The Daily empire. (Dayton, Ohio) 1865-1867, 1867-02-16
STATE 'IlMDCRAYIG CONVENTION.
TEE PLATFORM ADOPTED,
JANUART 8th, 4. d. 1907.


htnbt4O ibNHs
l. ReSolred. That the Democracy of Ohio
steadiastly adhere to the principles Of the
party as expounded by the fathers, and ap-
proved by experience; that Ia accordance
with these principles we declare that the
Federal Government Is a government of
limited powers, and that it possesses no
powers but such as are expressly, or by
necessary Implication delegated to Il In the
Federal Constitution; that all other powers
are reserved TO the Ntates or the people
that a strict construction of the Constitu-
ton Is Indispensable to the preservation Of
the reserved rights of the States and the
people; that all grants of power to Govern
ment, whether State or Federal, should be
strictly construed, because all such grants
abridge the natural rights of men; that the
preservation of the equality and rights Of
the States and the rights of the people Is
necessary to the preservation of the Union
that the Federal Government Is untitled to
legislate for or administer the local concerns
OF the States that IL would be monstrOus
that the local affairs ofOhio should be regu-
lated by Federal Congress in which she has
but two Senators, and the New England
States. with but a little greater population,
have twelve; that the tendency of the Fed
eral Government is to usurp the reserved
rights of the States aud of the people; and
that therefore, q Capitalization of power i'm
its hands is an ever pending danger. That
such an abs IrptiOn OF power would. while
IL lasted, be destructive of the liberties and
interests of the people, and would end
either In despotism or q destruction of the
Union that a National debt, besides inn
poverishing the people, fosters an undue
increase of the powers of the Federal Gov
ernment; that high protective tariffs, have
like effect sacrificing the interests of the
many for the emoluments ofthe few, and
plainly violating the equity and spirit of
NlasaI I1..Ua
disbursement of enormous revenues by the
Federal Government have the same ten
dency, beside corruptiug the Government,
and that therefore, economy Is essential
not only to the prosperity, but also to the
Liberties OF the people; that unequal tax
alton Is plain violation of justice, of
which no Government can safely be guilty.
That to each State belongs the right to
determine the qualification of its electors.
aud all attempts to impair this right, either
by Congressional legislation or Constitu-
tiOnal amendment, are unwiSe and deSpOt-
ic; that the tendency of power is to steal
from the many to the few, and that there
fore, "eternal vigilance is the price of lib-
Crty;" that the tendency of government Is
to enlarge its authority by usurpation. and
therefore government needs to be watched
that anotheEof its tendencies is to govern
too much-unnecessarily and vcXatiOusly
interfering with the business and habits Of
the people; that the freedom of speech aud
OF the press is essential to the existence of
| liberty that no person not in the military
or naval service, or in the bounds where
martial law legitimately prevails, can law
| fully be deprived of life liberty or proper
| ty, without due process of civil law; that
the courts should always be open for the
redress of grievances; that no er past fdctO
law should be made; that the right of the
| people to peaceahly assemble and consult
upon public affairs is inviOlablc; that the
military should be held in due subcction
to the civil power; that whilu the major
| ity, as prescribed by the Constitution, have
the right to govern, the minority have in
defeasible rights; and that Il frequent re-
currence to first principles is essential to
the welfare Of the state and the people.
2. Res0iUed. That the States lately in re-
bellion are States in the Union, and have
been recognized as such by every depart
ment of the Government, and by Presi-
dent Lincoln, who, in the midst of the war,
invited them to electmembers of Congress
by President johnson, in various prOCla-
nations and official acts; by Congress,
which permitted Andrew johnson to sit in
the Senate as a Senator from Tennessee,
and members from Virginia, Tenuessce
and Louisiana to sit in the House of Repre-
scntatives after these States had seeded, |
and while the war was being carried on, |
and which further recognized them asI
States in the Union by the Congressional |
apportionmeut act providing for their due
representation in Congress; by various
tax laws, and especially by the direct tax
by the resolutions submitting amendments
to the Constitution for their approval, and
by various other acts and resolutions Inn
parting the same recognition; all of which |
were passed since the attempted secession
of those States, by the judiciary of the
United States, which holds Federal Courts
ia all those States, and especially by the
Supreme Court which entertains iurisdic-
ton of cases coming from them, which 1t
could not do were they not in the Union.
That being thus in the Union, they stand
on an equal footing with their sister States
States with unequal rights heing a thing
unknown to the Constitution; that, by the
express terms of the Constitution, each |
State is entitled to have two Senators and
due proportion of Representatives in the
Congress, and TO vote in all elections of
President and president that, though |
these rights are subject to Interruption by |
a state Of civil war, they can not, In time of
peace, be suspended, much less destroyed |
without plain violation of the Constitu- |
tion; that Congress has no power to de-
prive n State of its reserved rights, and |
reduce It to Territorial condition; that
therefore the exclusion, by the so-calle d |
Congress, of all representation from ten
States, the proposed exclusion of those |
States, from all voice in the next Presiden-- |
cial election, the threatened overthrow of
their State Governments and the reduction
OF their States TO the condition of territor- |
les, are each and every one of them uncon- !
stitutional, revolutionary and despotic |
measures. destructive not merely of the
rights of those States, but also of the rights |
of every other State in the Union. That
those measures are parts ofa plan 30 Hullify |
the Constitution, virtually overthrow the
State Governments, TO erect aconsolidated |
despOtism on their ruins; and to establish |
and perpetuate atyrannical rule of minor |
ity over a majority of the American peo |
pie. That the people cannot, without a
loss of their liberties, prosperity and honor, |
submit to such result; and we, therefore, |
in the hope that the warning will be |
needed, and the danger to our situations be
peaceably averted, do solcmnly warn the |
advocates Of the plan, that IL will not
be submitted to-
3. R6SolUed, That Congress is not n
omnipotent law-making power. That the
Constitution provides that no bill shall be-
come a law without the approval of the |
President, unless il be passed by two-thirds |
of each House of Congress. That one of
the objects OF the present. so-called Con- |
gress In excluding States from representa- |
H.. "a ., ,.aep bflls ht- a fup- xpfo