The weekly clarion. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1863-1882, 1879-06-04
Concerning Our Platform.

h The Magnolia Herald wants to know
by whom the platform which TIL
! CLARION carries at its masthead, wa:
adopted. We will reply that it wa;
compiled by THE CLARION from the
deliverances of the Democratic party as
expressed in its State and National
platforms, the records Of its leaders III
Congress, and through other aceredit
ed channels. 1t Is The CLARIoN's con
struction Of some Of the articles Of the
Democratic creed-a construction fOr
which nobody on earth except THE
CLARION Is responsible. If it is
'nauseating to the Jeffersonian stomach
of our esteemed contemporary, all ii
has to do, is not to take it.
We supposed that everybody would
understand that by restrictions on the
carrying trade" was meant the odious
laws prohibiting foreign built ships
from being owned by American citizens
and sailing under their country's flag.
On the subject Of Railroad tariffs,
referred to by the Herald, the position
Of THE CLARION is not doubtful. The
same hand that compiled the platform
to which our Magnolia friend objects,
participated in molding the platform OF
the last Mississippi Democratic-Conser-
vative Convention, which contained this
declaration: Corporations are super
visable by the Legislative authority
And to avoid misapprehension We have
inserted it with the other clauses that
constitute the Democratic creed, as We
understand it.
Our friend Of the Herald takes par
ticular exception to the clause in regard
to leveeing the Mississippi river by the
federal government. John c. Calhoun
may not have been a "Jetiersonian'
Democrat; but flour Magnolia friend will
take the trouble to refer to his Works,
he will find that the great Carolina
statesman presided over a Convention
in Memphis in 1916, held for
the express purpose Of promoting that
measure; that the Convention appointed
a Committee to memorabilia Congress
on the subject, and that one Of the
Committee was the late Roger Barton Of
Mississippi who was one Of the pillars of
the "Jeffersonian Democratic church
in his day and generation. And if he
will consult the Congressional Record,
he will find that every Democratic mem
Der, from the South especially, is com
mitted to the measure, including the
entire Mississippi delegation; that Rep
resentatives Chalmers and Money both
have introduced Mississippi River
Levee bills; and the Democratic Senator
from Mississippi, Mr.. Lamar, in consid-
Grafton of his known advocacy of the
measure, was selected by his Democratic
associates in the Senate for the Chair
manship of the Mississippi River Levee
Committee, with the new Democratic
Senator from Louisiana, Mr.. Jonas,
second on the Committee. The oppo-
sition to it comes principally from
Northern Radicals on the ground that
it is a Southern measure, though in
truth it is a measure in which a MAORI
ty Of the States of the Union are
The facts look very much
as if the Democratic party was com
mitted to the scheme, as a part of a
system of general improvement strictly
national and for the common welfare;
but if it is not, THE CLARION wishes its
own position to be understood as favor
ing it; but this is by no means binding
upon our worthy contemporary, the
Herald.