and assistance in the
hospitalization, rehabilitation and
compensation of the veterans of all
wars and their dependents. The
humanizing of the veterans’ bureau
is imperatively required.
Campaign Contributions
The nation now knows that the
predatory interests have, by supply
ing Republican campaign funds,
systematically purchased legislative
favors and administrative immunity.
The practice must stop; our nation
must return to honesty and decency
in politics.
Elections are public affairs con
ducted for the sole purpose of as
certaining the will of the sovereign
voters. Therefore, we demand that
national elections shall hereafter be
kept free from the poison of exces
sive private contributions. To this
er.d, we favor reasonable means of
publicity, at public expense, so that
candidates, properly before the peo
ple for federal offices, may present
their claims at a minimum of cost.
Such publicity should precede the
primary and the election. We fa
vor the prohibition of individual con
tributions, direct and indirect, to
the campaign funds of congressmen,
senators or piesidential candidates,
beyond a reasonable sum to be fixed
in the law, for both individual con
tributions and total expenditures,
with requirements for full publicity.
We advocate a complete revision of
the corupt practice act to prevent
Newberryism and the election evils
disclosed by recent investigations.
Narcotics
Recognizing in narcotic addiction,
especially the spreading of heroin
addiction among the youth, a grave
peril to America and to the human
race, we pledge ourselves vigorous
ly to take against it all legitimate
and proper measures for education,
for control and for suppression at
home and abroad.
Law Enforcement
The Republican administration
has failed to enforce the prohibition
law; is guilty of trafficking in liquor
permits, and has become the pro
tector of violators of this law.
The Democratic panty 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
union shall be preserved in all their
vigor and power. They constitute
a bulwark against the centralizing
and *°ndrncles Os th°
We condemn the efforts of the
Republican party to nationalize the
functions and duties of the states.
'Ze oppose the extension of bu
reaucracy, the , creation of unneces
sary bureaus and federal agencies
and the multiplication of offices and
officeholders.
vVe demand a revival of the spirit
of local self government essential
to the preservation of the free in
stitutions of our republic.
Asiatic Immigration
We pledge ourselves to maintain
our established position in favor of
the exclusion of asiatic immigration.
Philippine Independence
The Filipino peoples have succeed
ed in maintaining a stable govern
ment and have thus fulfilled the only
condition laid down by congress as
a prerequisite to the granting of in
dependence. We declare that it is
now .our liberty and our duty to
keep our promise to these people by
granting them immediately the in
dependence which they so honorably
covet.
Alaska
The maladministration of affairs
in Alaska is a matter of concern to
all of our people.
Under the Republican administra
tion, development has ceased and
the fishing industry has been serious
ly impaired.
We pledge ourselves to correct the
evils which have grown up in the
administration of that rich domain.
An adequate form of local self
government for Alaska must be pro
vided, and to that end we favor the
establishment of a full territorial
form of government for that terri
tory similar to that enjoyed by all
the territories except Alaska during
the last century of American history.
Territory of Hawaii
We believe in a policy for contin
uing the improvements of the na
tional parks, the harbors and break
waters, and the federal'roads of the
territory of Hawaii.
Virgin Islands
We recommend legislation for the
welfare of the inhabitants of the Vir
gin Islands.
Armenia and the Lausanne Treaty
We condemn the Lausanne treaty.
It barters legislative American rights
and betrays Armenia, for the Chester
oil concessions.
We favor the protection of Amer
ican rights in Turkey and the ful
fillment of President Wilson’s arbi
trary award respecting Armenia.
Republic of Greece
We welcome to the sisterhood of
republics the ancient land of Greece,
which gave to our party its price
less name. We extend to her govern
ment and 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 of war in which the
man-power of the nation is drafted,
all other resources should likewise
be drafted.
This will tend to discourage war by
depriving it of its profits.
Disarmament, War Referendum and
National Defense
We demand a strict and sweeping
reduction of armaments by land and
sea, so that there shall be no com
petitive military program or* naval
building. Until international agree
ments to this end have been made,
we advocate an army and navy ade
quate for our national safety.
Our government should secure a
joint agreement with all nations for
world disarmament and also for a
referendum of war, except in case of
actual or threatened attack.
Those who must furnish the blood
and bear the burdens imposed by
war should, whenever possible, be
consulted before this supreme sacri
fice is required of them.
League of Nations
The Democratic party pledges all
its energies to the outlawing of the
whole war system. We refuse to
believe that the wholesale slaughter
of human beings on the battlefield
is any more necessary to man’s high
jest development than is killing oy
individuals. 4
The only hope for world peace and
for economic recovery lies in the or
ganized efforts of sovereign nations !
co-operating to terueve the causes of |
war and to substitute law and order
for violence.
Under Democratic leadership a j
practical plan was devised under [
which fifty-four nations now operat
ing and which has for its funda
mental purpose the free co-operation
of all nations in the work of peace.
The government of the Unit id
States for the last four years has had
no foreign policy, and consequently
it has delayed the restoration of the 1
political and economic agencies of the ’
world. It has impaired our elf- ■
respect at home and injured our pres
tige abroad. It has curtailed our for- I
eign markets and ruined our agri-I
cultural prices.
It is of supreme importance to
civilization and to mankind that
America be placed and kept on the
tyght side of the greatest moral ques
tion of all time, and therefore the
I Democratic party renews its declara-
Ition of confidence in the .deal of
[ world peace, the League of Nations
land the world court of justice as to
gether constituting the supreme ef
■fort of the statesmanship and re
ligious conviction of our time to or
ganize the world for peace. Further,
1 the Democratic party declares that
lit will be the purpose of the next
iadministration to do all in its power
;to secure for our country that moral
(leadership in the family of nations
I which, in the providence of God, has
been so clearly marked out for it.
[There is no substitute for the League
|Of Nations as an agency working for
peace; therefore, we believe that, in
the interest of permanent peace, and
; in the I'fting of the great burdens of
I war from the backs of fin* people,
[and m order to establish a permanent
[foreign policy on these supreme
[questions, not subject to change with
[changing of party administrations it
is desirable, wise and necessary to
ilift this question out of the party
politics and to that end to take the
[sense '.f the American people at a
referendum election, advisory to the
[government, to be held officially un
der act of congress, free Pom all
[other questions and candidacies, after
:-*mp!e time for full consideration and
[discussion throughout the country,
.upon the question in substance as
| follows: . ■
“Shall the United States become a
[member of the League of Nations
upon such reservations or amend
.ments to the covenant cf the league
las the president and the senate of
[the United States may agree upon.”
Immediately upon an affirmative
[vote we will carry out such a man
date.
Deen Waterways
We favor and will promote deen
[waterways from the Great Lakes to
the gulf and to the Atlantic ocean.
Flood Control and Water Transpor
tation
We favor a policy for the foster
ling and building of inland water
ways and the removal and discrimi
nation against water transportation.
Flood control and the lowering of
[finod levels is essential to the safety
i of life and property, the productivity j
Los our lands, the navigability of our
[streams and the reclaiming of our;
‘ wet and overflowed lands and the
creation of hydro-electric power. We.
ifavor the expeditious construction of I
I flood relief works on the Mississippi
land Colorado rivers and also such [
'’•Ma r inn and nrniontg
found to be feasible and practical.
We favor liberal appropriations
for prompt co-ordinated surveys by
the United States to determine the
possibilities of general navigation
improvements and water power de
velopment on navigable streams, and
their tributaries, to secure reliable
information as to the most economi
cal navigation improvement, in com
bination with the most efficient and
complete development of water
power.
We favor suspension of the grant
ing of federal water power licenses
by the federal water power commis
sion until congress has received re
ports from the water power com
mission with regard to applications
for such licenses.
Fraudulent Stocks Sales
We favor the immediate passage of
such legislation as may be necessary
to enable the states efficiently to en
force their laws relating to the grad
ual financial strangling of innocent
investors, workers and consumers,
caused by the indiscriminate promo
tions, refinancing and reorganizing
of corporations on an inflated and
ovetespitalized basis, resulting al
ready in the undermining and col
lapse of many railroads, public serv
ice and industrial corporations, mani
festing itself in unemployment, ir
reparable loss and waste, and which
constitute a serious menace to the
stability of our economic system.
Private Monopolies
The federal trade commission has
submitted to the Republican admin
istration numerous reports showing
the existence of monopolies and com
binations in restraint of trade, and
has recommended proceedings
against these violators of the law.
The few prosecutions which have
resulted from this abundant evidence
furnished by this agency created bv
the Democratic party, while proving
the indifference of the administra
tions to the violation of the laws by
trusts and monopolies and its friend
ship for them, nevertheless, demon
strate the value of the federal trade
commission.
We declare that a private monopo
ly is indefensible and intoleraele and
pledge the Democratic party to vig
orous enforcement of existing laws
against monopoly and illegal com
binations? and to the enactment of
such further measures as may be
necessary.
Aviation
We favor a sustained development
of aviation both by the government
and commercially.
Labor and Child Welfare
Labor is not a commodity. It is
human. We favor collective bar
gaining and laws regulating hours
of labor and conditions under which
labor is performed. We favor the
enactment of legislation providing
that the product of convict labor
shipped from one state to another
shall be-subject to the laws of the
latter state exactly as though they
should be produced therein. In or
der to mitigate unemployment at
tending business depression we urge
the enactment of legislation author
izing the construction and repair of
public works be initiated in periods
of acute unemployment.
We pledge the party to co-operate
with the state governments for the
welfare, education and protection of
child life and all necessary safe
guards against exhaustive debilitat
ing employment conditions for
women.
Without the votes of Democratic
members of the congress the child
labor amendment would not have
been submitted for ratification.
The Latin-American Republics
From the day of their birth friend
ly relations have existed between
the Latin-American republics and
the United States. That friendship
grows stronger as our relations be
come more intimate. The Demo
crtaic party sends to these republics
its cordial greeting. God has made
us neighbors—justice shall keep us
friends.
Freedom of Religion, Freedom ol
Speech, Freedom of Press i
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 re
specting the establishment of re
ligion, or prohibiting the free exer
cise thereof, or abridging the free
dom of speech or of the press, or
the right of the people peaceably to
assemble and to petition the govern
ment for a redress of grievances,
that the church and the state shall
be and remain separate, and that
no religious test shall ever be re
quired as a qualification to any of
fice of public trust under the Unit
ed States. These principles we
pledge ourselves ever to defend and
maintain. 'We insist at all times
upon obedience to the orderlj' proc
esses of the low and deplore and
condemn any effort to arouse re
ligious or racial dissension.
Then in conclusion, the platform
says:
Conclusion
Affirming our faith in these prin
ciples we submit our cause to the
people.
GEORGIA DELEGAT
LOOSES PADEMONIUN
IN ANTI-KLAN SPEECH
(Continued from Page 1)
menace that prowls in Georgia, for
those of mv state who will not take
such a stand do not honor their
heoric ancestry.
Denounces Elan
'“I appeal to you in behalf of the
noble men and women of the south
who believe in law and justice, and
especially in behalf of Father Ryan,
| the heroic Catholic priest and be-
I loved poet of the southland.”
The reference to Father Ryan
brought a great demonstration from
| the galleries, which had again been
i packed with Al Smith supporters.
“Fellow Georgians, let’s erase the
| stigma that has been placed on our
I state,” Mr. Erwin said In conclusion.
[ turning toward the Georgia delega
' tion, upon which all the spotlights
I in the building were at once cen
tered. “No American who is worthy
[ of the name will stand by this de
' spieable thing known as the Ku
I Klux Klan.”
The convention as a whole, and
I the Georgia delegation in particular,
was dazed for a moment at the bit
terness of the denunciation. But the
galleries, soon began an uproar that |
was taken up by the Al Smith dele
gates and camp followers on the |
floor of the convention. Mr. Erwin I
was immediately surrounded by New
York newspaper reporters and pho- [
tographers, who made a great hero ;
out of him, while only two or three I
members of the Georgia delegation
arose from their seats or shook
hands with him. In the meantime
delegations from northern states sur
rounded the Georgians, and heaped
insults and ridicule upon them, as
“Ku Kluxers and Hoodlums.”
All the police reserves in New
Fork had been packed into the con
vention hall, in anticipation of the
demonstration against the klan, and
most of them wore Al Smith button
or ribbons. Mounted police patrol- I
led the streets surrounding Madison
S-nuare garden, and escorted Smit’s •
TUESDAY! JULY 1. 1024.
ed visitors with legitimate passes
that the hall was already packed.
Even Bryan Hissed
Even newspaper men actively re
porting the proceedings were shut
out to make room for the Smith
boosters, following announcement in
New York papers that Smith would
retire from the race for the presi
dency, umless the convention de
nounced the Ku Klux Klan by name.
The demonstration and the parade
with Mr. Erwin on the shoulders of
the Rhode Island delegation lasted
for about fifteen minutes, and it was
with difficulty that peace was ever
restored. When there was a sem
blance of order, hisses and catcalls
were hurled at the Georgians from
some of the northern sections near
them and occasionally by the galler
ies. The situation was a trying one
for the women of the Empire state,
but they sat quietly through it when
their chairs were restored to them.
Following Mr. Erwin’s s peech,
William Jennings Bryan, several
times honored by his party as the
nominee for president and a recogniz
ed leader in the causes of temperance
and Christianity, was hissed and
howled by the the mob when he at
tempted to advis the convention
against branding a million men as
outlaws.
United States Senator William J.
Harris, of Georgia, presided over the
in masterl y style during
the debate on the League of Nations
issue. On the report of the majority
of the resolutions committee urging
a referendum on the League of Na
tl^ e Georgia delegation voted
solidly for the majority report and
™ inori ty report favoring
immediate adm.ssion into the league.
Georgians Change Votes
ru^ ft > er call had been com-
pleted and it became apparent that
the vote was largely the action of
south^V 11 * 1 , "° rth against the
® oath ’ Colonel Stovall, Miss Colley
and Mr. Payne changed their votes
irom aj < to •’'liclst erpnf an.
Anni Se ’ vv L; Chap P e]l an <i Miss
t A ho ni ®. V right also voted a^e > and
tne total was announced as twe *v
one to two. Mr. Dean called a point
of order, namely, that only Mr. Er
w*a and . Dr - Wood had stuck to their
affl ™ative votes, and as each was
entitled to only half a ballot, the
correct vote was twenty-twio to one
which was accepted.
de^e^ates who were not re
- rded as voting either way were
absent, many of them having sent
proxies which were not recognized.
LORAIN, SANDUSKY ~
RIPPED WIDE OPEN;
LAKE CRAFT LOST
(Continued from Page 1)
Sandusky and nearby islands had
been wrecked.
Relief Rushed
An hour after midnight an accu
rate estimate of the number of dead
was unobtainable because wires still
were down and roads between here
and Lorain are blocked with fallen
trees and jammed with traffic.
Every relief agency here is func
tioning to send doctors, nurses, med
ical supplies, food and other assist
ance to Lorain.
Three hundred Cleveland physi
cians and at least two hundred
nurses were either in Lorain or on
the.r way there at midnight, ac
cording to police reports.
An hour later a second tug left
with still more physicians and" med
ical supplies.
As soon as word finally got out
to uninjured cities, assistance' was
rushed to those in need. The Red
Cross prepared to send hundreds ot
tents and other necessary supplies to
the storm area, while Ohio’s troops
were ordered mobilized at Toledo and
Cleveland to proceed to the stricken
cities. Governor Donahey, of Ohio,
ordered some of the troops rushed
to Lorain in taxicabs, with others to
follow as soon as mobilized.
Little was known of the fate of
railroad trains in the path of the
storm, as dispatching wires were
down, many left in a dangerous po
sition. The first relief train sent
from Cleveland over the Nickel Plate
railroad managed to get to East Lo
rain late tonight, but could not pro
ceed to Lorain because of under
mined tracks.
One Lake Shore electric train man
aged to leach Cleveland from the
eastern part of Lorain and carried
a number of persons who had wit
nessed part of the havoc caused by
the storm.
While so far as known the most
intense wind struck Lorain and
Sandusky, all of northern Ohio was
swept by a gale. Property damage
at Akron was estimated at a mil
lion dollars, whil Q from other points
*ame reports of heavy loss from
wind and rain.
Dayton Flood Recalled
Earlier in the day similar storms
swept various parts of the upper
Mississippi valley, causing a dozen
deaths in Illinois and lowa, together
with heavy property damage.
The casualties in Ohio, as indi
cated by tonight’s reports, are prob
ably the most numerous in the
Euckeye state since the devastating
flood swept down through Dayton
and Columbus in the spring of 1913.
At that time Columbus, Dayton,
Hamilton. Middleton and Miamis
burg and other cities were under
water as a result of heavy rains
that had fallen for several days, and
the death list ran to more than one
thousand, with the heaviest toll
taken in Columbus, Dayton was
swept by a sea of water and cut off
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r -ader of this paper to buy a bottle
for a few cents and if it doesn’t
straighten you up better and quicker
than salivating calomel just go back
to the store and get your money
tack.
I guarantee that one spoonful of
Dodson’s Liver Tone will put your
sluggish liver to work and clean
your thirty feet of bowels of the
sour bile and constipation poison
which is clogging your system and
making you feel miserable.
I guarantee that one spoonful ot
this harmless liquid liver medicine
from the world for many hours.
Rescuers reached the city and ascer
tained the extent of the disaster
only after the torrent had swept
through the city for three days and
had subsided.
While the loss of life at Colum
bus was greater than at Dayton, the
interest of the nation was centered
in the latter city, where hundreds
of families were marooned in the
upper stories of their homes, and
could not be taken out for a long
time because of the surging water*.
It was only after the waters had
passed on that the real extent of
disaster became known.
Radio played a part in gettlr»<
relief to the stricken city. It was
several hours after the disaster be
fore the first reports came from
the Nickel Plate railroad trainmen
to the chief dispatcher here. Then
the steamer Presque Isle, owned by
the Cleveland Cliffs Iron company,
docked in the Lorain harbor, got in
communication with the Inter-City
Radio Telegram company here and
messages were exchanged regularly.
Later Station WTAM, at the Wil
lard Storage Battery company here,
at the request of Colonel Ralph P.
White, radiocast the orders sum
moning the troops to mobilize.
Three automobiles were blown in
to Lake Erie between Sandusky and
Lorain and all their occupants
drowned, according to reports re
ceived from Fremon, Ohio, late to
night.
Seven persons were killed by the
tornado in Greater Cleveland.
Fire Protection Gone
The Sandusky water pumping sta
tion was put out of commission and .
several fires were . reported, while
the city was without protection from
flames. The sporadic fires were
overcome, however, by hard work,
and the citizens at once set about
on the task of clearing up the
wreckage.
Passenger boats reported to have
been caught in the storm included
the G. A. Boeckling, an excursion
steamer running from Sandusky to
Cedar Point, the Reliance, running
from Marblehead, and the Chippe
wa, plying between Sandusky and
Put-in-Bay. Up to a late hour no[
word had been received from the
Chippewa, which carried several !
hundred passengers, but word camel
that several persons had been swept,
overboard from both the Reliance
and the Boeckling.
All Sandusky hospitals were filled
with injured persons, many of whom
needed only first aid, while rescue'
squads searched the ruins of a three-i
story building in which several per
sons were reported to have been bur-'
ied in the collapse. . i
It was several hours after the (
storm struck before word of the dis
aster reached the outside world. i
Rain continued to fall in Lorain
for several hours.
Confirmation of the collapse of
the theater and washout of the
Black river bridge, at Lorain, was
brought to Cleveland by A. Downer,;
conductor on the Lake Shore elec
tric railway, the first eye-witness of'
the disaster to reach this city. Many;
women and children were killed*
motorists told him.
Practically every house on Broad
way, the main east and west street,
was b’own down, Downer reported,
and automobiles were picked up and
overturned on the sidewalks.
Nickel Plate trainmen reported
that all the government houses in
South Lorain, north of the railroad
tracks, had been blown down.
Two men were killed here and
thousands of dollars worth of prop
erty dafnaged. Property damage at
Akron was estimated to total more
than $1,000,000.
About fifty members of the One
Hundred and Twelfth engineers
corps of the Ohio National Guard
were rushed to Lorain in taxicabs
upon receipt of Governor Donahey’s
orders. They were in charge of
Colonel Ralph R. White. A Nickel
Plate train is ready to take the re
mainder as soon as they can be
mobilized.
Every property owner at Lorain
was sworn in as a deputy sheriff, i
More/than 100 houses were de
stroyed and scores of others were/
moved from their foundations.
Washington lark, a one-acre park
in the center of the town, is com
pletely levelled of trees. The storm
struck Lorain at Broaxiv ay, moved
up Fifteenth street and passed in
land. Broadway, the principal busi
ness street, and fashionable Eria
street and Washington avenue weral
damaged for about 26 blocks, not Wi
wooden building being left standing.!
Forty blocks in the .business dis«|
trlct were destroyed.
Among buildings destroyed are the
First Methodist church, Washing-)
ton and Fourth streets; the three-,
story Lorain block, and St. Mary’sl
church. The top floor of the Majes-L
tis block, a six-story brick
was blown off, and the six-story PeoJ|
pies Bank building was damaged.
The number 1 ore bridge of the Na
tional Tube company collapsed anf|
an 80-foot steel tower carrying high
tension wires snapped off, carrying)
the wires into Black river.
The State theater collapsed when|
a building next to it, struck bjr
lightning, toppled over on it.
Ninety-eight bodies have been!
taken from the State theater and
thirty-six have been recovered from'
the Municipal bathing beach, Dr.|
Herold, of the Memorial hospital)
staff of Elyria, reported. Some re
ports placed the number of dead all
the beach at 200.
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