Compare these Platforms with what they practice and how they behave in our current day.
Republican Party Platform
of 1908
July 16, 1908
July 16, 1908
...
Rights
of the Negro
The Republican party has been for
more than fifty years the consistent friend of the American Negro. It gave him
freedom and citizenship. It wrote into the organic law the declarations that
proclaim his civil and political rights, and it believes to-day that his
noteworthy progress in intelligence, industry and good citizenship has earned
the respect and encouragement of the nation. We demand equal justice for all
men, without regard to race or color; we declare once more, and without
reservation, for the enforcement in letter and spirit of the Thirteenth,
Fourteenth and Fifteenth amendments to the Constitution which were designed for
the protection and advancement of the negro, and we condemn all devices that
have for their real aim his disfranchisement for reasons of color alone, as
unfair, un-American and repugnant to the Supreme law of the land.
...
Fundamental
Differences Between Democracy and Republicanism
...The present tendencies of the two
parties are even more marked by inherent differences.
The trend of Democracy is
toward socialism,
while the Republican party stands for a wise and regulated
individualism.
Socialism would destroy wealth, Republicanism would prevent its
abuse.
Socialism would give to each an equal right to take; Republicanism would
give to each an equal right to earn.
Socialism would offer an equality of
possession which would soon leave no one anything to possess,
Republicanism
would give equality of opportunity which would assure to each his share of a
constantly increasing sum of possessions.
In line with this tendency the Democratic
party of to-day believes in Government ownership, while the Republican party
believes in Government regulation. Ultimately Democracy would have the nation
own the people, while Republicanism would have the people own the nation.
Upon this platform of principles and
purposes, reaffirming our adherence to every Republican doctrine proclaimed
since the birth of the party, we go before the country, asking the support not
only of those who have acted with us heretofore, but of all our fellow citizens
who, regardless of past political differences, unite in the desire to maintain
the policies, perpetuate the blessings and make secure the achievements of a
greater America.
Republican Party Platforms: "Republican
Party Platform of 1908," July 16, 1908. Online by Gerhard Peters and John
T. Woolley, The American Presidency Project.
Democratic Party Platform
of 1908
July 7, 1908
July 7, 1908
We, the representatives of the
Democracy of the United States, in National Convention assembled, reaffirm our
belief in, and pledge our loyalty to, the principles of the party.
We rejoice at the increasing signs
of an awakening throughout the country. The various investigations have traced
graft and political corruption to the representatives of the predatory wealth,
and laid bare the unscrupulous methods by which they have debauched elections
and preyed upon a defenseless public through the subservient officials whom
they have raised to place and power.
The conscience of the nation is now
aroused to free the Government from the grip of those who have made it a
business asset of the favor-seeking corporations. It must become again a
people's government, and be administered in all its departments according to
the Jeffersonian maxim, "equal rights to all; special privileges to none."
"Shall the people rule?" is the
overshadowing issue which manifests itself in all the questions now under
discussion.
Increase
of Office Holders
Coincident with the enormous
increase in expenditures is a like addition to the number of office-holders.
During the past year 23,784 were added, costing $16,156,000, and in the past
six years of Republican administration the total number of new offices created,
aside from many commissions, has been 99,319, entailing an additional
expenditure of nearly $70,000,000 as against only 10,279 new offices created
under the Cleveland and McKinley administrations, which involved an expenditure
of only $6,000,000. We denounce this great and growing increase in the number
of office-holders as not only unnecessary and wasteful, but also as clearly
indicating a deliberate purpose on the part of the Administration to keep the
Republican party in power at public expense by thus increasing the number of
its retainers and dependents. Such procedure we declare to be no less dangerous
and corrupt than the open purchase of votes at the polls.
Economy
in Administration
The Republican Congress in the
session just ended made appropriations amounting to $1,008,000,000, exceeding
the total expenditures of the past fiscal year by $90,000,000 and leaving a
deficit of more than $60,000,000 for the fiscal year just ended. We denounce
the heedless waste of the people's money which has resulted in this appalling
increase as a shameful violation of all prudent considerations of government
and as no less than a crime against the millions of working men and women, from
whose earnings the great proportion of these colossal sums must be extorted
through excessive tariff exactions and other indirect methods. It is not
surprising that in the face of this shocking record the Republican platform
contains no reference to economical administration or promise thereof in the
future. We demand that a stop be put to this frightful extravagance, and insist
upon the strictest economy in every department compatible with frugal and
efficient administration
...
Income
Tax
We favor an income tax as part of
our revenue system, and we urge the submission of a constitutional amendment
specifically authorizing Congress to levy and collect a tax upon individual and
corporate incomes, to the end that wealth may bear its proportionate share of
the burdens of the Federal Government.
Democratic Party Platforms: "Democratic Party
Platform of 1908," July 7, 1908. Online by Gerhard Peters and John T.
Woolley, The American Presidency Project.
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