The weekly democratic statesman. [volume] (Austin, Tex.) 1871-1883, 1878-08-22
Democratic Platform.

Democratic Platform.
Hon. NJ. D K Taylor. President OF the Demo
cratic State Convention:
We your committee on platform
beg to submit the following:
Whereas, Il Is right and proper that
the friends of constitutional govern
ment should reassert their deyo-
ton to it and to proclaim the princi-
Piles upon which it should be admins
tered; therefore be it
ReSolred, BY the Democratic party
of Texas in convention assembled, that
we have an abiding confidence in the
devotion of the National Democratic
party to the correct. principles of
government, and We pledge ourselves
to cooperate with 1t as an integral
part thereof, in its efforts to restore
the administration of the government
to the principles on which it was
founded.
2. That the powers of. the general
government are restricted to the ex-
press grants of the Constitution, and
all powers not granted are reserved to
the States and the people thereof.
8. That we pledge our devotion to
the union of the States under the Con-
stitution, and to the Constitution itself.
4. That a faithful adherence to the
following principles is necessary as an
essential to the preservation of the gov
eminent, viz. Home rule the suprema-
| cy of the civil over the military power:
the separation of church and State; the
equality of all citizens before the law
absolute scquiescence in the lawfully
expressed will of the majority and the
maintenance and perfection of COM
mon school system.
D. That the investigation of the
frauds committed at the last presiden-
tial election in Florida and Louisiana
ought to have been made by the cleo
toral commission; its refusal to do so
was violation of the spirit OF the law
under which it was organized. and
gross outrage on the people of the
United States and whilst the decision,
as made by the Forty-fourth Congress,
| on the question as to who should be-
| declared President of the United States
for the present presidential term should
not, in our judgment, be disturbed,
that decision ought not to preclude an
investigation and exposure by proper
authority of all the. frauds connected
with that election and the due account
ability of all who were guiltily connect
ed Herewith.
q. That the commercial and indus
trial stagnation which has so long pre-
vailed throughout the country, and the
consequent widespread want and suf-
fering, are due directly to the perni-
cious financial legislation of the Re-
publican party, which we hereby ar
raign for its acts and charge:
1. That at time when the country
was weighed down with debt, created
on the basis of the full volume of pa.
per, added to both the precious metals
as money, 1t enacted sweeping
change in the measure of value, wholly |
in the interest of moneyed capital, by |
demonetizing silver and decreeing the |
destruction of legal tender paper, and |
thereby wrongfully added, in fact, |
hundreds of millions. to the burden of |
debt and taxes upon the people.
2. BY pursuing its merciless policy |
OF contracting the paper currency and
boarding gold it has greatly sppre-
ciated the value of money and CORE
spondingly depreciates the value of all
other property, and especially of CAPT.
tai designed for productive use and re-
quired for the employment of labor,
thus REFRESHING instead of fostering
industry, compelling idler ess instead
of sustaining trade and commerce, and
now this party declare that the ques-
ton of finance has been settled. We
deny this declaration, and while we
congratulate the country that the
downward course to bankruptcy and
ruin involved in the Republican policy
has been partially arrested by the Dem
ocratic measures passed at the late ses-
sion of Congress, restoring the debt
paying powers to the silver dollar,
made law in spite of the Presidents
veto, and stopping the further retire
ment of greenbacks, we demand, as
further acts of justice as well AS meas
ures of relief, the repeal of the re-
sumption act, the lawful Liberation of
the coin boarded in the treasury, the
removal of all restrictions to the coin
age of silver, fraudulently demone-
tiZed, the substitution of United States
legal tender for national bank notes,
and Its permanent re-establIshment as
the sole paper money of the country,
made receivable fST- all dues to the gov
eminent and of equal tender with coin,
the amount of such issue to be regu-
lated by legislative or organic law, so
as to give to the people an assurance of
sufficiency and stability in the volume
of the currency and consequent stabil-
ity of value. No further increase In
the bonded debt; no further sale of
bonds for the purchase of coin for re-
sumption purposes, but gradual re.
ductlon of the public debt By payment
according to the original contract by
which 1t was created; rigid economy
In all branches of the public service,
and a tariff for revenue only.
3. We favor one currency for the
and the people. the Ia
borer and the offceholder, the pen-
sioner and the soldier, the producer
and the bondholder. |,
A. We hold that the night of States
to tax property in the States is inyiola-
BILE, and that United States bonds
should bear the burden Of government
equally with all other property, and
any legislation that exempts said bonds
from taxation is unjust and oppres.
siVe.
5. We declare that all bonds and OBJ
legations of the national government
ought to be paid in legal tender notes
Of the United States, except where it
is otherwise provided by the original
law under which they were issued !
and all that can be called in and paid !
now should be paid at once, and the
remainder as soon as it can be lawfully
done.
6. We heartily approve the action
Of Congress In passing the act known
rs the silver bill, thereby increasing
the circulating medium Of the coun-
try, and restoring to US the dollar OF
our fathers.
z. We demand Of the United States
government ample and full protection !
Of the Texas frontier, and we recon- {,
mend for that purpose q law OF Con-
gress authorizing the raising Of suf- /,
icleDt cavalry force in Texas, differed !
BY citizens of Texas; and should the :
general government fail to extend pro,
lection, then the State OF Texas should :
protect her own border.