Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1878-05-23
PEN
Platform Adopted by the Democratic
State Convention Held
at Plttsburg.

PITTsRURc, May 23.-The Democratic
State convention reassembled at nine
o'clock this morning, and the report of
the committee on contested seats having
been made and contestants seated, a per.
manent organization was effected by the
election Of Hon. Charles r. Buckalew
permanent president.
Mr.. Sowden, Of Lehigh, obtained recog.
milton and moved that after the nomina-
ton for g%overnor.the convention proceed
to ballot for lieutenant governor. This
being contrary to the regular order Of
nominating it was objected to, and the
yeas and nays being ordered, the motion
was defeated. Yeas, III; nays, l25.
Mr.. Sowden then moved to lead the
nominations with that Of Supreme Judge.
Rejected, and the chair announced that
the regular order would be adhered to,
and that the convention would proceed
to ballot for governor, but hal he would
first recognize the chairman of the com
mittee on resolutions. and Mr.. Wallscs,
ascending the platform. made bis report.
The following is the platform adopted
by the Democratic convention;
The Democracy OF Pennsylvania
unanimously declare that the Republi-
can party, its measures and its men are
responsible for the financial distress, the
misery and want that now exits. 1t has
had control of the Legislation OF the
country and has enacted and perpetual.
ted a policy that has enriched the few
and impoverished the many. Its sys.
tenn OF finance has been one of favors to
money monopoly, of unequal taxation,
of exemption Of classes, of high rates of
interest and Of remorssless contraction,
which has destroyed every enterprise
that gave employment to labor. Its
present hold upon Federal power was
secured by fraud, perjury and forgery.
Its laws are unjust and its practices are
immoral. They distress the people and
destroy their substance. The only rem
edy for these evils is in an entire change
of policy and the d%ethrouement of those
in power. And we resolve that further
contraction OF the volume of United
States legal.tender notes is unwise and
unnecessary; they should be received for
customs duties and reissued as fast as re.
ceived. Gold, silver aud United States
legaltender notes, at par Herewith, are
a just basis for par circulation. A close
connection Of the Federal government
with the business Of the people through
national banks tends to monopoly and
Capitalization; bat in changing the Gus.
tom uniformity of notes, security OF the
noteholder and protection Of the capital
invested should be provided for. Treas
ury notes exchanged for bonds bearing a
low rate of interest is the best form in
which the credit OF the government can
be given TO paper currency. Labor and
capital have equal demands upon and
equal responsibility to law. Commerce
aud manufactures should be encouraged,
so that steady employment and fair
wages may be yielded to labor, while
the safety OF investment and a mod
crate return for its use belong to
capital. Violence or breaches Of
order in support Of the real or supposed
Of either should be promptly sup
pressed by the strong arm OF the law.
The Republican party, by its legislation
in 1872, which reduced the tariff upon
bituminouS coal from SIPS to IS cents
per ton, and upon iron, steel, wool, met.
ais, paper, glass, leather and all manu-.
features ten per cent, struck a fatal
blow at the industries and labor Of Penn.
sylvania. The public lands are the com.
mon property Of the people, and they
should not be sold to spectators, nor
granted to railroads Or other corpo
%rstions, but should be reserved
as homesteads for actual settlers.
Our public debt should be held at home,
and the bonds representing it ought to
be Of small denominations, in which the
savings Of the masses may be safely in.
vested. Thorough investigation into the
electoral frauds Of 1876 should be made.
Fraud should be exposed, truth vindi.
Gated and criminals punished, but we
oppose any attack upon the President as
dangerous to our institutions and fruit
less in its results. The Republican party
controlling the legislation of the State,
has refused to execute many Of the re-
forms Of the constitution. Among
other things, it taI neglected
and refused TO compel the &C.
csptance Of all Of It's provisions
by the corporations Of The State, to pre-
vent undue aud unreasonable discrim.
ination in charges for the transportation
freight and passengers, aud without
abatement or drawback to any, to give
all equal means for transporting the raw