The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1879-09-11

plank. Senator Doolittle was chosen |
president of the convention and deliver
ed very able speech. Col. Villas, chair !
man of the committee on resolutions, re-
ported the following:
PLATFORM.
sThe Democracy Of Wisconsin, in
convention assembled, declare the fol-
lowing convictions and principles of
their political faith, and cordially invite
the cooperation of all good citizens in
the endeavor to establish them as guides
for the government of the country:
First-The Democratic party was
founded by illustrious statesmen, in the
early days of the republic, to settle
forms and customs calculated to secure
self government to the people, and the
largest measure OF individual political
liberty and equality to every citizen,
regardless of birth, rank or wealth, and
in express and unfailing antagonism to
all those politicians, by whatever party
name designated, who assent and sup
port the aristocratic doctrine Of central
ization of political power in the hands of
a few for the government OF the many;
and it maintains against its adversaries,
now as heretofore, the right of free citi-
zeus to local self government.
Second-To secure and perpetuate the
blessings of such liberty and equality,
our system of government was formed;
that in that system the National Govern
ment is an indissoluble union; that with
in the limit of powers delegated by the
constitution and its amendments the
national government is supreme; that all
powers not thereby delegated to the
United States nor prohibited to the
States are reserved to the States respect
lively or to the people; and that the
preservation of the Just powers OF the
Federal Union and the rights of the
States as vital parts of the harmonious
whole is essential to the protection of
liberty for ourselves and its transmission
to our posterity.
Third-The government of the Union
has proved itself strong enough to cope
with and overthrow the most powerful
attempt at disruption by force which can
be aimed against it. The danger to DEM
ocratic liberty and self government from
centralized power and oppression shown
by all history to be the most fatal, has
yet to be encountered, and we charge
upon the leaders of the republican party
| the responsibility for the most perllous
steps toward that end. They have sane
| toned the use of the military to overawe
electors and control elections they have
| defended fragrant outrages in the count
ing of votes by illegal returning boards !;
they have upheld and supported fraudu-
| lent state governments by the military
| power, until it was withdrawn; they
have established horde of infamous
partisan officials at the polls i'll divers
| cities, chiefly in the northern states, at
| the expense of the national treasury, with
power to inprison free citizens, their OPP,
| ponents, without warrant, in order to
intimidate electors and control elections;
they have by reasonable conspiracy de-
feated the popular voice in the election
of a President, and placed in the execu-
tive office defeated candidate. and they
have by forcing him to the unjustifiable
exercise of the veto power defeated the
will of the people, expressed by decisive
maiorities in both houses of congress, in
an effort to secure the freedom of the
ballot box from interference by the cen
tral power, while by various acts at diff
ferent times they have unreasonably
multiplied the number of federal officials,
and Enthusiastically increased and concen-
trated political power in their hands and
imposed grieyous burdens upon the PEG
pie.
Fourth-That the inauguration OF
Rutherford 3. Hayes into the Presiden,
tial Office to which Samuel j. Tilden was
constitutionally elected was the highest
crime ever successfully perpetrated
against the spirit of the institutions Of
our republican liberty, destructive of con
fidence in free suffrage, imminently dan
gerous to the life of the nation, anC
shocking to all moral sense; and We
solemnly declare that as that crime has
never been condoned SO it shall never bt
forgotten, and that the same spirit o
patriotism which forbore the contest upoI
the first offense will resist and punish an,
attempt at its repetition.
Fifth-The Democracy of Wisconsin
depounce and condemn whatever of in
timidation, violence or fraud has beer
practiced by lawless and nnscrupulou
partisans on either side, ana wherever
done; they also stigmatize as wicked
atrocious, and demanding summary, con
dign punishment, all deeds of violenc,
on political adversaries. They would
however, for all snch, pursue the RENE
dies given by law, and they call upon The
authorities of the states and localities
! where any such offenses have been per
petrated to justify the law and unrelent
ingly prosecute and punish the offenders
But alleged frauds do not warrant poll
teal conspirators to decide how a state
ought to have cast its vote, or so to de
clare it by fraudulent count II favor o.
some candidates and against others OF
the same ticket who received the same OF
a greater vote. Nor do occasional deed;
of personal violence, though springins
from political animCsity, authorize usur
patton or unjustifable interference with
local government by federal officials. Ani
in the turbulence and disorder of some
portions of some southern states, we rec
ognize the legitimate and natural fruit Of
the unlawful carpet bag authority ant
misrule to which they have been fraudu
lently subjected by the leaders of the re
publican party.
Sixth-The Democratic party is unal
terably opposed to the assumption OF
payment by the United States OF any
claims of any character to states or indi
viduals engaged i'll or supporting the
late rebellion against the union, resulting
from or growing out of the injury on
destruction of property in the war, not
| wlthstanding an enormous amount OF
such claims was allowed and paid under
authority of Congress while in the hands
the Republican party.
Seventh--That, as the Democratic
party adheres to the financial doctrine,
which it established when in power. that
the constitutional currency Of the coun-
try and the basis of all other should be
gold and silver coin, so we maintain that
all national Treasury notes and author
lied currency should be convertible into
/ the same on demand
Eighth-That the Democracy does
not forget that to the promptness, valor,
+ endurance and noble devotion of the pa
/ triotIc volunteers of the army and navy
/ in the late war this country is indebted
undar Providence for tho salvation Of