Clarksville weekly chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1873-1890, 1878-08-24
DEMOCRATIC STATE CONVEN-
TION,

DEMOCRATIC STATE CONVEN'
TION.
Resolutions offered by the Com
mittee of the state Convention
ana Adopted.
The Committee on Resolutions
and Platform made the following
report:
TO the President of the Conven-
ton: The Committee on Resolu-
tions and Platform, after mature
deliberatiOn and reflection, author
ize me to report the following reso-
lutions as the platform of this Con-
vention:
In the name of the Democratic
party of Tennessee, we, its delegates,
in convention assembled, most SOL
emnly arraign the Radical Republi-
can party, National and State, be-
fore the bar of public opinion, as the
author of all the misiortunes which
now oppress and threaten the peO-
pie.
Protesting its friendship for the
Federal Union, it sought to destroy
it in Capitalization. Declaring its
purpose to Establish JUSTICE" it
trampled it under its feet. To sin
sure domestic tranquility" its pro-
claimed mission, it preached the
gospel of hate, and filed the land
with blood, misrule and anarchy.
Pretending 10 "proVide for the COM
mon Defence" it fruitIessly squan-
dered millions ofthe peoples money.
Affecting to promote the general
welfare" it betrayed the public
veal. Affirming its design to "se-
cure the blessings of liberty to our
selves and pOsterity," it forged for
the people the chains of perpetual
slavery. Ostensibly the financial
agent of the people, it was in fact
the plant tool of the money power.
1t betrayed its trust when it con-
Verted a non-interest bearing debt
into an interest bearing debt, which
is blighting public curse. 1t be-
trayed its trust when it repudiated
a contract which was dischargable
in treasury notes, and substituted a
coin contract in its stead to the
prejudice of the people. 1t betrayed
its trust when it demonetized silver
and forbade payment to the public
creditors III the cheaper metal pro-
Vided for in the contract. It be-
trayed its trust when it organized a
privileged class into a close banking
corporation, and usurping all bank
ing power, invested its creature
with exclusive corporate power to
destroy the business and property
of the people. 1t betrayed its trust
when it fixed an arbitrary period
for resumption. 1t has squandered
the public wealth by donations to
powerful corporations. 1t has
Wrung enormous taxes from the
people, and applied them to unwor-
thy partisan purposes.
Under the pretenSe of protection |
to home industry, 1t has systematic |
ally 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.
1t made the army an instrument |
in the annihilation of republican
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 insults
the labOring people of our country
by demanding an increase of the
army for the avOWed purpose of a
menace to them. BY the |
levy of excessive excise duties upon |
tobacco and alcoholic productions,
it has encouraged violations of the
revenue laws and under the false
pretense of protecting the revenue
it has turned loose upon our
people irresponsible blood-thirsty
men, who kill and MAIN our people
md destroy their property at will,
md cOnfeSsing the want of jurfsdiG-
ion in the Federal courts to punish
hem, yet it refuses to allow these
enemies to society to be challenged
for their crimes.
Acquiring power by accident, it
las perpetuated it by fraudulently
leceiving the ignorant blacks of the
south, and misleading the credulOus
masses of the North, and it has uni
iOrmly abused its power by admin
stering the government in the in
crest of the creditor and against the
IebtOr class; in the interest of the
and against the tax
payer; in the interest of the strong
md against the weak in the inter
est Of the few and against the many.
AS the legitimate fruit of its mall
administration, it has paralyzed all
)ur industrial pursuits; it has de-
'trOyed the value of our property;
t has deprived labor of employ
nent and reward it has impOver-
shed and bankrupted the country
t has denied the poor an Opportu-
lity to earn bread; it has filled the
and with unrest, discomfort and
lgitation, the unmistakable precur-
;Ors of revolutionary resistance to
oppression, injustice and wrong.
For these crimes against humanity
md good government we denounce
he Radical Republican party as un-
worthy the trust and confidence of
IN intelligent and patriotic people.
AS the representatives Of the Demo-
ratio party, we congratulate the
people that our party has at last
Won a victory for them over the
Republican party and its
lilies, monopoly and the money
power. Through the labOrs and
policies of the Democratic party,
domestic governments, republican
n spirit as well as in form, have
,een restored to the Southern States,
md these States have been replaced
n the Federal circle with functions
md rights co-equal with the other
members of the Union. For the
accomplishment of this great work
his political organization deserves
he gratitude of the South and the
consideration of the whole
the gratitudeof the former
5 due because it was the direct re-
,ipient of the blessings of restored ;
political and civil liberty; the re-
pectful consideration of thenatiOnal
epublic is due because by the sue
,ess of Democratic policies in this
egard, the sword was eliminated