The Wheeling daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1864-1878, 1868-10-06
The National Democratic
:, ~ Platform = -

The Democratic party, in National Cunven.
ton assembled, repesiRg its trust in the inteli-
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 dueS-
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 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 as rapidly as practicable; all money
drawn from the people by taxation, except so
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 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, in right
and Justice be paid in the lawful msney of the
United States. -F..s
Fourth. Equal taxation of every species of
property according to its real value, including
government bonds and other public securities.
Fifth. One currency 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
bureau great cbeersl, and all political instru-
mentalities designed to secure negro supremacy;
simplifcation of the system, and discontinuance
of inquisitoral modes of assessing and collecting
Internal Revenue; so that the burden OF taxation
NAV be equalized 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 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 to domestic manufactures, and as VIII,
| without impaiIing 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-
| ton; the expulsion of corrupt men from oflce;
the abrogation of useless offices the restoration
| of rirhtful 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 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
ment to people struggling for national integri'
ty, constitutional liberty and individual rights,
and the maintenance of the rights of naturaliz.
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
arraiCn the Radical party for its disregard Tor
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 10 victory. Instead of restoring the Union
il has so far as it is i'll its power, dissolved 1t,
and subjected ten States in time of profound
pcace to military despOtism and negro supTe-
macy. 1t has nulliied 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 and ar.
rest and military trials and the secret star
chambers of inquistiOns for constitutional tri.
bunals 1t has disIegarded in time of peace the
right of the people to be free from search and
seizures Ii has entered the post and telegraph
Offices and even the private rooms of lndivid.
uals and seized their private papers ana letters
without any specification, or notice, or atiida-
| Wit as required by the organic law. 1t has
converted the American capitol into Bastle
1t has established system OF spies ana Official
espionage to which 70 constitutional monarchy
in Europe would now dare TO resort.
1t has abolished the right of appeal on i'm
portant constitutional questions to the SUI
premc judicial tribunal, and threatens tocur'
tail or destroy its original jurisdiction, whiChis
| irrevocably vested by the Constitution, while
the learned Chief Justice has been subie cted to
| great and atrOCiOuS calulnnies, merely because
| he 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
Olcs it has nearly doubled the burden OF debt
created during tso war. 1t has stripped the
| President of his constitutional power OF ap.
pOntment even of his own cabinet. Under It's
repeated assaults the pillars Of the Government
are rocking on their bases, and should it sue
coed in November next and inaugurate Its
President we will meet, rs subjects and con.
qucrod people, amid the ruins of liberty and
the scattered fragments ofthc Constitutions
| And we do declare and resolve, That ever
since the people of the United States threw of
all subsection to the British crown, the priyi'
Ilege and trust of suffrage have belonged to the
several States, and have been granted, regulated
and controlled exclusively by the political pow
| cr of each State respectively; and any attempt
! by Congress Oh any preteXt whatever to de.
! prive any State of this right or interfere with
| this exercise is q fragrant usuTpatiOn of power,
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 sin
| gle centralized consolidated government, in
which the separate existence of the States will
| he entirely absorbed, and an unqualified DIES.
pOtism be established in Ipla5e of 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 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 he distributed
widely among the people, and should be dispOs
ed of under the presumption of homestead laws
and sold i'm reasonable quantities. and to none
but actual occupants, at the minimum price es.
tablishcd 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 the gratitude OF
the whole American people, and on behalf OF
| llt pdltN MN Jul lilsiLlhs
for his patriotic efforts in that regard.
| Upon this platform the Democratic party APP
peals to every patriot, including all the Conser,
vativc 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
such cooperating with us as friends and broth