The Wheeling daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1864-1878, 1868-10-27
The National Democratic
Platform.

=
ton assembled, repesiHg its trust in the inteili;
Eence, patriotism and discriminating justice OF
the people, standing upon the Constitution as
the foundation and limitation of the powers OF
the Government, and the guarantee of the lib
critics of the citizen, and recognizing the ques.
tons of slavery and secession as having been
settled for all time to come by war and the vol.
untary action of the Southern States, in consti.
tutiOnal convention assembled, and never to be
renewed or regulated do, with the return of
peace demand,
First. The immediate restoration of all the
States to their rights in the Union, under the
Constitution, and of civil government for the
American people.
Second. Amnesty for all past political often.
ces and the regulation of the elective franchise
in States by their citizens.
Third. Payment of the public debt OF the Uni
ted States as rapidly AS practicable; al! money
much as is requisite for the necessities of the
government economically administered, being
honestly applied to such payment, and where
the obligations of the Government do not eX-
pressly state upon their face, or the law under
which they were issued does not provide that
they shall be paid in coin, they ought, ia right
and justice, be paid in the lawful money Of the
United States.
Fourth. Equal taxation of every species of
property according to its real value, including
government bonds and other public securities;
Fifth. One curr ency for the government ana
the peOple the laborer and the office holder,
the pensiOner and the soldier, the producer and
bond older.
Sixth. Economy in the administration of the
government the reduction of the standing army
and navy; the abolition of the FTeedmens
bureau great cbeersl, and all political instru-
mentalities designed TO secure negro supremacy
simplifCatiOn of the system, and discOntinuance
of inqusitOrial modes of assessing and collecting
Internal Revenues so that the burden of taxation
NAV be eGuaized and lesSened, the credit of
tba, MT Ia made good
the repeal of all enactwents for enrolling the
State militia into the national forces in time of
peace, and a tariff for revenue upon foreign i'm
ports; and such equal taxation under the Inter
nal Revenue laws, as will afford incidental pro
lection to domestic manufactures, and as will,
without impairing the revenue, impose the least
burden upon and best promote and encourage
the great industrial interests of the country.
Seventh. Reform of abuses in the administra-
tioB; the expulsion of corrupt men from office;
the abrogaton of useless offices; the restoration
of rightful authority to and the independence
of the Executive and Judicial departments OF
the government. The subordinat!On OF the mil
itary to the civil power to the end that the usur-
pations of Congress and the despotism OF the
sword may cease.
Eighth. Equal rights and protection for nat
uralized and native born citizens at home and
abroad. The assertion of American nationality
which shall command the respect of foreign
powers and furnish an example and encourage
ty constitutional liberty and individual rights,
and the maintenance of tho rights of naturaiz-
ed citizens against the absolute doctrine of i'm.
mutable allegiance, and the claims of foreign
powers TO punish them for crime committed
beyond their jurisdiction.
In demanding these measures and reforms We
arragn the Radical party for its disregard for
right, and the unparalleled oppression and tyr
amy which has marked its career, after the
most solemn and unanimous pledges of both
houses of Congress to prosecute the war exclu.
sively for the maintenance of the Government
and the protection of the Union under the
Constitution. 1t has repeatedly violated that
most sacred pledge, under which was rallied
that noble volunteer army which carried our
flag to victory. Instead of restoring the Union
it has so far as ii is in its power, dissolved it,
and subjected ten States in time of profound
peace to military despotism and negro supre-
macy. 1t has nullitied there the right of trial
by jury. 1t has abolished the habeas corpus
that most sacred writ OF liberty. 1t has over
thrown the freedom of speech and of the press.
1t has substituted arbitrary seizures ana ar
rest, and military trials and the secret star
chambers of inQuisitions for constitutional tri.
bunals. 1t has disregarded in time of peace the
right of the people TO be free from search and
seizures. 1t has entered the post and telegraph
offices, and even the private rooms of individ.
uals and seized their private papers and letters
without any specification, or notice, or afhda-
Wit, as required by the organic law. 1t has
converted the American capitol into Bastile.
1t has established q system of spies and official
to which no constitutional monarchy
in Europe weuld now dare TO resort
1t has abolished the right of appeal on i'm.
portant constitutional questions to the SUI !
preme judicial tribunal, and threatens tofcur- |
tail or destroyits original jurisdiction, whichis
vested by the Constitution, while
the learned Chief Justice has been subje cted to
great and atrocious caluinnies, merely because |
be would not prostitute his high office TO the |
support of the false and partisan charges pre- |
ferred against the President, Its corruption |
and extravaganza have exceeded anything |
known in history, and by its frauds and monop- |
plies it has nearly doubled the burden of debt |
created during the war. 1t has stripped the |
President of his constitutional power of ap. |
pointment, even Of his ewn cabinet. Under its
repeated assaults the pillars of the Government
ARE rocking on their bases, and should II sue |
ceed in November next and inaugurate its |
President, we will meet as subjects and q con-
9uered people, amid the ruins of liberty and
the scattered fragments ofthe Constitution
Ana we do declare and resolve, That ever
since Ice the people of the United States threw of
az subsection TO the British crown, the privi
W.. W.. and trust of suffrage have belonged to the
DS IA. states: and have been granted regulated
a. ., SontroIied exclusively by the political pow
81 VI each State respectively and any attemnt
oE congress any pretext xrbateyar 20 X
PINe any state of this right or interfera With
TINS exercise Is a fragrant usurpation of nowar
" -, .s --... - ~ warrant In the Constitution
ana II sanctloned by the people will subvert onr
lS 1 Oh goSsa aa c and can only end in sir,
which the separate existence of the St,tes vii
be entirely absorbed, and an unqualified des.
potism be established in fplase of FedsrsI
nnion of coequal States; and that we regard the
acts, so called, of Congress sncb
and unconstitutional, revolutionary
md void; and that our soldiers and sailors who
,arried the flag of our country to victory
against most gallant and determined foe must
,e ever gratefully remembered, and all guaran-
les given in the law must be faithfully carried
INTO execution.
That the public land should be distributed
widely among the people, and should be dispOs-
ID of under the presumption of homestead laws,
md sold in reasonable quantities, and TO none
lnt actual occnnants al the minimum nrice es.