The work of the administration is briefly summarized in a survey of the principal acts passed by the 65th Congress making provision to prosecute the war. On 2 April the German war resolution was introduced in the House, and four days after the assembling of Congress, on 6 April, the President affixed his signature to the measure. A general deficiency appro priation act was passed amounting to $163, 841,400.52, of which $100,000,000 was for na tional security and defense. The first issue of liberty bonds was authorized to meet expenses for national security and defense, to aid allied governments and for other purpose. The act appropriated $3,007,063,945.46 for establishing credits in the United States for foreign govern ments by purchase of bonds of our Allies, and expenses incident to preparation and issue of bonds and certificates; it authorized the issue of bonds amounting to $5,063,945,460, of which $3,000,000,000 were to meet the loans authorized to foreign governments; $2,000,000,000 to meet domestic expenditures; and $63,945,460 to re deem the 3 per cent loan of 1908 to 1918, maturing 1 Aug. 1918; it also authorized $2 000,000,000 of one-year certificates of indebted ness temporarily to provide revenue. Other acts appropriated $273,046,322.50 for the sup port of the army for the fiscal year 1918; $1, 344,896.18 for the support of the Military Acad emy during 1918; $3,281,094,541.60 for the mili tary and naval establishments on account of war expenses, including $405,000,000 for an emergency shipping fund with which to begin construction of the greatest merchant fleet the world has ever known; $640,000,000 to increase temporarily the Signal Corps of the army and to purchase, manufacture, maintain, repair and operate airships; $27,826,150 for the construc tion, repair and preservation of certain public works on rivers and harbors; $45,150,000 to in sure vessels and their cargoes with attendant expenses; $176,250,000 to provide a military and naval family allowance, compensation and in surance fund for the benefit of soldiers and sailors and their families; and $1,250,000 for the construction of a building for the increased work of the Treasury Department in Washing ton. To provide further for national security and defense, $11,346,400 were appropriated to stimulate agriculture and facilitate the distri bution of agricultural products, and $162,500,000 to encourage the production, conserve the sup ply and control the distribution of food prod ucts and fuel. The President was also author ized to increase temporarily the military estab lishment of the United States by selective drafts to take over for the United States any vessel owned in whole or in part by any corporation, citizen or subject of any nation with which the United States might be at war; to take posses sion of a site for use for permanent aviation stations of the army and navy for school pur poses; to institute condemnation proceedings of lands for military purposes; to punish acts of interference with foreign relations, the neutral ity and the foreign commerce of the United States; to punish espionage and better enforce the criminal laws of the United States; and $450,000 were appropriated to enforce the pro visions of an act to define, regulate and punish trading with the enemy and for other purposes. To supply deficiencies in appropriations for the fiscal year 1918 and prior years on account of war expenses and for other purposes, a further appropriation of $5,356,666,016.93 was author ized and also contract obligations, to be met by future Congresses, amounting to $2,401,458,393. 50; the second issue of liberty bonds amounting to $4,000,000,000 was authorized, also an addi tional issue of one-year certificates of indebted ness amounting to $2,000,000,000, and an issue of five-year war saving certificates amounting to $2,000,000,000. The total appropriations and contract authorizations for 1918 amounted to $21,380,730,940.46, of which, however, $7,000, 000,000 of loans to the Allies is reimbursable by the foreign governments to whom the advances are made. Since this summary was made the third issue of liberty bonds amounting to $5,000,000,000 has been effected, and the fourth issue amounting to $6,000,000,000 has been i authorized. In its stupendous task the people have loyally stood by the government and sup ported the President and Congress in all that they have undertaken.
The two decades preceding this regrettable catastrophe had witnessed remarkable progress in Democratic economic reforms. Among the more important are: 1. The popular election of United States senators the gateway to other reforms.
2. An income tax amendment to the Federal Constitu tion, followed by an income tax law that equalizes taxation.
3. A reduction in import duties the best tariff law in fifty years.
4. Currency reform the greatest piece of constructive legislation enacted during this generation, freeing business from the despotism of high finance and politics from the grip of Wall Street.
5. This includes the restoration to the government of the sovereign right to issue paper money.
6. A rural credits law, that gives the farmer his first opportunity to borrow on long time, and at approximately what money is worth in the market.
Two anti-trust laws: 7. One creating a Trade Commission; and 8. The other, built on the theory that a private monopoly is indefensible and intolerable, lays the axe at the root of the tree.
9. A shipping law, which, by the creation of government-owned merchant marine, enables the people to lay out new trade routes and to protect themselves from extortionate freight rates on the sea.
10. A Child Labor law which restrains the money-mad employer from stunting the body and dwarfing the mind of the child of this generation, who is to be the citizen of the next generation.
11. An eight-hour day law, which protects the wage earner in his right to reasonable time for the enjoyment of home and for preparation for responsibilities of cati enship; and 12. Abolition of Government by Injunction or, stated in another way, the recognition of the right of trial by jury when the alleged contempt is not committed in the presence of the court.
13. The Philippine law, which, by giving to the Filipinos the promise of ultimate independence, relieves the United States of the suspicion of having abandoned the principles of the Declaration of Independence, and enables it to resume its proper place among the nations as the foremost champion of the doctrine that governments derive their just powers from the consent of the governed.
14. And, last of the reforms to which attention will be called now, the 30 peace treaties which, by providing for investigation of all international disputes, make war between the contr cting parties a remote possibility.
In the foregoing review an attempt has been made to present a history of the Democratic party from its organization to the present time, and the party's position on public issues has been shown by quotations from platfOrms adopted by its national conventions. While platforms are not so specific as laws, and not so elaborate as speeches, they are probably a better index to the general thought and purpose of parties than either laws and speeches for the reason that laws are often compromises, and speeches may represent the individual opinions of the speakers rather than of the Party, while platforms are written by delegates chosen for that purpose.
It will be seen that the party has met with successes and reverses, but it is also noticeable that it has adhered to its principles regardless of the immediate effect of those principles upon it. For instance, it was defeated in 1840, and yet the platform of 1840 was constantly re affirmed and reiterated for 20 years-afterward. The platform of 1892 and subsequent platforms reaffirmed and even made stronger the platform of 1888, upon which the party had suffered defeat. Between 1913 and 1916 the party car ried out the platform of 1908 as well as the platform of 1912.
It may be said, however, in conclusion, that there is to-day and will continue to be an im perative need for a party thoroughly commit ted to the defense of the inalienable rights of the individual and to local self-government, and the encroachments of Federal power. Even when such a party is not in power, it exercises a potent influence in molding public opinion and in restraining excesses, because it is very quick to champion the cause of an in dividual whose rights have been trespassed upon, or the cause of a community whose rights have been ignored. In proportion as the organization is true to the prmciplespromul gated by Jefferson and defended by Jackson, it may hope to appeal to the confidence of those who seek neither favoritism nor privileges, but are content to enjoy the blessings of a govern ment in which the individual is protected in the enjoyment of life and liberty and in the pursuit of happiness. Consult Benton, T. H., Thirty Years View' (New York 1854-56) ; Blaine, J. G., 'Twenty Years of Congress' (New York 1884-86) ' Cooper, T. V. 'Ameri can Politics' (Boston 1884) ; Cox, S. S., 'Three Decades of Federal Legislation' (Providence 1885) ; Creel, G., 'Wilson and the Issues' (New York 1916) ; Jefferson, T., 'Complete Works' (New York 1904-05); 'Jefferson Cyclopedia' Taylor, 'Cyclopedia of Political Science' ; Vincent, Platform Text-Book' ).