Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1880-07-21
Democratic Platforms.
rChicago Tribune.1

ocrstic platform in that period marks the
adoption of some Republican principle
and the abandonment of some former
Democratic doctrine. The Democracy
has shown neither just conception of
what principle is nor firm adherence
to any consistent policy, right or wrong.
It has affirmed and denied, adopted and
rejected, all the political heresies of the
time. 1t has combatted, denounced, and
finally agreed to and applauded eveey one
OF the great reforms wrought out BY the
Republican party. On questions Of cur
rency, taxation, and the public lands, as
we'll as on the numerous issues of the
war, reconstruction, and the payment OF
the public debt, it has occupied variety
of irreconcilable positions pro and con.
1t has travelled completely around the
circle of political apostacy. 1t has orig
mated no new policy of the slightest
value, and suggested none, but has been
a constant drag and obstruction to the
benefceLt measures introduced by its op-
ponents. 1t has trimmed its sails to catch
every gust of popular passion or preju-
dice, while 1t has sought neither to guide
nor to correct public opinion. 1t has
never ascertained the will of the people
until that will was ready to find some
Democracy has been continually behind
the times. With the exception that 1t
sticks to estate. sovereignty," it has been,
in fact, an unprincipled camp-follower of
the Republican party, snatching up
eagerly the cast-off garments of the great
army, and skulking in the rear to avoid
hardship and danger.
In all this period the Democracy has
been actuated by no high motives. 1t has
been either wholly selfish, as when it
espoused the cause OF the STAKEHOLDER in
1866, or distinctly reasonable as when it
pronounced the War "a failure" in 1864,
or bindly revengeful, as when it favored
the payment of the bonds in irredeemable
scrip in 1868. The one controlling idea,
which has dominated it unwaveringly for
quarter of a century, has been to get in
to office. All else that has been called
Democracy has changed; but this idea
has never changed. An examination of
the official utterances of the party. made
by National Conventions from 1865 to
1880 will justify the estimate of the char
acter, aims, and acts Of the Democracy
which has been here given.
1S56-The Democratic Convention at
Cincinnati June 2 declared against inter-
nal improvements by the Government;
resolved that Congress had no power to
interfere with slavery in the States; ap-
proved the Fugitive-Slave law; adopted
the principles of the Kansas Nebraska
bill,-that is, the on-interference of the
General Government with slavery in the
Territories or the District of Colum bia !;
recognized the right OF neao States to re9u-
late their domestic institutions soith or
soithout slaoery, as they pleased: upheld
the principles of the Kentucky aud Vir
ginia resolutions of 1897 and 1899 (sup.
posed to be a justification of the right Of
secession).
1S60-Both the Douglas and Breckiu-
ridge Conventions readopted the Demo-
cratic pro-slavery platform of 1856.
1064.-The Democratic Convention at
Chicago. Aug. 80, 1864, adopted the fol-
lowing:
Resoired, That this Convention does explicitly
declare, as the sense of the American people,
that, after four gears Of failure TO restore the
Union By the experiment of aoGr, during which,
under the pretense of a military necessity of q
war power higher than the Constitution, the Con-
stitution itself has been disregarded in every
part. and public liberty and private right alike
trodden down, and the material prosperity of the
country essentially impa red, justice, humanity,
and the public welfare demand that Immediate
Efforts be made for cessation Of hostjltties.
1S6S-The Democratic Convention at
New York July 1863 in which Win
field Scott Hancock received 14413 votes,
demanded the immediate restoration of
all the Rebel States to their "rtghts" In
the Union; amnesty for all past political
Offenses; taxation of Government bonds !;
snsidental protection to domestic manufdc-
tures; and adopted the following:
Payment of the public debt of the United
obligations OF the Government do not expressly
state upon their face, or the law under which they
were issued does not provide that they shall be
paid in coin, they ought In right ard justice to
be paid in the Iaa0fut money of the United States
meaning irredeemable notes
Against Negro Suffrage-Aud we do declare and
resolve that, ever since the people II the United
States threw off all subsection to the British
Crown, the prtU,lege and trust of suffrage haUe
tempt by Congr SO, on any rretext whatever, to
deprive any State of this right, interfere with
it's exercise is hVrant usurpation OF power
which can find no warrant in the Constitution,
and, if sanctioned by the people, will subvert our
form Of Government and can only end In single
centralized and consolidated Government, In
which the separate existence of the States will
be entirely absorbed and an unqualified despCt-
ism be established In place of Federal Union
of coequal States. And that we regard the Re-
construction acts ESQ call d. of Congress as usur
pstions, and unconstitutional revolutionary, and
void
1972-The National Democratic Con.
vention at Baltimore, July, 1872, COM
pletely stultifed the record of the party
four years previously, as embodied in the
above resolutions, by adopting the follow.
ing:
We hold that 1t is the duty of the government
in its dealings with the people to mete out equal
and exact justice to all, of whatever nativity,
race, color or persuasion, relig GUS or political.
We pledge ourselves to maintain the union of
these States, and to oppose any reopening of the
questions settled by the 18th, Ia h and 18th
amendments (which the invention of 1868 pro-
nounced Unconstitutional, revolutionary and
void."I
The public credit must be sacredly maintained,
and we denounce reputation in every form and
gu Sc. In 1868 the party demanded the payment
Of the bonds in greenbacks.] Recognizing that
there are in our midst honest but 1rreconciliabls
differences of op MON with regard to the respect
tive systems of protection and free trade soe re-
NIT the discussion of the subject to the people
an their Congressional districts, and TO the deci
sion OF the Congress thereon. wholly free exec
utive interference or dictation.
In 1856, 1860 and 1854 the party clam
ored for "free ships and free trade;" in
1868 TOR incidental protection; and now
for the decision of the question by Con.
gressional districts.
The platform of 1868 allowed that dona.
IF y,,1h1io inh bo Cd