Daily Los Angeles herald., 1884-08-13
POLITICAL.
The Democratic Platform.


| It's representatives in National Convention as
sembled. recognizes that as the nation grows
| older new issues are horn Of time and progress
and old issues perish, but the fundamental prin
| ciples Of the Democracy, approved by the united
voice OF the people, remain and will ever remain,
as the best and only security for the continuance
OF free government; the preservation OF personal
rights the equality OF all citizens before the law.
| the reserved rights OF the States and the SUI
premacy Of the Federal Government within the
| limits Of the Constitution viii ever form the
| true basis OF our liberties and can never be sur
rendered without destroying that balasce OF
| rights and powers which enables a continent to
| be developed In peace and social order and TO be
maintained by means OF LEGAL self government.
But II Ia Indispensable for the practical applca
ton and enforcement OF these fundamental prin-
ciples that the Government should not always be
controlled by one political party. Frequent
change OF administrator Is as necessary rs con
| stant recurrence TO the popular will. Otherwise
abuses grew and the Government tnstrumentality
Is used for imposing heavy burdens OH 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 coun-
| try; hence a change Is demanded.
| The Republican party, 80 lar as principle is
c,ncerned is a "Reminiscences. In practice, II is
| an organization for enriching those who control
| Its machinery, The frauds and jobbery which
| have been brought to light In every department
/ oil tine GUfcrflfnent are Suncltnt 10 nave cAlfeu
| for reform within the Republican party, yet
| those In authority, made reckless by the long
| possession of power, have succumbed TO its cor.
ruptng influence and have placed in nomination
a tlcset against which the independent portion
| OF the party are In open revolt. Therefore o
change Is demanded. Such change was alike
necessary in 1915 but the will OF the people was
| then defeated by fraud which can never be for
gotten or condoned. Again In 1880 the change
demanded by the people was defeated by the
of h,
contractors and shameless jobbers- who had bar
gained for Unlawful profits or tor high office
| The Republican party, during its legal, its
stolen and its bought tenures Of power, has stsadi
/ " decayed In moral character and pocica ca
pacity. Its platform promises are now q list of
| its past failures. II demands the restoration OF
our navy. II has squandered hundreds OF mil
lions to create q navy that does not exist. II
calls upon Congress remove the burdens under
| which Amer lean shipping has been depressed IL
imposed and has continued those burdens. 1t
| Processes preference for free institutions. 1t
organized and tried to legalize control Of State
| elections by Federal troops. 1t processes q de-
sire to elevate labor. 1t has subjected American
workingmen to the competition of convict and
| imported contract labor. It processes gratitude
| to all who were disabled or died In the war eav-
| ing widows and orphans II left to Democratic
| House OF Representatives the first effort to
| equalize both bounties and pensions. 1t proffer.
ed pledge to correct the Irregularities Of our
| tariff. II created am has continued them Its
| own Tariff Commission confessed the need Of
| more than 20 per cent reduction. Its Congress
| gave reduction Of less than per cent Ii pro-
| fesses the protection Of Amarican manufacturers
1t has subjected them 70 an increasing flood Of
| manufactured goods and q hopeless competition
| with manufacturing nations, not one OF which
taxes raw materials. IL Processes to prot ct all
American industries. 1t has impoverished many
| to subsidize few II processes the protection of
| American labor IL has depleted the returns Of
| Am -rcan agriculture, an industry followed by
half our people. II processes the equality Of all
citizens before the law. Attempting to fix the
status OF coored citizens, the Acts of its Con
| gress were overset by TIN decisions of its courts.
| Its caught criminals are permitted to escape
through contrived delays or actual connivance In
| the prosecution, H0neycombed with corruption,
| outrageous exposures no longer shock its moral
| sense. Its honest members and 1t, Independent
journals no longer maintain successful contest
tor authority in its connsels or y veto on bad
| nominations.
That a change is necessary is proved by an ex
listing surplus of more than sl00, 900, 00n, which
| has yearly been collected from suffering peo-
pie. Unnecessary taxation Is unjust taxation.
We denounce the Republican party for having
failed to relieve the people from the crushing war
taxes, which have paraiyzed business, crippled
| industry and deprived labor OF employment and
| OF its Just reward.
| The Democracy pledges itself t } purify the Ad-
ministraiion from corruption to restore economy,
to revive respect for law, and to reduce taxation
| 10 tne lowest limit consistent WIN a que regard
to the preservation of the faith OF the nation to
it's creditors and Its pensioners, knowing full
well however, that legislation affecting the vel
fare Of the people should be cautious and con-
servatve In method, not In advance Of public
/ opinion. but responsive to its demands
Tho Democratic party Is pledged to revise the
tariff In spirit OF fairness to all interests, but
in making reduction in taxes It Is not proposed
to injure any domestic industries, but rather to
promote their healthy growth From the foun-
1 dat nf taxr taI
custom house have been the chief source OF Fed
| eral ue, and such they must continue to be.
| Moreover many industries have come to rely up
on legislation for their successful continuance,
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
tion shall be limited to the requirements Of an
| economical Government. The necessary reduc-
1 tion In taxation and must be effected with
out depriving American labor Of the ability to
| compete successfully with foreign labor, and
| without imposing lower rates Of duty than will
/ be ample to cover any increased cost Of produc-
| tion which may exist In consequence Of the
higher rate of wages prevailing in this country.
Sufficient revenue to pay all the expenses OF the
| Federal Government, economically administered, B.,
/ including pensions and interest and 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 ar
| ticles Of luxury and bearing lghtest articles
i Of necessity. We therefore denounce the abuses
| OF the existing tariff, and subject to these lmi-
tstions, we demand that Fedora taxation shall
| be exclusively for public purposes and shall not
exceed the needs Of the Government, economi-
| cally administered.
The system OF direct taxation known as the
| internal revenue Is war tax and so 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 defray the expense Of the care
| and comfort Of worthy soldiers disabled In the
line OF duty In the wars of the republic and for
| the payment OF sucn pensions as Congress may
| from time to time grant TO such soldiers a like
fund for the sailors. having been already provid-
| ed, and any surplus should be paid into the
| Treasury.
We favor American continental policy,
/ based OIL more intimate commercial and political
/ relations with the fifteen sister republics OF
North, Central and South America, but entanglng
alliance with none.
We believe in honest money, the gold and sill.
yer coinage, and Of the cultivation and circula-
tion OF mt dium convertible into such money,
i without loss.
| Asserting the equality Of all men before the
| law we hold that 1t is the duty OF the Govern
ment in It's dealings with the people to mete out
| equal and exact justice to all citizens OF what
ever nativity race, color or persuasion religious
| or political.
We believe in free ballot and a fair count
| and we recall to the memory of the people the
noble struggle Of the Democrats in the Forty.
| nfth and Forty sixth Congresses, by which re
luctant Republican opposition was compelled to
| assent to legislation making everywhere illegal
the presence Of troops at the polls, ,s the con.
l elusive proof that a Democratic administration
i will preserve liberty with order
The election Of Federal officers for the Terri
| tories should be restricted to citizens previously
| resident therein.
We oppose sumptuary laws, which vex the eiti.
zen and interfere with individual liberty.