Lancaster daily intelligencer. [volume] (Lancaster, Pa.) 1864-1928, 1880-04-30
The Platform. .

Resoloed-First-Tha the Democrats of
Pennsylvania, in convention assembled,
renew our vows of fidelity to the
fundamental principles proclaimed and
practiced by the illustriOus men who
settled our free institutions and founded
the Democratic party to protect and pre-
serve them.
Second-That the just powers of the
federal union, the rights of the states, and
the liberties Of the people. are vital parts
of one harmonious system, and to save
each part in it's whole, constitutional vigor
is to ''save the life of the nation"
Third-That the Democratic party main
tains, as it ever has maintained, that the
military are and ought to he in all things
subordinate to civil authorities. 1t denies,
as it ever has denied, the right of the
federal administration to keep on
foot, at the general expense, a standing
army to invade the states for political pur-
poses, without regard to constitutional re-
strictions, to control the people at the polls,
to protect and encourage fraudulent counts
of votes, or to inaugurate candidates re-
jected by the majority.
FOurtll-That the right to a free ballot
is the right preservative of all rights and
the only means of peacefully reClressing
grievances and reforming abuses. The pres
ence at the polls of Il regular military force
and of q host of hireling officials, claiming
the power to arrest and imprisOn citizens
without warrant or hearing, destroys
all freedom of elections and upturns
the very foundation of self-government
We call upon all good citizens to aid us in
preserving our institutions from destruc-
tion by these imperial methods of super
1cfr of
coercing the popular will in keep.
and free, as it was to our fathers d; in re-
moving the army to safe distance when
they assemble to express their sovereign
pleasure at the polls and in securing
obedience to their will when legally ex-
pressed by their votes.
Fifth-That Rutherford B. Hayes, hav-
ing been placed in power against the we'll
known and legally expressed will of the
people, is the representative of a con-
spiracy only, and his claim of right to sur
round the ballot boxes with troops and
deputy marshals to intimidate and OBJ
ructrelectors, and his unprecedented use
of the veto to maintain this, is an insult and
a menace to the country.
SiXth-That the Democratic party, as of
old, favOrs a constitutional currency of
gold and silver and of paper convertible
into cC in.
Seventh-We are opposed 20 the system
of subsidies by the general government
under which during the period of Republi-
can ascendency political rings and corpora
tiOns protited at the peoples expense, and
to any appropriations of public money or
public credit to any object but the pub
lie service. The reforms and economies
enforced by the Democratic party since its
advent to power in Congress have saved to
the people many millions of dollars, and
we believe that a like result would follow
its restoration to power in the state of
Pennsylvania.
Eighth-That the Democratic party, be-
ing the natural friend of the wOrkingman,
and having throughout its history stood
between him and oppression, renews it's
expression of sympathy with labor and it's
promise of protection to its rights.
Ninth-That we look with alarm and
apprehension upon the pretensions of the
great transportation companies to be
above the fundamental law of this COM
monwealth, which governs all else within
our borders, and until they accept the con-
stitution of 1878 in good faith they remain
the objects of the utmost vigilance and
jealousy by the Legislature and people.
Tenth-That the recent attempt under
personal direction Of ruling Reput-
lican leaders to debauch the Legislature
by wholesale bribery and to take
from the commonwealth four million
dollars for which it's liability had never
been ascertained, is fresh and alarming
evidence of the aggressivencss of
political rings and should receive tie
signal condemnation of the people at the
polls.
leventh.-That the great fraud of 1876
-, by which upon false count of the
electoral vote, a man was seated in the
presidential chair who had not been
elected, and for the first time in Ameri-
can history the will of the people was set
aside under a threat of military force,
was the most deadly blow ever aimed at
our system of representative government.
To preserve the country from the horrors
of a second civil war the Democratic party
in firm and patriotic faith that
the people would peacefully redress the
great wrong and signally rebuke the crime
when they should come to vote in 1880. |
That issue precedes and dwarfs every other.
1t imposes more sacred duty upon the
people Of the Union than ever addressed
the consciences of nation of freemen.
ResOlced. That The Pennsylvania DemOc-