1,450 Words

Briefest of major U. S. party platforms in many a long year was the one put forth last week by the Democrats assembled in Chicago. Where the Republicans last month took 9,000 words to express their political convictions, the Democrats said their say in 1,450 words. Each of 17 planks had been whittled neatly down by a literate Resolutions Committee, but economy of words did not necessarily mean clarity of ideas. Except for Prohibition, the Democratic platform was even more vague than the Republican.

"In this time of unprecedented economic and social distress," began the document, "the Democratic party declares its conviction that the chief causes of this condition were the disastrous policies pursued by our Government since the World War. . . . Those responsible [i.e. Republicans] have ruined our foreign trade, destroyed the values of our commodities and products, crippled our banking system, robbed millions of their life savings and thrown millions more out of work, produced widespread poverty and brought the Government to a state of financial distress unprecedented in time of peace. . . . The only hope lies in a drastic change. . . ."

The party defined this change by advocating:

Economy. ". . . A saving of not less than 25% in the cost of Federal Government."

National Credit. ". . . A budget annually balanced by a system of taxation levied on the principle of ability to pay."

Money. ". . . A sound currency. . . . An international conference to consider the rehabilitation of silver."

Tariff. ". . . A competitive [one] for revenue . . . a fact-finding commission free from executive interference."

Relief. ". . . Federal credit to the States. . . . A Federal program of necessary and useful construction. . . . A substantial reduction in the hours of labor . . shorter week in the Government service. . . ."

Agriculture, ". . . Better financing of farm mortgages . . . at low rates of interest . . . effective control of crop surpluses . . . every constitutional measure that will aid the farmer "

Army & Navy. ". . . Adequate for national defense."

Conservation. ". . . Development and use of the nation's water power in the public interest."

Stocks & Bonds. "Protection of the investing public by requiring to be filed with the Government and carried in advertisements of all offerings of foreign and domestic stocks and bonds true information as to bonuses, commissions, principal invested and interests of sellers. . . ."

Regulations of ". . . holding companies which sell securities in interstate commerce . . . utility companies operating across State lines . . . exchanges trading in securities and commodities."

Banks. "Quicker methods for the relief of depositors . . . severance of affiliated securities companies and the divorce of the investment business from commercial banks. . . ."

Veterans. "The fullest measure of justice and generosity. . . ."

Foreign Policy. ". . . Peace. . . ."

War Debts. "We oppose cancellation."

Dependencies. "Independence for the Philippines. . . . Ultimate statehood for Porto Rico."

Prohibition. ". . . Repeal".

"We condemn . . . the improper and excessive use of money in political activities . . . paid lobbies . . . action and utterances of high public officials designed to influence stock exchange prices . . . the extravagance of the Farm Board [and] its disastrous action which made the Government a speculator . . . the usurpation of power by the State Department in assuming to pass upon foreign securities offered by international bankers . . . the Hawley-Smoot Tariff law."

This platform was adopted 1,154-to-0.

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