Saint Mary's beacon. [volume] (Leonard Town, Md.) 1867-1983, 1884-07-24
OUR PLATFORM.

The Democratic party of the IN
ion, through its Representatives in
National Convention assembled, re.
cognizes that as the nation grows old
er new issues are born of time and
progress and old issues perish. But
the fundamental principles of the De-
mocracy, approved by the united
voice of the people remain, and will
ever remain, as the best and only Sc
curity for the continuance of free gov
eminent. The preservation of per-
aonal rights, the equality of all oiti-
II-sess before the law, the reserved
rights of the States and the suprema-
cy of the Federal government p.isShlfl
the limits of the CONSTITUTION will
ever form the true basis of our liber-
ties and can never be surrendered
without destroying that balance of
rights and powers which enables a
continent to be developed in peace
and social order to be maintained by
means Of local self-government; but
it is indispensable for the practical APP
plication and enforcement Of those fun
damental principles that the govern
ment should not always be controlled
by one political party. Frequent
change Of administration is as neces-
sary as constant recurrence to the pop
ular will. Otherwise abuses grow,
and the government instead Of being
carried on for general welfare be-
comes an instrumentality for impos-
ing heavy burdens on the many who
are governed for the benefit of the
few who govern. Public servants
thus become arbitrary rulers.
This is now the condition of the
country--hence a change is demand
ed. The Republican party, so far as
principles are concerned, is remi-
niscence. In practice it is an organi'
cation for enriching those who con-
troll its machinery. The frauds and
obbery which have been brought to
light in every department Of the gov
! eminent are sufficient to have called
for reform within the Republican par
ty, yet those in authority, made reck.
: less by the long possession Of power
have succumbed to its corrupting in.
fuence and have placed in nomina.
ton ticket against which the indie.
' pendent portions of the party are in
open revolt. Therefore a change il
demanded. Such change was alike
necessary in 1876, but the will Of the
people was then defeated by fraud
which can never be forgotten nor con.
doned. Again in 1880 the change
demanded by the people was defeated
by the lavish use Of money contribu
, ted by unscrupulous contractors and
shameless jobbers who had bargained
for unlawful profits or for high office
The Republican party during its lie
gal, it's stolen and its bought tenure
Of power has steadily decayed il
moral character and political capaci
ty. Its platform promises are now
list of its past failures; it demands
the restoration Of our navy; it hai
squandered hundreds of millions h
create navy that does not exist; i
calls upon Congress TO remove thu
b burdens under which American ship
ping has been depressed; it imposed
and has continued those burdens.
1t processes the policy of reservinj
the public lands for small holdings b.
actual settlers; it has given away tn
peoples heritage, till now few rail
roads and nonresident aliens, indi
vidual and corporate, possess large
area than that Of all our farms be
, tween the two seas. 1t processes
preference for free Institutions it or
ganised and tried to Iegalise con
troll of State elections by Fedora
troops. 1t processes desire to ele
vate labor; it has subjected Ameri
can workingmsn to the competitor o
? convict and imported contract labor
: 1t processes gratitude to all who wer
disabled or died in the war leaving