The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1880-07-17
The Democratic Platform.

New l Ork Herd[d In which that paper ran
some parallels between the Democratic and
the Republican platform, to the decided ad-
vantage of the former. In a subsequent mum.
Der the UeraM resumed the subject Analysing
the Democratic platform more in detail, and
that article is given below. 1t is to be under
stood that the Herdld is not Il Democratic, but
a strictly independent organ, and is as ready
to find fault with the Democrats as with the
Republicans whenever equally deserved; so
that this appreciation Of the superiority of the
Democrtlc platform and consequently of the
Democratic position over that of the Republi
cans is to be accepted as the honest judgment
of an intelligent, unbiased mind:
| The DEMOCRATIC PLATFORM Whatever
may be said against the democratic platform,
it cannot he denied that it Is an honest and
buslness.like document, and in this respect it
is very unlike the Dragging and clustering re-
publican platform. There are, undoubtedly, a
great meany voters to whom the democratic
propositions will be unwclcome; voters who
do not like free ships voters who are opposed
to a tariff for revenue; voters who want more
subsidies and who Will, therefore, dislike tie
democratic declaration that the taxes shall be
spent only for public and net tor private OBJ
jects. But 1t is the great merit of the demo
cratic platform that 1t says something; that it
proposes reforms to which those who have
benefited by old abuses will of course object
but which will relieve and benefit the people;
that it courageously strikes at monopollsts
subsidy mongers and jobbers. Naturally mo-
nopolsts, jobbers and subsidy mongers dc not
like it; but then it was scarcely to be expect
| a6 of fhav wpn1I Thpcn nj ho oh
to live on the taxpayers as they have long
done, prefer the republican platform, and they
are right That platform has nothing in ii
dlstasteful to them. Where the republican
leaders did not think it prudent to encourage
monopoly they cautiously SAID nothing, and
their platform leaves the door open to all the
abuses, the extravaganza and reckless waste of
the taxes which characterized republican leg
islahon before the people put the democrats in
control of the House of Representatives.
1t Is often said that platforms mean moth
ing; but, in the present instance, 1t happens
that the national platforms represent pretty
accurately the spirit of the two parties. The
republican platform looks backward, the dem
Ocratc platform looks ahead. The republican
platform deals in and appeals to old and mis-
chievous sectional issues; the democratic plat
form, though not perfect, is yet thoroughly ma
tonal and not sectional in It's spirit The re
publican platform tavOrs OF encourages mo-.
nopoies; the democratic platform favors the
taxpayers-the people.
| We have spoken of the democratic platform
as an honest and buslness.like document, and
one proof of this is that though much shorter
than that of the republicans, 1t contains all
that is good and pertinent in that and great
deal more besides. The republicans in cum
brous paragraph speak for free education, and
IN another, equally cumbrous and verbose, for
separation of Church and State. The demo
Gratis cover the same ground IN one energetic
and clear sentence, demanding separation of
Church and State for the good of each and
common schools fostered and protected" The
republicans talk vaguely of protecting the
liberties of all; the democrats boldly declare
that "the right of free ballot is the right pre-
servatlvc of all rights and must and shall be
maintained in every part of the United States"
We haze looked for some other points for com
parison, but the republican platform does not
afford them. 1t is weak, shallow, wordy, pur
posely vague, and would make the fathers of
the party blush with anger If they could read
| it in their graves for those men--the Sum
ners, Andrews, Glddings, Lovejoys-were not
acc lStomcd to the mncing gait and cautious
verbosity of their successors.
| The republicans declare that commerce
fhouiu pe seeauiiS aic9ufnseu, "hlch may
mean ahy'nlnP OF holnlhs lhe democrats Gle
clare manfuly for free ships and living
chance for American commerce on the seas
and on the land which means something
deflnlte' Inc republicans say timidly that
the creoit acquired should never be impair
ed; the democrats declare for honest money
ana the strlct maintenance OF the public faith,
state ana national" which covers the whole
ground without hesitation or tlmldlty. lheI
republicans say IN one section that the revlv-
IlnS industries should l@ iHther promoted,
ana IN ahother' lower down, that the duties
levied Tor the purpose OF revenue should So
DISCRIMINATE as to 1avor American labor,
winch may mean anything, and was evidently
written III the nope that II might catch IN one
net the proIectlohlsts OF pennsylvania and the
Tree tr1up farmers OF Illinois and the Morrill,