The Evening critic. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1881-1885, 1884-07-11
rae pEMooRArlo pLArFoRM.

the Kind Of an Anair the Chicago
Convention has Buiit for ITS Can.
didaic to Stand On.
The Democrats at Chicago have at last laid
tho platform egg, but It was oRly after grost
travail. 1t took them n long time to get up a
satisfactory straddle on the tariff, but they
seem to have succeeded In pleasing a vast ma
jority OF the delegates.
The platform which was reported last night
arraigns tho Republican party, OF course.
There Is tho customary reference to the "great
fraud OF 1876" II announces that the party
believes In tho preservation OF personal
rights, the equality Of all citizens before @ the
supremacy OF the Federal Government within
the limits OF the Constitution. These are
The TsriT Pianks;
"Tho Democracy pledges Itself 10 purify the
administration from corruption, to restore
duce taxation to the lowest limit consistent
with due regard TO the preservation OF the
faith OF the Nation to Its creditors and pen.
sioners, knowing full we'll, however, that leg.
iflation Affecting the occupations OF the people
should be cautious and conservative in
method, not in advance Of public opinion, but
responsive to Its demands.
"rhe Democratic party is pledged to revise
the tariff In spirit OF fairness to all Interests.
But, In making reduction In taxes, II Is not
proposed to iniure any domestic Industries,
but rather TO promote their healthy growth.
From the foundation OF this Government taxes
collected at the custom house have Deon the
chief source OF Federal revenue; such they
must continue to bo. Moreover many indus.
tries have come to rely upon legtelatton for
successful continuance, 30 that any change Of
law must bo az every step regardfui of the Ia
"The process of reform must be subject in
the execution TO this plain dictate OF Justice.
All taxation shall be limited TO the require.
mcnte OF economical government. The neces
sary reduction In taxation can and must be
Effected without depriving American labor OF
the ability to compete successfully with for
eign labor, and without imposing lower rates
OF duty than Will be ample to cover any In
creased cost OF production which may exist In
consequence OF the higher rate OF wages pre-
yailing In this country.
OF the Federal Government economically ad-
ministered, including pensions, Interest and
our present system OF taxation from custom
house taxes on fewer imported articles, bear
Ing heaviest on articles OF luxury and bearing
lightest on articles Of necessity. We therefore
denounce tho abuses OF the existing tarin,
and, subject TO the preceding Limitations, we
demand that the federal taxation shall DO
exclusively for public purposes, aud shall not
exceed the needs Of the government, oconom.
ically administered.
''The systom OF direct taxation known as the
Internal revenue, ie war tax, aud so long as
from should be sacredly devoted to the relief
OF the people from the remaining burdens of
the war. and be made a fund to defray tho OK.
pense OF tho care and comfort OF worthy sol
dierB disabled In the liue OF duty In tho wars
Of the Republic, and for the payment OF such
pensions aS Congress may from timo to time
grant to such soldiers, like fund for the sail
ors having been elready provided, aud any
surplus should be paid into tho Treasury"
About this platform General Butler had a
few spicy remarks to make and q minority re-
port 10 submit. The burden of the minority
report was anti monopoly, Greenoackism and
the fuller protection OF the rights OF labor
General Butler, I'm his remarks, objected to
the tariff plank OF the majority platform be-
cause II took the committee thirty-siX hours 4
frame 1t. And II 1t took those able gentlemen
70 long 10 frame It aud get II In form there
must be some reason for that. II they could
not find out in so hours what they wanted,
when were his laboring men 10 IND out what
IL meant?
There had been such differences between
members OF the committee that they had L
spend all that time to say something tina
would mean one thing one way and another
thing another way. He asked the delegates t
read that tariff plank and see II they coulC
mud out exactly what 1t did mean.
IL did not mean protection. III IL did Colone
Morrison was too honest man 10 bring |
here, and yet 1t was 30 twisted that II nigh
mean protection. The Democracy had In IL
platform In 1880 plank OF "tarin for revenu,
only" and II broke tho back OF the most gal
liant soldier in the country, and now they haC
n tariir plank "for public purposes exclu
sively." wherc was the difference "Exclu
sively meant "only," and "Jnly" meant tex
cluslvely." Passing TO the currency, no said
he afflrmed the doctrine OF Andrew jackson
that he Government nlonc could Issue money
and he would ratherbe wrong with jackson
than te right with the COMMITTEES.
There was plank IN the platform, he said
which announced that the party was Ia favo
| Of honest money. As II tho Greenbackers wer
| not. Who was not In favor OF honest money
| II there was such q man here, let him be pn
| our. As to Civil-Serylce Reform he venture,
| 10 say there was not man In tho convention
| I'm favor Of II, unless he was schoolmaster
| Senator Pendleton had been the author OF til
| original Ciyil-service law, and he has neve
| been heard OF siuce.
George Washington himself coul1 not hav
| passed Civll.Service examination for 81, 20
| cleTkship. His early education had bee
| neglected, and In his will, Written by his ow
| hand, he spelled clothes "cloaths." For him
| self he wanted frequent changes IN oiilce, 4
| order 10 counteract the great tendency to hav
aristocratlc life offices. II ofllce WAS q goo
thing, ihon he wanted all tho people to- have
chance et It, md II It was n bad thing, thon |
was too hard to put It on poor fellow for hi
whole lifetime.
The platform was adopted after speeches b
| Converse aud watterson mad beon mado.
Interesting 10 Ladies.ar2