Volume 14 , Issue 25

100 Years Ago Today - 18 June 1912

One hundred years ago the Republican National Convention was deciding their candidate for president between President Taft and former president Theodore Roosevelt. Taft's platform advocated for a safe and sane government.

The Republican party of Roosevelt's and Taft's days is nowhere recognizable to the GOP party of today since the "Right Extremists" have taken over the party. Without the division of the Republican Party in 1912, Wilson would have had a much more difficult time securing the election.

In the article written by George Griswold Hill, for the San Francisco newspaper, The Call, dated 18 June 1912, Tuesday, in a Special Dispatch to The Call, reported that back in 1912, the Republican party promised to safeguard health, limit child labor and protect wage earners from danger. Even control of natural resources was advocated.

Chicago, June 17, 1912 -- The article begins, "I am able to give an outline of the platform of the republican convention. This, of course,is subject to revision by the committee on resolutions of the national convention and to such alterations as may be suggested by President Taft before the committee makes its final report."

This draft contained all the essentials of the declarations of principles on which Taft would stand for re=election before the American people.

Platform In Detail:

The republican party, assembled by its representatives in national convention, declares its unchanging faith in government of the people, by the people and for the people. It reaffirms its devotion to the fundamental principles of constitutional government established by the fathers, whose principles which make provision for orderly and effective expression of the popular will, for the protection of civil liberty and the essential rights of man and the interpretation of the laws by an untrammeled and independent judiciary that have proved themselves capable of sustaining the structure of a government which, after more than a century of development, embraces 100,000,000 people, scattered over a wide and diverse territory, but bound by common purpose, common ideals and common affection to the constitution of the United States.

Upholds Constitution

As to upholding the constitution the article continues, "Under the constitution and the principles asserted and vitalized by it, the United States has grown to be one of the great civilized nations of the earth. It offers a home and opportunity to the ambitious and the industrious of every race and from every clime. The Republican party faces the problems of the future confident in the strength and wisdom that experience of the past has brought. It will take no part in either changing or overturning the American form of government.

"The republican party now, as always, a party of progress and of constructive statesmanship. It is bewared, if again in trusted with power by the people, to go forward with the solution of those new problems which social, economic and political development have brought into the forefront of the nation's interest. It will strive not only in the nation, but in the several states, to enact the necessary laws again to safeguard the public health; to limit effectively the labor of children who should be at school; to protect wage earners engaged in dangerous occupations; to substitute the principle of workmen's compensation for actions at law to recover damages in case of injury; to retain public ownership and control of those natural resources that are still the public property, and in all possible ways to satisfy the just demand of the people for the study and solution of the complex and constantly changing problems of social welfare.

"In dealing with these questions it is vitally important that the rights of every individual to the freest possible development of his own powers and resources and to the control of his own justly acquired property, so far as these are compatible with the similar rights of others, shall not be interfered with or destroyed. The social and political structure of the United States rests upon the civil liberty of the individual and for the protection of that liberty the people have, wisely, in the national and state constitutions put definite limitations to secure the orderly and coherent exercise of governmental powers and to protect the rights of even the humblest and least favored individual and the function of independent courts of justice."

Preserves Authority

In 1912, "The republican party reaffirms its intention to uphold at all times the integrity and authority of the courts, both state and federal, and it all ever insist that their powers to enforce their process and to protect life, liberty and property shall be preserved inviolate. An orderly method is provided under our system of government by which the people may, when they choose, amen or alter the constitutional provisions which underlie their government.

"Until those constitutional provisions are altered or amended in orderly fashion it is not the privilege but the duty of the courts to see to it that when challenged they are enforced.

"The republican party is opposed to what is known as the recall of judges. Questions of law can not be wisely settled by popular vote. The public is better represented and better protected by the careful selection of the judiciary than by the recall of judges under the pressure of disappointment by those who clamor for revenge.

"Together with peaceful and orderly development at home, the republican party earnestly favors all measures for the establishment and protection of the peace of the world and for the development of closer relations between the various nations of the world. It believes most earnestly in the peaceful settlement of all international disputes and in the reference of all justifiable controversies between nations to an international court of justice."

Against Monopoly "The republican party is opposed to special privilege and to monopoly. It placed upon the statute books the antitrust act of 1890 and it has consistently and successfully enforced the provisions of that law. It will take no backward step to permit the reestablishment in any degree of conditions which were intolerable.

"The experience of the past twenty years and the illuminating decisions of the Untied States supreme court in actions brought to enforce the anti-trust act make it plain that the law abiding business of the country may be carried on without fear or without disturbance and at the same time without resort to practices which are abhorrent to the common sense of justice.

"The republican party favors the enactment of legislation supplementary to the existing anti-trust act which shall define as criminal offenses specific acts which uniformly mark attempts to restrain and to monopolize trade, to the end that those who honestly intend to obey the law may have a guide for their action and that those who violate the law may be the more surely punished. The more certainty should be given to the law controlling combinations and monopolies than characterize other provisions of commercial law, in order that no part of the field of business opportunity may be restricted by monopoly or combinations; that business success heroically achieved may not be converted into a crime and that the rights of every man to acquire commodities and particularly the necessaries of life in an open market uninfluenced by the manipulation of trust or combination may be preserved."

High Cost Of Living

The steadily increasing cost of living has become a matter not only of national but of worldwide concern. The republican party will support the prompt, scientific inquiry into the causes which are operative both in the United States and elsewhere to increasing the cost of living, and when the exact facts are known, will take the necessary steps to remove any abuses that may be found to exist, in order that the cost of the food, clothing and shelter of the people may in no way be unduly or artificially increased.

The steps taken by the president and congress for the termination of the Russian treaty of 1832 are heartily approved as an impressive assertion of the equality of all American citizens. Henceforth all treaties with foreign powers to which our government shall become a party must expressly stipulate for the absolute right of expatriation and against all discrimination whatsoever, among our citizens, regardless of race, creed or previous alliance.

The policy of a protective tariff, to the end that the American workman shall be afforded just protection front he unfair competition of foreign labor, is reaffirmed and a revision of the tariff schedules in accordance with the schedule and impartial findings of the able and nonpartisan tariff board will be undertaken and achieved by the republican party, which has been the party of performances alone, not promises in the past, and will continue to be so in the future.   |  View or Add Comments (0 Comments)   |   Receive updates ( subscribers)  |   Unsubscribe

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