The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1866-08-09
The Democratic Platform.


Il The Democratic Platform. sou
The resolutions adopted by the Democratic
Convention which assembled in this Guy Oh
Tuesday have already been published IN our COZ
umns. Our readers will find in them mourning
especially new, and they will seek IN VAN iof
the enunciation of any great ana ofoad prillci-
pie such as might justly be the basis OF
movement really looking to the higher inter
ests of the country. The only sentiment which
can clearly be discerned is the peevish discon-
tent of a party out of power, weary OF its I'M
important position and anxiousto escape from
it at the earliest possible moment. The planks
Of this new platform of the "unterrifed" are
five in number; let us see what sort of a stag
ing they are likely to afford for lifting their
trainers into the ascendency they so ardently
desire.
! Resolution first is devoted entirely to scold-
ing the 30th Congress, the counts in the in
dictment under which that body is arraigned
being far more numerous than the sins for
hidden in the Deealogue. Among these are
its failure to appreciate the fact that the
country has passed from war to state of
peace" (evidence of which transition lAay we
suppose be found in the condition of affairs in
Louisiana); its want of magnanimity and
Christian charity towards the vanquished, y
as displayed in its unwillingness to trust the
faithless rebels who are daily showing Them
selves more unfit to be trusted; its 'unpro-
yoked and unjustifable war upon the Nation
al Executive" of whose unproyolSed and
uDjustifable war upon it no mention
is made, and dismal list of minor charges
and accusations for particulars of which we
refer the reader to the resolution ITSELF That
the people this country are likely to sympa-
thize in this bitter denunciation Of their repre-
sentatives we do not believe. The Congress
which has just closed its long and arduous la
bors may have made some mistakes in the
discharge of the wholly new and difficult tasks
laid upon it,-that it has done so we can see
as clearly as these immaculate gentlemen who
make themselves its censors-but we declare,
and we believe the people in the coming cleo
tons will sustain that declaration, that in the
important requisites of ability, patriotism, and
an honest devotion to the best interests of the
country,it has never been surpassed by any
Democratic Congress which has sat in The
Capitol since the country was nation.
The second resolution merely calls, with
powerful affectation of solemnity on call de-
partments of the Government ito maintain
the supremacy of the Constitution, and to
preserve the Union, with all the dignity,
equality, and rights of the several States I'M
impaired" and demands the immediate and
unconditional admission of the seeded states
Resolution third is more insidious. Under
the specious pretext of sustaining the credit
of the national government and enab ling it to
meet its obligations, it demands the immedi-
ate repeal of the law exempting United States
bonds from State and Municipal taxation
In other words, it proposes that the govern
ment in order to meet its obligations shall
commence by violating them, that it shall pay
its debts by repudiating its promises, tighten
its present burdens by breaking faith with
those who accepted its pledges and came to
its aid in the hour of its utmost need! This
is the modern Democratic idea of meeting
just obligations! The statement conveyed in
the concluding paragraph of the resolution
that this exemption creates privileged Or
dor, and is prejudicial to the interests of the
agricultural and working classes, is skiiltully
framed to create false impression, but the
people are well aware that there is another
side to this question. Every farmer or labor
ing man who is able to save fifty dollars for
the purchase of treasury note becomes to
just that extent member of this same "priv-
ileged class" 1t is form of Investment es-
pecially adapted to the needs of the men of
small savings, the one by which their smallest
possessions are made to yield them the largest
possible return; and the class really struck at
by an effort to repeal this exemption would
for rainy day, the widows and orphans and
the disabled soldiers whose little all is invest
ed in these bonds. ~ -,
Resolution number four is merely an ex- |
travagant laudation of Andrew johnson for
having done such good service to the Demo-
cratic party by betraying that which elected
him, and is noticeable only as betraying yet
unappeased hunger for "post orfses" and so
forth.
The fifth approves the call for the Philadel-
phia convention, and recommends the send
ing of delegates thereto. $3.50 II hnot
At last, then. the platforms of the opposing
parties in the campaign are fairly before the
people. The choice between them we are
willing to submit to the peoples intelligent
discemment, confident that they will prove as
true now as they have hitherto been to the
great principles which they love, and which
they have given their blood and treasure to
maintain. ...r., .y4fs