The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1880-07-01
The National Democratic Platform.
The Democrats of the United States
in 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 Ma
tional Convention of the party.
Second. Opposition to centralizationism
and that dangerous spirit of encroachment
which tends to consolidate the powers OF
all the departments in one and thus to
create, whatever be the form of govern
ment, a real despotism. No sumptuary
laws, the separation of Church and State
for the good of each, common schools
fostered and protected.
Third. Home rule, honest money, strict
maintenance of the public faith consisting
of gold and silver, and paper convertible
into coin on demand, the strict mainten-
ance of the public faith, State and Ma
tional, and tariff for revenue only.
Fourth. Subordination of the military
to the civil power, and a general and
thorough reform of the civil service.
Fifth. The right to free ballot is a
right preservative of all rights, and must
and shall be maintained in every part of
the United States.
Sixth. The existing administration is
representative of conspiracy only, and
its claim of right to surround the ballot
boxes with troops and deputy marshals to
intimidate and obstruct electors and the
unprecedented use of the veto to maintain
its corrupt and despotic power, insults
the people and imperils their institutions.
Seventh. The great fraud of 1876 and
1877, by which, upon false count of the
electoral votes of two States, the candidate
defeated at the polls was declared to be
the President, and for the first time in
American history the will of the people
was set aside under threat of military
violence, which struck deadly blow at
our system of representative government.
The Democratic party, to preserve the
country from civil war, submitted for the
time, in the firm and patriotic faith that
the people would punish this crime in 1880.
This issue precedes and defes every other.
1t imposes more sacred duty upon the
people of the Union than ever addressed
to the conscience of a nation of freemen.
Eighth. We execrate the course of this
administration in making places in the
civil service reward for political crime,
and demand a reform by statute which
shall make it forever impossible for the
defeated candidate to bribe his way to the
seat of usurper by billeting villains
upon the country.
This was read again in response to de-
mands, and was received with applause
Ninth. The resolution of Samuel j.
Tilden not again to be candidate for the
exalted place to which he was elected by
majority 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
sensibility, and they declare their conf
dence in his wisdom, patriotism and in
tegrity, unshaken by the assaults of
common enemy, and they further assure
him that he is followed into the retire.
ment he has chosen for himself by the
sympathy and respect of his fellow-citi-
zens, who regard him as one who by
eleYating the standards of morality and
adorning and purifying the public service
merits the lasting gratitude of his country
and his party.
Tenth. Free ships and living chance
for American commerce on the seas and
on land. No discrimination in favor of
transportation lines, corporations or mo-
nopolies.
Eleventh. The amendment of the Bur-
lingame treaty. No more Chinese immi-
grafton except for travel, education and
for commerce, and therein 10 be carefully
guarded.
Twelfth. Public money aud the public
credit for public purposes solely, and
public lands for actual settlers.
Thirteenth. The Democratic party Is .
friend of labor and the laboring man, and
pledges itself to protect him alike against
cormorants and commune.
Fourteenth. We congratulate the coun.
try upon the honesty and thrift of the
Democratic Congress, which has reduced
the public expenditure SAC, 900, 900 year;
upon the continuation of prosperity at
home and National honor abroad, and
above ell upon the promise of such change
in the administration of the government
as shall insure US = genuine and lasting
reform in every department II "A s! ef the public