Daily Los Angeles herald., 1884-07-24
The Democratic PLATFORM.

limits u the Constitution Nill eser form the
true basis Of our liberties and can never be sur
rcndeted without destroying that balaEce Of
rights and powers which enables a continent TO
be developed In peace aud social order and 10 he
maintained by means of LEGAL self poyeIntnan
But II Is l. dispcnsabie for the practical applica
ton and enforcement % these fundamental prn.
ciples that the Government should not always Ds
controlled by Que political party. Frequent
change OF administrator IA AZ necessary a. con
slant recurrence 20 the popular will. Othersise
abuses grow and the Government fundamentally
Is used Tor Imposing heavy burdens on thu many
who are governed for the benefit o. the few who
govern. Public servants thus become arbitrary
rulers. This il nov the condition Of the coun.
try, hence a change Is demanded.
The Republican party, 50 far rs principle 10
concerned u a reninsccnce In practice ID II
an organization for enrichlng those who control
It's machinery, The frauds and jobbery which
have been brought 10 light In every department
of the Government are sufficient 10 have called
for reform within the Republican party, yet
those la authority, made reckless by the long
possession of power, have succumbed to Its cor
fuptlng Influence aud have placed In nomination
a tlcKet against which the independent portion
of the party are In open revolt. Therefore a
change i demanded Such change was alike
necessary In 1873, but the will Of tho people was
then defeated by a fraud which can never be Tor
gotten or condonei, Again In 1880 the change
demanded BY the people was defeated by the
lavish use OF money contributed bt unser,i piiolis
gained for unlawful profits or FOR high office.
The Republican party, during It's legal Its
stolen and It's bought tenures OF po.cr, has staadi
ly decsycd In moral character and pollcical Ca
pacity. Its platform promises are now list OF
Its past failures. II demands the restoration OF
our navy. Il has squandered hundreds OF mil
lions TO create n navy that does not exist II
calls upon Congress u remove tho burdens under
which American shipping has been depressed. IL
imposed and has continued those burdens II
Processes preference for free institutions II
organized and tried 10 legsze control Of State
elections by Federal troops. II processes de-
sire ~ elevate labor. II has subjected American
workiDgnen to the competition OF convict aud
imported contract labor. II processes gratitude
70 all who were disabled or died In the war, leav-
ing widows and orphans. II left TO a Democratic
House OF Representatives the first effort TO
equaiize both bountics and pensions. II profer
ed pledge TO correct the Irregularities Of our
tariff. II created AMI has continued them. Its
own Tariff Commission confessed the need OF
more than 90 per cent. reduction. Its Congress
gave a reduction OF less than per cent. It pro-
fesses the protection Of Afnariean manufacturers.
II has subjected them TO an increasing food Of
manufactured goods and a hopeless competition
with manufacturing nations, not one of which
taxes raw materials Il processes TO prot ct oil
American Industries. II has Impoverished many
TO subsldzc a few. II processes the protection OF
American labor II has depleted the returns Of
Am rican agriculture, an industry followed by
half our people, II processes the equality Of all
tltlktfb bttDfe tne INV. attempting 10 nk tne
status OF colored citizens, the Acts OF its Con
Kress were overfst by thu decisions OF Its courts.
fts caught criminals are permitted TO escape
through tontriyed delays or actual conniyance In
the prosecution, Iioneycombed with corruption,
outrageous exposures no longer shock It's moral
sense. Its honest members and it, Independent
journals no longer maintain successful contest
Tor authority In it's conuscls or veto on bad
nominations.
That a change Is necessary Is proved by an OK
lat ma aur nttta 81 han "a irh
has yearly been collected from suffering peo-
pie. Unnecessary taxation IL unjust taxation.
We denounco the Republican party for having
failed TO relieve the people from the crushing war
taxes, which have paraiyzed business, cripplei
industry ard deprived labor Of employ ment and
OF Its hiat reward.
The Democracy pledges itself to purify TIE Ad-
mlnistraon from corruption TO restore economy,
TO revive respect for law, and 10 reduce taxation
to the lowest limit consistent with due regard
to the preservation OF tho faith Of the nation to
its creditors and Its pensioners, knowing full
we'll however, that legislation affecting the wei
fare Of the people should be cautious and con
sentative In method, not In advance OF public
opinion. but responsive to Its demands.
Tho Democratic party il pledged to revise the
tariff In spirit Of fairness to all interests, but
m making reduction In taxes II Is not proposed
to injure any domestic indu itries but rather to
promote their healthy growth From the foun-
dation OF this Government, taxes collected at the
custom house ha, o been the chief source ot Fed.
eral reye' ne, and such they must continue to be.
Moreover. many industries have come to rely up
on legislation for their successful continuance, so
that any change OF the law must be at every step
regardful of the labor and capital thus involved.
The process of reform must be subject to the exc
cution OF this plain dictate Of Justice All taxa
ton shall be limited to the requirements of AN
economical Government The necessary reduc-
ton In taxation can and must be effected with
out depriving American labor of the ability to
compete successfully with foreign hbr and
without imposing lower rates of duty than will
be ample to cover any increased cost OF produc-
tion which may exist In cou sequence OF the
higher rate Of wages prevailing In this country.
Sufficient revenue To pay all the expenses OF the
Federal Government, economically administered,
Including pensions and interest ard principal OF
the pbblic debt, can be got under our present
system of taxation from custom house taxes on
fewer imported articles bearing heaviest on
tices Of luxury and bearing lightest on articles
OF necessity. We therefore denounce the abuses
of the eXis ing tariff, and, subject to these limi-
tati0ns we demand that Federal taxation shall
he exclusively for public purposes and shall not
exceed the needs OF the Government, oconomi
cally Administered.
The sl stem of direct taxation known as the
internal revenue is war tax and 80 long as the
law continues the duty derived therefrom should
be sacredly devoted to the relief of the PEOPLE
from the remaining burdens of the war and be
made fund to refray the expense OF the care
asd comfort OF worthy soldiers disabled in the
line Of duty In the wars of the republic and for
the payment Of sucn PEI sons as Congress may
from time TO time grant to such soldiers, like
fund for the sailors having been already proyid-
ed and any surplus should be paid into the
Treasury.
We favor an American continental policy,
based on more intimate commercial and political
relations with the fifteen sister republics of
North, Central and South America, but entanging
alliance with none.
We believe in honest money. the gold and sill
yer coinage, and OF the cultivation and c rcula-
tion OF a m dun convertible into such money,
thout loss.
Asserting the equality of all men before the
law, we hold that 1t is the duty OF the Govern.
ment in its dealings with the people to mete out
equal and exact justice TO all citizens, Of what.
ever nativity race, color or persuasion, relis ous
or political,
We believe in free ballot and fair count
aud We recall TO the memory of the people the
noble struggle of the Democrats in the Forty
fifth and Forty sixth Congresses, by which
luctant Republican opposition was compelled to
assent to legislation making everywhere illegal
the presence of troops at the polls, the con-
elusive proof that Democratic administration
will preserve liberty with order.
The election of Federal officers for the Terri
tories should he restricted to citizens previously
resident therein.
We oppose sumptuary laws, which vex the oiti.
zen and interfere with individual liberty.
We favor honest civil service reform, the com
pensation of all United States officers by fixed
the diffusion of free education by common scho Is
that every child in the land may he taug hit the
ri.hts and duties Of citizenship
While We favor all legislation which will tend
TO the equitable distribution OF property, To the
prevention of monopoly and 10 the strict en-.
fordement Of in liyidutl rights against corporate
abuses, we mold that the welfare Of society de
ponds on a scrupnlous regan fr the rights Of
property as defined by law. We believe that Ia
Dor is best rewarded VIII re r. is freest am most
enlightened, II should he fostercd and cherish
ed. We favor the repeal OF all laws restoring the
free action Of labor and the enactment of laws
by which labor organizations may be increased
and OF all such legislation as will tend to en-
tighten the people to the true relations Of
capital and labor.
We believe that the public lands ought. as far
as possible, to be kept as homesteads for actual
settlers; that all unearned lands heret, fore i'm.
providently granted 10 railroad corporations by
the action Of the Repuh lean party, should be
restored TO the public domain and no more
grants shall be made to corporations or be al oW.
ed to fall into the Ownership Of alien absentccs
We are opposed to all propositions which, up.
on any pretext, would convert the general GOV
eminent into q machine for the collection of tax.
Is to be distributed amoug the States or the citi
Gems thereof.
in effect the declaration of the Democratic plat.
form Of 1856 that 9TH, liberal principles EN-.
bodied by jefferson in the Declaration OF lnie-
pepdence and sanctioned in the Constitu ion,
which make ours the land of liberty and the asy-
ihn OF the oppressed brewery nation, nave ever
been the cardinal principles in the Democratic
faith. We nevertheless do not sanction the i'm.
por, alton Of foreign labor or the admission OF
serVie races, untitled by habits, training, Tegi.
on OF kindred, Tor absorption into the great dy
of our people, or for the citiz nship which our
laws confer. American civilization demands
that against the immigration or importation OF
Mongolidns to these shores our gates be closed,
The Democratic party insists that it is the
duty of the Government to protect with equal
fdeiity and vigilance the rights OF its citizens-
native ard naturazod-st home and abroad,
a d 70 the end that this protection may he as.
sured, the United States papers OF naturalization
issued by courts of COM etott Jurisdiction. must
be respected by the eNecu i've and legislative de.
partments of our own Government and by all
foreign Powers.
It is the imperative duty OF this government
TO efficiently protect all the rights OF her sons
H. l..