The Pulaski citizen. [volume] (Pulaski, Tenn.) 1866-current, 1884-07-17
DEMOCRATIC DOCTRINE.
Platform of Principles Adopted
by the n atiOnaI Convention.


The democratic party of the Union,
through its Representatives in national
con Vention assembled, recognizes that
as the nation grows older new issues
are born OF time and progress and old
Issues perish. But the Fundamental
principles OF the democracy, approved
by the united voice of the people, re-
main and will ever remain as the best
and only security for the continuance
| OF Tree government. The preservation
OF the personal rights of the states and
the supremacy OF the federal govern
ment within the limits of the cOnstitu
| ton, will ever form the true basis OF
our liberties, and can never be surren-
| dered without destroying that balance
of rights and powers which enables the
continent to be developed in peace, and |
social order to be maintained by means
| oil local self-goVernment. But iU is ia |
! despensable Tor the practical applica- |
ton and enforcement OF these fuDda- |
| mental principles that the government |
should not always be controlled by one |
| political party. Frequent change of |
admi nistratiOn is as necessary as con- |
slant recurrence to the popular will, |
Otherwise abuses grow, and the gov
ernment, instead OF being carried on
for the general welfare, becomes an in |
strumentality for imposing heavy bur-
dens on the many who are governed for
the benefit OF the few who govern. Pub
lie servants thus become arbitrary rul-
ers. This is now the condition of the
country. Hence change is demanded.
The republican party, as far as princi-
pie is concerned, is reminiscence in
practice. 1t Is an organization for en-
richlng those who control its machine
ry. The frauds and jobbery which have
been brought to light in every depart
| ment OF the government are sufficient
TO have called for reform within the re-
| publican party yet those in authority,
made reckless by the long position OF
power, have succumbed TO its corrupt
ing influence and have placed one in
nomination against whom the indepen-
dent portion of the party are in open
revolt. Therefore, a change is demand
ed; such change was alike necessary
in 1876, but the will of the people was
| then defeated by fraud which can new
er be forgotten nor condoned. Again
in 1850 the change demanded by the
people was defeated by the lavishness
of money contributed by unscrupuIous
! contractors and shameless jobbers who
! had bargained for unlawful profits or
for high office. The republican party
during its legal, its stolen and its
bought tenures of power has steadily
! decayed in moral character and politi-
cal capacity. Its platform promises are
now list of its past failures. II de-
mands the restoration of our navy; it
has squandered hundreds of millions TO
create navy that does not exist. 1t
calls upon congress to remove burdens
under which American shipping has
been depressed; it imposed and has con-
! tinued those burdens. 1t has given
away the peoples heritage till now a
| few railroads and nonresident aliens,
individual and corporate, possess larg-
er area than that OF all our farms be-
tween the two seas. II processes a pre-
ference for free institutions; it organiz-
ed and tried to realize control of state
elections by federal troops.
1t processes a desire to elevate labor:
it has subjected American Workingmen
to thes competition of convict and i'm
ported Iabor-cOntract labor. 1t profes-
ses gratitude to all who were disabled or
died in the war leaving widows and or
phans; it left to a democratic house of |
representatives the first effort to equal |
ize both bounties and pensions. 1t prof
fers pledge to correct the irregulari- |
ties of our tariff; it created and has con- |
tinued them; its own tariff commission |
confessed the need of more than 20 per |
cent. reduction; its congress gave a re-
duction of less than per cent. 1t pro-
fesses the protection of American man |
ufactur ers; it has subjected them to an |
increasing flood of manufactured goods |
and hopeless competition with manu-
featuring nations, not one of which tax |
es raw materials. 1t processes to pro-
tect all American industries; it has i'm
pOverished many to subsidize few. 1t |
processes the protection of American Ia |
bor it has depleted the returns of ag-
riculture, an industry followed by half
our people. 1t processes the equality of |
all men before the law, attempting to |
fix the status of cOlored citizens; the |
acts of its congress were overset by the |
decision of Its courts, 1t accepts anew |
the duty of leading in the work of pro-
gress and reform; its caught criminals |
are permitted to escape through contin-
ued delays or actual conniYance in the |
prosecution; honey-cOmbed with cor
ruptiOu, outbreaking exposures no lon |
ger shock its moral sense. Its honest |
members, it's Independent journals, no |
longer maintain a successful contest for |
authority in its counsels, veto on bad |
nominations. That a change is neces- |
sary is proven by an existing surplus |
of more than $100,000,000, which has |
yearly been collected from suffering |
people. Unnecessary taxation is unjust |
taxation.
We denounce the republican party for
having failed to relieve the people from |
crushing war taxes, which have para
lyzed business, ,crippled industry and de-
prived labor of employment and of Just |
reward. The democracy pledges itself |
to purify the administration from cor
ruption; to restore economy; to revive |
respect for the law and to reduce taxa
ton to the lowest limit. consistent with |
due regard to the prosecution of the |
faith of the nation to its creditors and |
pensioners, knowing full well, however, |
that legislation affecting the oecupa-
tiOns of the people shOuld be cautious
and conservative in method. not in ad-
vance of public opinion, but responsive |
to its demands. The democratic party
is pledged to revise the tariff in spirit |
of fairness to all interests, but in max
ing reduction in taxes, it is not pro-
posedto injure any domestic industries, |
but rather to promote their healthy
growth. From the foundation fof this |
government, taxes collected at the Gus
tom house have been the chief source
of federal revenue; such they must con-
tinue. Moreover, many industries have
come to rely upon legislation for sue
cesStul continuance, so that any change
of law must be at every step regardful
OF the labor and capital thus involved. |
The process of reform must be subject
to the plaih dictates of justice. All tax
alton shall be limited to the require
ments of an economical government,
The necessary reduction in taxation !
can, and must, be effected without de-
priving American labor of the ability
to compete successfully with foreign |
labor and without imposing lower rates |
of duty than will be ample to cover the |
increased cost of production which may
exist in consequence of the higher rate |
of wages prevailing in this country.
Sufficient revenue to pay all the eX-
penses of the Federal government eco |
nOmically administered, including pen
sions, interest and principal OF the pub /
lie debt, can be got under your present |
system of taxation from custom house |
taxes or fewer imported articles, bear
ing heaviest on articles of luxury, and |