The Wheeling daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1864-1878, 1868-10-15
The National Democratic
Platform,

Platform.
The Democratic party, in National CUnven- !
ton assembled repesiag its trust in the intell-
genee 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 CUES
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 10 be |
renewed or reagitated. 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 rs rapidly as practicable; all money
drawn from the people by taxation, except SO
much as is requisite for the necessities Oi the
government economically administered, being
honestly applied TO such payment, and where
the obligations of the Government do not OK
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 meheJ Oh TIC
| United States. Il
Fourth Equal taxation of every species oil
property according to its real value, including
government bonds and other public securities;
Fifth One curr ency for the government and
the people, the laborer and the office holder,
the pensioner and the soldier, the producer anu
| bond holder. -
Sixth. Economy in the administration of the
government the reduction of the standing army
and navy; the abolition of the freedmen
bureau great cheers and all political lnstru-
mentalties designed to secure negro supremacy;
simpliication of the system, and discontinuance
of inauistorial modes of assessing and collecting
Internal Revenue so that the burden OF taxation
NAV be euualized and lessened, the credit OF
the government and the currency made good,
| the repeal of all enactments for enrolling the
State militia into the national forces in time OF
peace and 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 VIII,
without impairing the revenue, impose the least
burden upon and best promote and encourage
the greaJ industrial interests of the country.
| Seventh Reform of abuses in the administra-
tioa; Ms expulsion of corrupt men from ONCE
the abro cation of useless offices; the restoration
| of riphty ll authority to and the independence
of the Executive and Judicial departments OF
the government. The subOrdination OF the mil
itary to The civil power to the end that the usr'
pations VI Congress and the despotism oil the
sword nSly cease.
Eiphtl. Equal rights and protection for nat.
uralizett land native born citizens at home and
abroad. \ The assertion of American nationality
which s1all command the respect of foreign
mowers fnd furnish an example and encourage
meDt Il ,eople struggling for national integri.
ty, con tutional liberty and individual rights,
and thtynaintenance of tho rights of naturaliz-
ed citi3. is against the absolute doctrine of i'm.
mutabl allegiance, and the claims OF foreign
powers ~ punish them for crime committed
beyonC ,Ieir jurisdiction.
| in d. anding these measures and reforms we
arraigl he Radical party for its disregard tor
right, a. the unparalleled oppression and tyr
amy W ch has marked its career after the
most So ,mn and unanimous pledges OF both
houses of Congress TO prosecute the war exciu'
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
IL has, so far as it is in its power, dissolved IT.
and subjected ten States in time OF profound
peace to military despotism and negro supre;,
macy. 1t has nulitied there the right oil trial
by iury Ii has abolished the habcaS corpus,
! fiat most sacred writ of liberty. 1t has over
| thrown the freedom of speech anu oil the press.
| II has substituted arbitrary seizures and ar.
rest, and military trials and the secret star
| chambers of inquisitons for constitutional trl-
bunals. 1t has disrcgarded in time.oi 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 oil lndiVld-
uals and seized their private papers ana letters
without any specification, or notice, or aihda-
Wit "a required by the organic law. 1t has
converted the American capitol into Bastile.
| 1t has established system of spies and Official
espionage to which no constitutional monarchy
| in Europe would now dare to resort.
| 1t has abolished the right of appeal on i'm.
portant constitutional questions to the
preme judicial tribunal, and threatens toscur-
tail or destroy its original jurisdiction, whichis
irrevOCably vested by the Constitution, while
the learned Chief Justice has been suhje Ctcd to
| a pnlulnDipg merely because
he would not prostitute his high Office to the
support of the false and partisan charges pre-
ferreo "s"i"s' tne President Ia "nvtbiU,
known in history, and by its frauds ana monop-
olies il has nearly doubled the burden OF dept
created during tie war. 1t has stripped the
President Of his constitutional power OF ap.
pontmcn: even of his own cabinet. Under us
! repeated assaults the pillars of the Government
are rocking on their bases, and should IL sue
| coed in November next and inauguTate its
| President, we will meet, rs subjects and con:
foucred people, amid the ruins OF liberty and
| thc scattered fragments Ofthe Constitutions
And we do declare and resolve, That ever
since tho people of the United States threw of
all subsection to the British crown, the privi'
| ege and trust of suffrage have belonged IL the
several States and have been granted, regulated
and controlled exclusively by the political pow
er OF each State respectively; and any attempt
! by Congress on any preteNt whatever TO de.
pTive any State Of this right or interfere with
this exercise Is Il IlETalll uSulllGiloH VI pbNtl
which can find no warrant in the Constitution,
and if sanctioned by the people will subvert our
form of government, and can only end in sim
gle centralized consolidated government, in
| which the separate existence OF the States will
be entirely absorbed and an unqualified des-
potism be established in iplace Of a Federal
union of cOequal States; and that We regard the
reconstruction acts, so called of Congress such
usurpation, and unconstitutional, revolutionary
and void and that our soldiers and sailors who
carried the flag of our country to victory
against a most gallant and determined foe must
be ever gratefully remembered, and all guar1n.
ties given in the lawmust be faithfully carried
into execution.
That the public land should be distributed
widely among the people, and should be dispos-
ed of under the presumption of homestead laws,
and sold in reasonable quantities, and to none
but actual occupants, at the minimum price es-
! tabliShed by the government. When grants of
the public lands may be allowed. necessary for
the encouragement of important public i'm.
provements the proceeds of the sale of such
! lands, and not the lands themselves, should be
so applied
That the President of the United States An.
drew johnson, in exercising the power of his
! high Office in resisting the aggressions OF Con.
gress on the Constitutional rights OF the States
and the people, is entitled to tho gratitude of
the whole American people and on behalf of
! the Democratic party we tender him our thanks
for his patriotic efforts in that regard.
| Upon this platform the Democratic party APP
peals to every patriot, including all the COnser.
vative element and all who desire to support the
constitution and restore the Union, forgetting
past differences OF opinion, to unite with us in
the present great struggle for the liberties of
! the people and that to all such, to whatever
party they may have heretofore belonged we
extend the right hand of fellowship, and hail all