The Wheeling daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1864-1878, 1868-09-29
The National Democratic
Platform.

gence. 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-
tious 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 reigitated DO, Win 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.
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; all money
drawn from the people by taxation, except 50
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, IN 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 and
the people, the laborer and the office holder,
the pensioner and the soldier, the producer and
bond holder.
Sixth. Economy in the administration Of the
government, the reduction of the standing army
and navy; the abolition of the Freedmen's
bureau Igreat cbeers and all political instru.
mentalities designed to secure negro supremacy;
simplification of the system, and discontinuance
of inqusitorial modes of assessing and collecting
Internal Revenue; SO that the burden of taxation
| NAV be eaualized and lesssned, 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 oil
| 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 10 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 admlnistra-
ton; the expulsion of corrupt men from Office;
the abrogation of useless offices; the restoration
| of rightful authority Ia 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 usur-
patons of Congress and the despotism OF the
sword may cease.
Eighth. Equal rights and protection for nat.
uralized and native born citizens at home ana
abroad. The assertion OF American nationality
| which shall command the respect OF foreign
powers and furnish an example and encourage
| ment to people struggling for national lntegri-
| ty. constitutional liberty and individual rights,
| and the maintenance of tho rights OF naturaiiz-
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
arraign 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 tho 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
IL has 40 far as IL is in its power, dissolved II,
and subjected ten States in time OF profound
peace to military despetsm and negro supre,
| macy. Ii has nullifed thvre the right Of trial
nv i1rv. II 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 anu 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 aihda-
Wit "a required by the organic law. 1t has
converted the American capitol into Bastlie;
| 1t has established system of spies and othcial
espionage to which no constitutional monarchy
| in Europe would now dare 10 resort.
1t has abolished the right of appeal on I'M
portant constitutional questions to the SUI
prcme judicial tribunal, and threatens toicur'
tail or destroy it's original jurisdiction whichis
irrevOCably vested by the Constitution, while
| the learned Chief Justice has been suble cted To
great and atrOCiOuS Caluinnes, merely because
he would not prostitute his high office TO the
support of the false and partisan charges pre-.
ferrcd against tho President. Its corruption
and extravaganza have exceeded anything
known in history, and by its frauds and monop'
olies it has nearly doubled the burden OF debt
created during TIE war. 1t has stripped the
President of his constitutional power of ap
p0utment even of his own cabinet. Under It's
repeated assaults the pillars of the Government
are rocking on their bases, and should 1t sue
coed in November next and inaugurate its
President, we will meet, as subjects and a coa
oucred people, amid the ruins OF liberty ana
the scattered fragments ofthe Constitution.
And we do declare and resolve, That ""oT
since the people of the uniteu states 'hre" on
all subsection 20 the BRUSH crown, inc pr!fi
| several States and have been granted, regulated
and controlled exclusively by the political pow
cr of each State respectively; and any attempt
by Congress on any prcteXt Whatever 10 de-
prive any State of this right or interfere with
| this exercise is a tagrant usurpatiOn of power,
| which can find no warrant in the Constitution,
and il sanctioned by the people will subvert our
form of government, and can only end in a sin.
| Gle centralized consolidated government, in
which the separate existence ofthe States will
| be entirely absorbed, and an unqualified des-
potsm be established in lplace of a Federal
| union of coequal States; and that we regard the
reconstruction acts, 80 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 most gallant and determined foe must
| be ever gratefully remembered and all guaran.
ties 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
| 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
tho 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
80 applied.
That the President of the United States, An.
drew johnson, in exercising the power of his
high office in resisting the aggressOns OF Con.
| grcss on the Constitutional rights of the States
| and the people. is entitled to the gratitude of
the whole American people. and on behalf OF
| the Democratic party we tender him orr 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 mite with us in
| the present great struggle for the liberties Of
| the people, and that to all sach, to whatever
party they NAV have heretofore belonged we
extend the right hand of fellowship, and hail all
such cooperating with us as friends and broth