Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1872-05-10
THE PLATFORM.

=. AHG AoiIoWInS lS tne Elat1Orm adopted
at the Democratic Conservative Conven-
tion:
The Democratic Conservative party of
North Carolina in Convention assembled,
do declare,
That all experience proves that in free
governments, those to whom power has
been delegated, are prone to enlarge its
sphere, and by usurpatiOn and abuses, en-
croach upon the rights and liberties of the
citizens.
The present condition of our country
demands an union of all parties, by what
! ever name heretofore designated, to avert
perils greater than any with which our
government has been menaced since its or
ganization.
Constitutional Government and civil law
are threatened with annihilation, and mill
tary government and the bayonet law sub
stituted in their stead.
Immense sums, not needed for any le-
gtimate purpose, are drawn from the neo-
pie by means Of a system of taxation, vex-
atloUS III the extreme, and as UNEQUAL as
the ingenuity Of the makers could fashion
it, imposing heavy burdens upon the pee
! pie, not only to support extravaganza and
waste by government officials, but also to
meet the demands Of wealthy monopolists,
who seek to convert the whole governments
into an immense machine by which the
! public is TO be plundered for their benefit.
This system has produced an amount of
official corruption that has astonished the
country, and which will, it not soon
checked, demoralze the people. . .#
Ihe administration Ut Washington not
! only fail to correct these evils, but by its
! conduct, encourages extravaganza, speula-
| ton and corruption.
In order that the patriotic men of the
! North may not be aided in their efforts r.
I rpfO-tO flln NJ
States, IA large number OF the men of most
! experience in those States, are disfran-
Chised aud prohibited from taking eff
cient part iIi tllr Inaua@cnr"Tt OF politica. =
! affairs. III
In addition to hi, anl to keep those
States under the control of mere retaiuers
! and Instruments Of tho central power, at
! Washington, oppressive and tyrannicaI
laws have been PASSED and large bodies OF
troops distributed to Ovelawe the citizens
and prevent Il fair expression of opinion
by the public at the ballot box.
l. RcSoIrcJ, therefore,, That the time
bas arrived when it becomes the duty of
all patriots, without distinction of partv.
to unite i'll an honest effort TO restore consti-
tutlOnal government, and equal and mod
crate system of taxation economy i'm ex-
penditures, honesty among the officials and
universal amnesty, and thus secure the
permanent peace aud prosperity Of our
! common country.
2. RcSoired, That The present system OF
internal taxes on spirits and tobacco is
unequal, veXatiOus and tyrannical, ought.
forthwith to bc abolished, and thus, by its
extinction, relieve the country from the
curse Of a numerous horde Of officers whose
conspiracies and frauds demoralize the
public mind, and who arc harrassing and
; plundering the people, and by their extor-
tions fattenips on the hard earning of help
less, Impoverished and oppressed people.
3. ReS0LUed, That the late Radical Con-
vention Of this State, by recommending j.
. G. Abbott to a seat IN the Senate of the
United States, though he did not receive
One-third of the votes cast, manifested an
utter disregard Of the rights of the people
of the State, q contempt Of the Constitu-
ton of the United States, and plain act
Of Congress made IN pursuance thereof,
and preference for the laws Of Great
Britain, where the minority rule prevails,
and the rights Of InajOrities are habitually
disregarded.
4. RcS0lrcd, That their endorsement of
W. w. Holden, who was dep05ed from Of
flee for gross violations of the Constitution
and laws of the state, squanderiug is
funds, AID illegal arrests Of its citizens, is
wen calculated TO alarm our people with
the dread that in the event Of the return to
power Of his associates, the State is again
10 he opp, SSed with military arrest, peni-
Tertiary and railroad sWindles, and general
waste, profigacy, fraud and corruption.
>. H"~oirrd, That the general tendency,
both at Washington and in our own State,
Of Radical action, is enterely in the interests
Of monopolists and the wealthy classes, and
for the oppression Of the masses of our
cOuntrymen, and that instead Of such con-
duct, it is the duty Of the government to
aid, elevate and dignify the laborer, to
whose efforts, mainly, we must look for our
prosperity.
G. R(solrcd, That education aud en-
lightened public virtue are indispensably
essential in a government of, and for, the
people; and we insist that a fair and Just
proportion Of the public lands, or their pro-
ceeds, which belong in common to all the
States Of the Union, shall be given to them
for the education Of all classes of the peo-
pie, without distinction of race or color, in
stead Of being granted by Congress, as
they have heretofore been, under the most
corrupting influences and i'll vast quantities,
to overpOwering railroad corporations and
other mOnOpOlieS of accumulated wealth so
dangerous TO the rights and liberty, the la
Dor and welfare of the people.
7. RcSOiUcd, That while we accept and
faithfully abide by the constitution of the
United States as it is, with all the amend
mentS, including emancipation and equalf-
ty before the law, thus comforting civil and
! political rights upon all who are citizens Of
this federal republic, we oppose and de-
nOunce that latitudinOuS construction which
makes the discretion Of Congress or the
| President superior 10 the constitutions, and
under pretence of enforcing the laws, de-
: strOys the most important provisions secur-
ing the personal liberty Of the citizens and
dwarfS the States themselves into mere
provinces or corporations, under the con-
troll Of II ceutral government, with no rights
reserved " to them OF the people, except
such only as that central government may
+ confer. .. OIL. ..s-- ~
8. RcsOired, That we desire a real, and
not merely pretended civil service reform,
and that we believe the - one term princi-
pie" for the Presidency would greatly tend
, to produce that desirable result.
8. Rc@o{ccd, That the patronage Of the
Government should not be brought in con
fict sWith the freedom Of elections, and
that the elective franchise should he free
and untrammellcd. 'tt
10. ReSOLred, That the amendments TO
the Constitution, proposed by the last
Legislature, will, if adopted, tend materially
, to benefit the State, and We unhesitatingly
recommend their support TO all citizens
without distinction Of party. e "1-
IL. ResoIoed, That all secret political
societies are dangerous in Il free govern
B ment, cngender violence, combinations
against the peace Of society, insecurity Of
person and property, and ought to be dis
, countcnanced by all good citizens. .liEsle.