The spirit of democracy. [volume] (Woodsfield, Ohio) 1844-1994, 1869-08-03
The White Mans Platform p!
Adopted by the Ohio Dcs
nlocracy. at Columbus, July 4,
1869,

|. RESOLVED, That the exemption from tax
alton of twenty. Ave hundred million of dol
lars in Government bonds and securities is un
Just to the people, and ought not be tolerated,
and that we are opposed to any appropria-
tion for the payment of interest on the Fed
eral bonds until they are made subject to
Federal taxation.
2. RESOLVED, That the claims of the bond
holders that bonds bought with greenbacks,
and the principal of which is by law payable
in currency, should nevertheless be paid in
gold, is unjust and extortionats, and f persis-
ted in will inevitably force upon the people
the question of reputation.
3. RESOLVED. That we denounce the ma
tional banking system as one of the worst
outgrowths of the bonded debt, in that it
unnecessarily increases the burden of the
people thirty millions of dollars annually,
and We demand its Immediate repeal.
a. RESOLVED, That We denounce the pres
ent high protective tariff enacted in the in
terests Of the New England manufactures for
its enormous imposition of duties on salt,
sugar. tea, coffee, and other necessaries as
are oppressive, especially upon the people of
the West, and that We demand its repeal,and
the substitution of another based upon reve-
nue. principles alone, approximating free
trade as closely as possible.
5. RESOLVED, That the Democratic party of
the United States has always been present.
neutly friendly to the rights and interests of
the laboring man; that 1t is in favor of a
limited number of hours Of labor in all Gov
eminent workshops, hours dictated by the
physical and mental well being of the labor
ers; that it is in favor of the most liberal
laws in regard to household and homestead
exemptions from sale and execution; that it
is also in favor of liberal grants of land from
the public domain to actual settlers without
cost, and opposed to donating these lands to
swindling railroad corporations, and is gene
rally friendly to the measures advocated by
the Labor and Industrial Congress, and as
party, pledges, if restored to power; its in
fuence TO give them practical application.
6. RESOLVED, That it is the right of each
State to decide for itself who shall possess
the elective franchise within it, and that the
attempt to regulate suffrage in Ohio by means
of the so-called Fifteenth Constitutional
Amendment, is subversive of the principles
of the Federal Constitution.
Z. RESOLVED, That the policy and leg!sla-
tion of the Radical party tend to destroy all
the reserved rights of the States, and con-
verts the Republic into consolidated despot
ism; that such despotism, whether exercised
by President. Emperor, or Congress. is
fatal to liberty and good government; that
consolidation in this country means the alb
solute dominion of monopoly and aggregated
capital over the lives, the liberty and the
property of the toiling masses.
8. RESOLVED. That the numerous palpable
and high handed usurpations of the party in
power, and their many public and private
acts of tyranny, trampling under foot the
civil law and the guarantees of the Consti-
tuition, and their continuing to deprive the
Southern States of representation in Congress
governing States by military rue, prove
them to be the party of despotism and un-
worthy the confidence and support of free
people,
o. RESOLVED, That the trial and sentence
OF death by military commission OF citi-
en- of Texas, not in the military service,
while the civil courts are in the nnobstructed
exercise Of their functions IN that State. and
ia time of profound peace, and the approval
of that sentence by President Grant, are in
violation of the most sacred rights OF Amer
ican citizens guaranteed by their Constitution,
both State and Federal, and deserve and
should receive the severest condemnation of
every lover of liberty and constitutional gov
ernment.
10. RESOLVED, That the attacks of Cover
nors Hayes and Lee upon the doings of the
late General Assembly are false in statement,
malicious in spirit, and unworthy of their
high position:
IL. RESOLVED, Thatthe Fifty. eighth General
Assembly vas called upon to make large and
extraordinary appropriations to rebuild the
burned Lunatic Asylum, to provide Reform
School Tor girls, to construct a new Blind
Asylum, to make an appropriation to meet
Judgment of more than eighty thousand dol
lars, recovered in the Supreme Court OF the
Statein savor of the Life and Trust Company,
and to supply deficiency of moro than five
hundred thousand dollars of the preceding
Republican Legislature of which,together
with ihe extra compensation paid to MEM
bers under Law passed by Republican
Legislature, without an increase of the State
levy; notwithstanding all these things, the
appropriations are much less than those of
the preceding Republican Legislature-and
that, too, without abstracting eight hundred
thousand dollars from the relief fund for the
manned and disabled soldiers and their fam
lilies.
IL. RESOLVED, That We hereby return our
thanks to the late General Assembly for their
economical expenditures in the administra-
ton of the State Government, and for the
exposure of the wholesale frauds in the erec-
tion Of State buildings, whereby the people
were defrauded out of half million OF dollars
by the negligence and corruption of Republican
State officials, and the dishonesty of their ap-
pointees and snbordinates.
13. RESOLVED, That we extend the right
hand of fellowship, and recognize as brethren
in a common cause, all conservative men not
heretofore Democrats, who will unite with us in
rescuing the Government from the unworthy
hands into which it has fallen; and we pledge
the united and cordial support of the two hun
dred and fifty thousand Democrats in Ohio
whom we represent, to the ticket nominated by
this Convention, and presented by US to the SUI
frages of the people OF Ohio.
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