The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1880-07-01
THE PLATFORM.

The admirable platform adopted by
the Democratic convention, yesterday, i;
as follows:
The Democrats of the United States,
Ill convention assembled, declare:
First-We pledge ourselves anew to
the constitutional doctrines and traditions
| of the Democratic party as illustrated by
the teaching and example of long line
of Democratic statesmen and patriots,
and embodied in the platform of the last
national convention of the party.
Second-Opposition to Capitalization
and to that dangerous spirit of encroach-
ment which tends to consolidate in one
and thus create, whatever the form of
government, real despotism; no sump-
tuary laws; separation of church and
state for the good of each; common
schools fostered and protected.
Third-Home rule, honest money. con-
sisting of gold and silver and paper con-
vertible into coin on demand; the strict
maintenance of the public faith, state
and national, and tariff for revenue on
ly; the subordination of the military to
the civil power, and a genuine and thor
ough reform of the civil service.
The right to free ballot is right
preservative of all rights, and must and
shall be maintained III every part of the
United States.
The existing administration is the rep
resentative of conspiracy only, and its
claim of right to surround the ballot
boxes with troops and deputy marshals
to intimidate and obstruct the electors,
and the unprecedented use of the veto to
maintain its corrupt and despotic power
insults the people and imperils their in
stitutions.
We execrate the course of this admin
istratian in making places in the civil
service reward for political crimes, and
demand reform by statute, which shall
make it forever impossible for defeated
candidate to bribe his way to the seat of
usurper by billeting villains upon the
people. The great fraud of 1S76-77 by
which, upon false count of the elector-
ial votes of two states the candidate de-
feated at the polls was declared to be
President, and for the first time in Amer
ican history the will of the people was
set aside under a threat of military vio-
lence, struck deadly blow at our sys-
TEN of representative government. The
Democratic party, to preserve the coun-
try from the horrors of civil war, SUBJ
mitted for the time in firm and patriotic
faith that the people would punish the
crime in 1880. This issue precedes and
dwarfs every other. 1t inspires more
sacred duty among the people of the
Union than ever addressed the con-
of nation of free-men.
The resolution of Samuel J. Tilden
not again to be candidate for the exalt.
ed place to which he was elected by
of his countrymen, and from
which he was excluded by the leaders of
the Republican party, is received by the
Democrats of the United States with
deep sensibility, and they declare their
confidence in his wisdom, patriotism and
mistaken by the assaults of the
common enemy, and they further assure
that he is followed into the retirement he
has chosen for himself by the sympathy
and respect of his fellow citizens who
regard him as one who, by elevating the
standard of public morality and adorning
and purifying the public service, merits
the lasting gratitude of his country and
his party.
Free ships and living chance for Am
erlcan commerce upon the seas and on
the land; no discrimination in favor of |
lines, corporations or mon
opolies; amendment of the Burlingame |
treaty; no more Chinese immigration,
except for travel, education of foreign |
and therein carefully guarded;
public money and public credit for public
purposes solely and public lands for ac-
tual settlers.
The Democratic party is the friend of |
labor and the laboring man, and pledges
itself to protect him alike against the |
and the Commune.
We congratulate the country upon the |
honesty and thrift of Democratic Con-
gress, which has reduced the public ex-
penditures s4O,O0O,OOO year; upon the
continuation of prosperity at home and
the national honor abroad, and above all |
upon the promise of such change IN the |
of the government as shall |
insure us genuine and lasting reform in |
every department of the public service.
(prTS TN ATT WE TNnuv