Lexington weekly intelligencer. (Lexington, Mo.) 1871-1887, 1880-07-17
THE DEMOCRATIC PLATFORM.
From the New York Herald. July 81

reforms to which those who have
benefited by old abuses will of course
object, but which will relieve and
benefit the people that it courage
ously strikes at m~onopollsts, subsidy
mongers and jobbers. Naturally
monopollsts, jobbers and subsidy
mongers do not like II !; but then it
was scarcely TO be expected that they
would. These classes. who wish to
live Oh the Taxpayers as they have
long done. prefer the republican plat
form. aud they are right. That plat
form has nothing in it rdistasteful to
them. Where the republican leaders
did not think it prudent to encourage
monopoly they cautiously said moth
ing, and their platform leaves the
door open to all the abuses. the ex-
travagance and reckless waste Of the
taxes which characterized republican
legislation before the people put the
democrats in control of the house OF
representatives.
1t is often said that platforms mean
nothing ; but. in the present instance,
1t happens that the national platforms
represent pretty accurately the spirit
Of the two parties. The republican
platform looks back ard, the demo-
cratic platform looks ahead. The re-
publican platform deals in aud APP
peals to cid aud nisohievous sectional
issues; the democratic platform,
though not perfect, is yet thorough
ly national and not sectional in it's
spirit. The republican platform
favors o r encourages monoplies ; the
democratic platform favors the tax
payers-the people. -
We have spoken of the democratic
platform as an honest aud business
like document, and n proof of this
ia that, though much shorter than
that Of the republicans, it contains
all that is good aud pertinent in that
and q great deal more besides. The
republicans in q cumbrous paragraph
speak for free education, aud in All
other, equally cumbrous and verbose,
for separation of church and state.
| The democrats owe the same ground
in one energetic aud clear sentence,
demanding .'separstion Of church and
state for the good Of each ; and com
mon schools fostered and protected
The republicans talk vaguely of pro-
tecting the liberties of all the demo-
Gratis boldly declare that ''the right
Of . free ballot is the right preserva-
tive of all rights, and must andsshall
| be maintained in every part of the
United States." We have looked for
some other points for comparison,
but the republican platform does not
afford them. 1t is weak shallow.
wOrdy. purpescly vague. and would
make the fathers OF the party blush
with. anger If they could read it in
their graves; tor those men the
Summers, Andrews. Giddings, Love-
jOys-were not accustomed to the
mincing gait aud cautious verbosity
of their successors.
The republicans declare that "com.
merce should be steadily enceur
aged" which may mesn anything or
nothing ; the democrats declare Han
fully for "free ships aud a living
chance for American commerce on
the seas and on the land" which
means something definite. The re-
publicaHs say timldly that ''the credit
acquired should never be impaired -
the democrats declare for shOnest
money and q strict maintenance of
the public faith. state aud national"
which covers the whole ground with
- uC6ithtbOu vi IlAllutty hC
republicans say in one section that
"the revivibg industries should be
further promoted" and in another,
lower down, that 1.-the duties levied
for The purpose of revenue should so
discriminate "a to favor American
labor" which may e anything.
and was evidently written in the
hope that it might catch in one net
the protectiouists OF Pennsylvania
aud the free-trade farmer Of Illinois
aud the northwest generally. 1t holds
out q shade wy promise to both. The
democratic declare for ga tariff for
revenue only public money and
public credit for public purposes
solely" and the party pledges itsolf
to protect the workingman alike
against the cormOraut aud the COM
inuns." There 10 the clear ring OF
honest purpose in these words, which
may alarm monopOlists, but will re-
assure Legitimate enterprise and
honest labor every here: Even on
the wretched Chinese question.
where beth platforms are, III our
opinion, bad aud uh.American, the
republicans halt aud shuttle, " hile
the democrats are OutspOkem. Mr..
ng-both-ways. who was evidently
the author OF the republican platform,
tells John Chinsmsn that he must
go-but he tells him with q SWIVEL,
he puts his arm lovingly around John
before he stabs him ; the democrat
bluntly but definitely tells him he
shall not come here, "except for
travel. education or foreign com-
merce," which, by the way, are the
only purposes for which the Chinese
allow Americana 10 enter China.
Finally, it must be. admitted that
there is y little brag also in the dem
ocratic platform, but it is on APPOINT
where the party has q right to boast
Of itself. 1t has reduced the public
expenditures forty millions u year."
say the democrats, aud they might
have added that it did tins against
the sneers and open and covert op-
position of the republicans in .
gress. This democratic boast is well
founded. They had the courage to
be unfashionable. From the day they
regained control of the house OF rep
resentstives they have fought for
rigid economy, sometimes with poor
judgment. but ceurageousIy anu re-
gardless efthe Outcries and resistance
of the republicans. The lobby has
disappeared from Washington since
the democrats "came in;" hat lobby
which was once SO powerful that in
the last house which was under re-
publican rule the speaker was pub
licly presented with a piece of silver
as . testimonial from "the king of
the lobby"
Ii was said by one of the shrewdest
MEL i'll the democratic party some
years ago, II don't believe we demo
Gratis will ave WIN until we dare , o
be democrats" Well. the plat
form this year is q" genuinely
democratic platform the party
seems at last to have turned
democratic. 1t has regained its old
time boldness and directness it
dares once more 10 say wEati il means.
Who knows ? perhaps it will win. 1t
! looks a little that way just now.