Raftsman's journal. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1854-1948, 1871-05-31
The Democratic Platform.

The Democratic Platform.
The Democracy assem- bled at Harrisburg
on Wednesday last, and nominated Gen.
William McCandless, of Philadelphia, for
Auditor General, aud Capt. John II. Coop
er, of Lawrence county. for Surveyor Gen
eral.
The platform adopted by the Convention,
is we'll drawn up, and carefully corded, but
OF very superficial character in many re-
spects. The first resolution commits the
Democracy in faVor of a Constitutional
convention, int omits to say anything is
referelce to the Democrats In the Legisla
turS at the present session voting against a
Dill for such a convention. The second
charges the Republicans with a refusal 10
change the Philadelphia Registry Law, 50
that the Democracy could carry that city
and the State hy fraudulent votes The
third endorses the action of their friends in
the State Senate upon the apportionmcnt
bill, bat no reference is made to the great
expense entailed upon the State by said
action il prolonging the session of the leg
islature. The fourth denounces Congress
for passing law to enforce billto prevent
the election Of Congressman by fraud The
nth endorses Senator Carl Schurz, for his
speech at St. Louis, although the Senator
has since declared himself true Republi
cana rather singular endorsen en;. The
sjath declares that the national debt must
be paid, evidently TO please some of the
Democratic ''boated" bondhoIders The
Serenh pledges the party against the exist
ing national system of taxing The rich man
il preference TO the poor man to raise reve-
ring the late Democratic rebellion in the
South. The eighth deprecates all strife be-
tween labor and capital, and opposes the
employment Of ''servilc" foreign laborers
by those who need help-a clap trap senti-
ment with which they hope to deceive the
honest but unwary laboring men Of the State
and country. The ninth recognizes ''the
binding obligation Of all the provisions of
the Constitution of the United States as 1t
is-'nigeer," heather Chinee," and all
The tenth pledges the party to economy and
in opposition to multiplicity of officers and
salaries-a rather severe hit at the Demo
cratic Senators who but recently increased
the salaries of the judges of this State, and
multiplied Offices by creating several new
law judges, etc. The eierenh favors the
repeal of the Income tax, which would ex-
oDorate August Belmont, Fernando Wood
and other rich nabobs, from paying the pit
tance of two and a-half dollars on each thou
sand Of their income to liquidate that na
tional debt which the sixth" resolution
declares must be paid" The t,celfh de-
clares that the present tariff is oppressive
and should be revised" an admirable way
to bring the wages of the laborerS in this
country down TO a level with the pauper
wages in foreign countries. The thirteenth
sheds crocadile tears for the soldiers and
sailors, (who they termed ''Lincoln's hell
hounds during the war for the preserv alton
of the Union), by asking for an equaliza-
ton Of bounties in land and money for their
patriotic services in the late war-a matter
long since attended to by a Republican Pres
ident and a Republican Congress.
That very little confidence can he placed
in the professions made in this platform, it is
only necessary to state that the Convention
was controlled and run by the notorious
Billy McMullin, and his chums, and that
the ninth resolution was only adopted after
a vigorous discussion by the clo:e vote OF
76 yeas to 53 nays.
Suffice it to say, for the present, that the
result of the vote on the NINTH resolution
was the signal for sonic very serere denun-
Citations and deep curses from those who
were not uLLer the immediate control of
Billy McMullin. But, more anon.