The Jackson standard. [volume] (Jackson C.H., Ohio) 1847-1888, 1873-10-30
tFrom Harpers Weekly.i
The New York Democratic Platform

The most striking point in the Demo
cratic platforms of this year is their pro-
found contempt for the popular intelli-
gence. The gentlemen who frame them
apparently suppose that the people have
neither memory nor common-sense, and
that party convention has but to "re-
solve" and it will be believed. The New
York Democratic platform is the last and
most ludicrous illustration of this auda-
city; and bearing in mind the history of
the party for the last twenty years, let us
look at the assertions of that document.
The resolutions were reported to the
Convention by a committee of which Mr..
Algernon S. Sullivan, of the City of New
York, was chairman; and the sincerity
of their denunciations of corruption, and
of their demands of reform, may be in
ferred from the fact that during the su-
premacy of the Tammany Ring it had no
more faithful political supporter than
Mr. Sullivan, as the readers of newspa-
pers well remember. 1t is interesting to
know that in Ex-Governor Seymours S
opinion a convention whose views are ex-
pressed by such gentleman has already
made the political atmosphere more
pure.
The platform declares that the Demo-
Gratis of New York invite the co-opera-
ton of all citizens who "agree with them"
in certain fundamental principles of JEFF
fersous. Agree with them? Let us see
ii what they praise are either Democratic
doctrines or practices.
Equal and eract justice to all men, Of
achGteUeT state or persuasion, religious or po!it
CAL The Democratic party has steadily
denied equal and exact justice 1t has
been the great slave-hound Thirty years
ago in this State, by strict party vote in
the Legislature, it censured Governor
Seward for not acknowledging the Vir-
ginia slave law in New York; and the
Democratic Governor who succeeded him
recommended the repeal Of the law that
gave man merely claimed as a slave the
| right of defending himself In the ma
tional government it acquired Texas and
repealed the Missouri Compromise, and
attempted to coerce Kansas by arms, in
order to extend the area of human sla-
very. This has been the regard for
equal and exact justice of the Demo
cratic party.
1.-THE support of the State Governments in all
their rights" etc. The Democratic party
has constantly maintained theory OF
"the right" of the States, which is ex-
pressed in the resolutions of '98, and
which is incompatible with the absolute
national supremacy of the Union.
"Ihe preservation of the general government
IN its ,ohole constitutional vigor," etc. The
last Democratic cabinet was conspiracy
against the general government, and
Democratic leaders, actively supported
by the Southern wing, and passively by
| the Northern wing of the party, made
war for four years upon the government,
at an enormous cost of life and money
"a jealous care Of the right of election by The
people" John Slidell, the Democratic
leade? of Louisiana, in the Plaquemine
| frauds, and the career of Tweed and the
Tammany Ring in New York, the most
powerful Democratic organization in the
country, illustrate Democratic jealousy
of the right of election.
absolute acquieScence IN tie decisions of tie
majority, as in the election of Abraham
| Lincoln.
| "IHe supremacy Of the cirH over tie military
authority" No man of any party ques-
tions it when properly interpreted. But
under this plea the Democratic party
sought at every point to perplex and
paralyze the national authority during
the war.
Economy an the public erpense, that labor
may be lightly 6urde,,ed." The present
! heavy taxation is due to the rebellion of
Democratic leaders, and the Republican
party has steadily diminished taxation
| and reduced the QeDt.
1.-THE honest payment Of our debts, and sa.
cred preservation of the public faith The
The Democratic Convention Of 1868 vir-
tually declared for reputation.
"The diffusion Of information, and the ar
raignment of all abuses at Tie bar of public rea-
son. The Democratic party, as its last
candidate for the Presidency, Mr.. Gree,
ley, constantly showed, attracts the most
ignorant classes of the people, while those
parts of the country which are most in
telligent and industrious most absolutely
distrust and reject it. Far from arraign
ing all abuses at the bar of public reason
the Democratic party sought to silence
by resolutions, riots, and the military
power, the free and peaceable discussion
of the worst abuse in history.
Freedom, Of religion freedom of the press
and freedom of person under the protection o
tho habous corpus" The Democratic par