The weekly democratic statesman. [volume] (Austin, Tex.) 1871-1883, 1873-11-27
PLATFORM OF THE DEMOoRATIC
PARTY OF TEXAS.

ElAAAH VI AAAAEe
We, the Democrats of Texas, in COnyen-
tion assembled, relying on the virtue and
intelligence OF the people. again declare our
principles and policy, and ask Tor them the
popular approval. And
i We declare our adhesion to the time
honored principles Of the Democratic party;
our devotion to popular liberty regulated
BY law; aud 70 Constitutional government
simple in machinery, and to be be admin
istered with the strictest economy.
III. We congratulate the people Of Texas
on the repeal by the Thirteenth Legislature
of q number OF the oppressive, odious and
unconstitutional acts paAsEd by the Twelfth
Legislature, in pursuanc the Radical pol
icy to overthrow the government Of the
people, and among which acts were:
l. The Militia Law, whereby the Cover
nor was authorized to suspend the writ OF
hGbcas corpus and establish martial law,
thereby .depriving the citizens of all legal
and constitutional protection, and subject
ing their lives, liberty and property to the
unrestrained caprice and malignity of n
partisan Executive.
2. The Police Bill, designed and intended,
among other things, to create o system of
secret espionage, by hired iniOEmers, upon
the people at war with the principles of
civil liberty; odious to all .freemen, and
heretofore tolerated only in the despOtism
of the old world, and the execution of
which act was for the most part entrusted to
class of men of degraded and Infamous
character.
3. The Enabling Act, under. which the
Governor was authorized to appoint district
attorneys who were made elective BY the
Constitution; to appoint all municipal Off
Gers, and to fill all vacancies that might
occur in the offices of clerks and sheritfs,
thereby designedly bestowing on him great
power and patronage, to enable him to con-
tinuc Radical misrule over this people.
4. The registration and election laws,
which were framed and intended for the
purpose of preventing free and fair cleo
lions; they openly encouraged the perpe-
tration of frauds to defeat the will of the
people, and to perpetuate Radical misrule,
presenting to our people the extraordinary
and humiiating spectacle of surrounding
the places of registration and voting with
an armed partisan police with which to in
tlmidate and oyerawe the citizens.
5. The act relating to public free schools,
which, among many other bad features,
provided the means of enabling public Off
cials to speculate in school books, in the
building and furniture of school houses, in
the salaries of teachers and furnished high
salaries for large and useless number of
officers, which gave the Radical party the
means to pay their political missionaries
who Travelled for radical purposes and frauds,
from one end of the State to the other.
III. And we further congratulate the peo-
pie of Texas that the Democratic members
of the Thirteenth Legislature, SC. far as it
was possible to accomplish their object, In
presence of the captious vetoes of the Gov
ernor, and the opposition of his partisans in
the Senate, replaced the foregoing obnox
ious, repealed measures, by just and whole
some laws, bearing alike on all, and which
if honestly and faithfully executed, Will re-
dound to the lasting good of the country
and prosperity of the people.
". The Democratic party, when it
comes into the possession of the government
of the State, viii administer it in the inter
est and for the benefit of the whole people,
and not of party; and, however much VIC
may have been provoked to hostile and re
taliatory legislation, by the outrages COM
mitted on us by the Radical Legislature
and State government, it will be part of
our great mission to rise superior to our
Just resentments, and administer the gov
ernment in such manner that every citizen,
whatever his politics, religion, nationality
or color, shall feel that he is securely pro-
teeted in his life, liberty and property
V. The school fund, sacredly set apart
for the education of tho children of the
State, has, under the operation of the mis-
lule of the party in power, been plundered
by peculation, squandered and perverted
to political purposes. The Democratic
party, through us, reafirms its past opin-
ion and the policy it has ever pursued, that
it is the bounden duty of the State to
maintain an efficient system of free common
schools, and secure the means of CON-
mon education to every child in the State !;
and we advocate the gradual sale of the
alternate sections of land belonging to the
COMMON school fund; rs also of the asylum
and university lands, under such restric-
lions as will secure the funds arising there
| from to the purposes for which they were
| intended, and giving in such sales proper
| preferences to actual settlers in good faith
thereon.
| VI. It was the Democratic party which
| first inaugurated the wise and generous pol
icy which has made the United States the
asylum of all nations from oppressive gov
ernment and less favorable means of liveli-
| hood and independence; and the Democrat
/ ic party of Texas, true to the early teachings
and uniform practices of the party, advo-
| Gates the most liberal and active policy to
\ encourage and increase foreign immigration,
| to develop the resources of our fertile State,
as we'll as to perpetuate the government,
| through the intelligence and moral worth
of her citizens. And that every adopted
citizen may enter into the spirit of perfect
| freedom of thought and action in matters
of Conscience, the Democracy of Texas, In
Convention assembled, declare it to be our
firm conviction that legal interference with
the merely social habits of any class Of citi-
zens, natives or of foreign birth, is contrary
to sound policy, TO genuine Democracy, and
to the enlightened spirit of tho age. al r
VII. The Democratic party is and has
ever been in favor of throwing as few inn
pediments as possible in the way of Euro
peans making the United States the land of
their adoption; and to enable foreigners to
enter into citizenship without needless trou-
bic, delay or expense, we declare it to be
our conviction that foreigner who desires
it should have theright to make his declare
ton of intention to become q citizen before
the clerk, in vacation or in open court, as
may be to him most convenient; and We fa-
sor the passage Of law to that effect.
VIII. We condemn IN the strongest
L lcllnS Ill CollupSAOA III puDuC OA1Cldic3 anu
demand the strictest honesty and economy
in the administration Of public trusts, from
the highest 70 the lowest officer Of the gov
eminent
TX That the Democracy Of Texas adhere
to their past policy of developing the mate
.ial resources of the State, and fostering the
best interests of the. people, by encouraging
the construction of railroads. That to i.
end, and 10 encourage the investment oi
capital, in such enterprises, we favor the
granting Of liberal charters to companies
able to build such railroads, and Of donating
to such companies alternate sections Of thu
vacant lands, under proper restrictions, and
with such provisions Of law rs viii proteci
tho people against oppression and unreason
able exactions, until each section Of tn,
State has Its equal proportion OF railroad
facilities.
2 That NE are o,,nozad n r-rsnfinr