The home journal. (Winchester, Tenn.) 1858-188?, 1878-10-17
The Tennessee Democratic Platform.

cal Republican party, National and State,
before the bar OF public opinion, 10 the
author of all the misrOrtuneS which now
oppose and threaten the people.
Protesting its friendship for the Federal
Union, it sought to destroy it in central
iZation. Declaring its purpose to "es'
tablish Justice" it trampled it under its
feet To "insure domestic tranquility"
| its proclaimed mission, it preached the
gospel of hate and filled the land with
blood, misrule and anarchy, Pretending to
| "provide for the common delenSe,' it
! fruitleSsly squandcred millions of the peo'
pies money. Affecting TO "promotc the
general we fare" itbetrayed the public veal.
| Affirming its designs to "SeCurc the blessings
Of liberty to ourselves and poSterliy' IT.
| forged fer the people the chains oil perpetual
| slavery. Ostcnsibly the financial agent OF
| the people, it was in fact the plant tool OF
the money power. 1t betrayed It's trust when
it converted nOn.intercst bearing debt
into an interest bearing debt, which is n
blighting public curse. ltbctrayed its trust
when ii repudated a contract which was
dischargeable in Treasury notes and substl'
tuted a contract in its stead to the prejudice
of the people. Itbetrayed its trust when it
| demOnethed silver and fOrba e payment to
| the public creditors in the cheaper metal
|
trust when it organized privileged class
into close banking corporation, and
usurping all banking power, invested its
creatures with exclusive corporate power
| to destroy the business and property Of
| the people. 1t betrayed its power when it
/ fixed an arbitrary period for resumption.
! 1t has squandercd the public wealth by
| donations to powerful corporations. 1t has
wrung enormous taxes from the people and
| applied them to unworthy partisan pur-
! poses.
Under the pretense of protection to home
| industry, it has Systematically robbed the
many in the interest Of the few,
by unfriendly legislation it has driven
| American ships from the high seas, and
utterly destroyed our foreign commerce.
ltmade the army an instrument III the
annihila'on OF republican government in
| the South. BY the use Of the army it put
| the people of the United States in fear and
robbed them OF the Presidency. 1t in.
suits the labOring people OF our country by
demanding an increase of the army for the
avOwed purpose of standing menace to
them. BY the levy OF excessive excise
duties upon tobacco and alcoholic produc-
tons, it has encouraged violations Of the
revenue laws, and under the false pretense
OF protecting revenue service, it has turned
| loose upon our people irresponsible, blood
/ thirsty men, who kill and main our people
mud destroy their property at will, and con-
Tossing the want Of jurisdiction in the Fed.
cral courts to punish them yet it refuses to
allow these enemies to society to be chal
| lenged anywhere for their crimes.
| Acquiring power by accident, it has per-
| petuatcd it by frauduIently dcceiving the
| ignorant blacks of the South, and miScad-
| ing the credulOus masses OF the North, and
| it has uniformly abused its power by admin
| iStering the government in the interest Of
| the creditor against the debtor class in the
! interest of the tax consumer and against the
taxpayer; in the interest of the rich and
against the poor in he intcrcstoi the strong
and against the weak ; in the interest of the
| few and against the many.
/ As the legitimate fruit OF it maadminiS-
tration, it has paraly2ed all our industrial
| pursuits it has destroyed the value Of our
property it has deprived labor of employ
mcnt and reward it has impoverished and
bankrupted the country; it has denied the
poor an opportunity to earn bread it has
filled the land with unrest, discomfort and
agitation, the unmistakablc precursors of
revolutionary resistance to oppression, in
justice and wrong.
For these crimes against humanity and
good government, we denOuncc the Radical
Republican party rs unworthy the trust
and confidence of an intelligent and patri.
otlc people. As the representatives Of the
Democratic party, we congratulate the
people that our party has at last won Il
victory for them over the Radical Republic
can party and its allies, monopoly and the
money power. Through the hbOrs and
policies of the Democratic party domestic
governments, republican in spirit as well
as form, have been restored to the Southern
States, and these 5 atcs have been replaced
in the Federal circle with functions and
rights Co-equa with the other members of
the Union. For the accomplishment of
this great work, this political organization
deserves the gratitude Of the South and the
respectful consideration of the whole re-
public; the gratitude of the former is due
because it was the direct recipient of the
blessings of restored political and civil
liberty the respectful consideration of the
national republic is due because by the
success Of Democratic policies in this
regard, the sword was eliminated from its
internal administration, Capitalization ar
rested and the ancient forms and methods
OF the Federal system re-cstablished. We
pledge the people that our grand old party
will never lower its banner nor take
step backward, until the prosperity
OF the whole people shall be held
to be the supreme law of political adj
mnistratiOn. In the name OF Democracy
we denOunce an Understanding public
debt a public curse; we denOunce prOtec-
ton public robbery; we denOunce monOp-
olies as hateful, and destructive to public
liberty, and demand that they he put away
from among the people. We demand the
restoration of the Federal Government to
its constitutional limits, and return OF its
administration to its original economy, sim
plicity and impartiality.
We demand that the military authority he
subordinate to the civil authori y in fact as
well as in theory; the repeal OF the laws
which have destroyed our commerce; the
repeal Of the declaration that the currency
bonds of the Government shall be paid in
coin, and the payment in treasury notes of
so much of said bonds as may be found due
after deduc.ng the difference between the
value of the gold paid and the currency due
thereon according to the contract; the un.
conditional repeal of the resumption act
that the odOus national bank ing act be re-
peaed and greenbacks be substituted for the
circulation Of,the national banks that treas
ury notes be made receivable for all Gov
eminent dues; that no more interest bear
ing notes be issued; that all loans required
by the Government be raised by the issu-
ance OF nOn-interest hearing treasury totes;
that the coinage of silver be made un.
limited, and when it is the cheaper metal
that it be paid to the public creditor ex-
clusively upon all bonds justly payable
in coin; that the value OF all foreign
silver coin he regulated and made re-
ceiyable for all Government dues; to be re- |
coined by the Government and paid out t. |
It's creditors; the repeal OF all laws which
deny to the people OF the several States the
right to determine for themselves whether
thew will authorize banks or not; that cap
ital in every form be required to bear the
burdens OF government equally with labor
and production that the present financial
Motley Of the Governments 10 con ract the
circulation Of treasury note, disparage