The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1884-07-17
he needs of the poyernment economl-


ems of war and be made fund to
efray the expense of the care and
omfort of worthy soldiers, disabled q
q the line of duty, in the wars of the Z
epublic and for the payment of such !
tensions as congress may from time =
% time grant to snch soldiers, like
'und for the sailors having been al
'eady provided, and any surplus
should be paid into the treasury.
We favor an amicable continental
policy, based upon more intimate COM
mercial and political relations with
The fifteen sister republics of North,
CENTRAL and South America, but en-
sin ling alliances with none.
We believe in honest money, all the
gold and silver coinage of the const1-
tuition, and a circulating medium cou-
We. Jible into such money without
loss.
Asserting the equality of all men
before the law, we hold TIA it is the
duty of the COVE. nment, in its dealings
with the peopl to mete out equal and
Xa' t Justice IL all ci;iz rs, of what
ever nationality. race, color or persua-
sion, religious OF political.
We believe in free ballot and a
far count, and we recall to the MEM
DRY of the people the noble struggle OF
The democrats in the Forty-fifth and
Forty-siXth congress. by which a re-
luctan5 republican opposition was
compe. led to assent to legislation |
making everywhere illegal the pres |
enCe of troops at the polls as con-
elusive proof that a democratic legls-
laLure desired order.
The selection of federal officers for
the territories should be restricted to
citizens permanently resident therein.
We oppose sumptuary laws. which
veX the citizens and interfere with
| Individual liberty.
We favor honest civil service reform
and the compensation OF United
States officers by fixed salaries; the
separation of church and state and the
| diffusion Of free education by common
schools so that every child in the land
may be taught the right and duties of
citizenship.
While we favor all legislation which
will tend to the equal distribution Of
property, to the prevention of monop-
oily, and to the strict enforcement of
Individual rights against corporate
abuses, we hold that the welfare of
society depends upon scrupuious re.
gard for the rights of property as de-
fined by law, and believe that labor is
best rewarded where it is free and
most enlightened. 1t should. there
fore, be fostered and cherished.
We favor the repeal of all laws re-
/, stricting the free action of labor and
., the enactment of law by which labor
: organizations may be incorporated
and of all such legislation as will tenG
! to enlighten the people as to the fret
. relations of capital and labor.
We think that the public lands ought
so far as possible, to be kept as home
: steads for actual settlers; that all un.
,, earned lands heretofore imprudently
). granted to railroad corporations by thu
Q actions of the republican party should
. be restored to the public domain, ant
L that no more grants of lands should b,
I. made to corporations or shall be al
~ lowed to fall in the ownership of alieI
absentees.
y We are opposed to all proposition
y which, upon any pretext, will CONVEX
'U the general government into a ma
chine for collecting taxes to be dis
10 tributed among the states Or the citi
= ZenS thereof.
In reaf1irming the declaration of tn
o. democratic platform of 1876, that tn
% liberal principles embodied by Jeffel
% son in the declaration of indepen(
i ence and the sanction in the conStltu
n ton, which makes ours the land {
n liberty and the asylum of the oppres
70 sed of every nation, have eyer bee
cardinal principles in the democrati
\ faith. We, nevertheless, do not san
q ton the Importation of foreign labc
W or the admission of several races III
> fitted by habits, training, religion, {
a. kindred for absorption into the gree
+ body of the people, or for the citizel
IF ship which our laws confer. Amer
can civilization demands that again
N the emigration or importation of tt
10 Monaghan to these shores our gat
. shall be closed. The democratic part
es insists that it is the duty of the go
n eminent to protect with equal fidelit
and vigilance the rights of
,e citizens, native and naturalize
al at home and abroad, and
- the end that this protection may
al assured United States papers of ma
=. petent Jurisdiction. should be respec
ed by the executive department {
:; our government, and by all toreig
~ this government to etfectually prote
i the rights, person and property
~ every American citizen in foreig
lands and enforce full reparation fl
N any violation thereof. An America
~ citizen is only responsible to his oW
> government for any act done in b
i own country or under her flag, an
70 can only be tried for it on her soil an
" according to her laws, and no powt
> exists in this government to exp;
u, tiate an American citizen to be trie
q in foreign land for any such &C
# This country has never had well de
20 fined and executed foreign polio
~ Under the democratic administration
~ that policy has ever been in regaI
:. to foreign nations, so long as they d
:, not act detrimentally to the intere,
NJ OF this country or hurtful to its cit
!, gems, to let them alone. AS the result G
= this policy we recall the acquisitions {
g Louisiana, Florida, California and {
9. 9 the adjacent Mexican territory b
=, purchase alone. Contrast these
GRAND ACQUISITIONS OF DEMOCRAT
"a 10 CRAFTSMANSHIP,
!, with the purchase of Alaska, the sol
q fruit of a republican administratio
y of nearly a quarter of century.
Ii The federal government should car
( for and improve the Mississippi rive
; and other great water ways of the n
: public, so as to secure for the interio
u states cheap transportation to It'd
I, water.
f Under long period of Democrat
rule and policy our merchant marin
was fast overtaking and on the poin
:. of outstripping that of Great Britar
q Under twenty years of republican rul
!, and policy our commerce has been lef
o to British bottoms, and almost ha
9 the American flag Been swept off tn
: high seas. Instead of the repub
lican party's British pol
icy we demand for tn
people of the United States an Ameri
: can policy. Under democratic rul,
: and policy our merchants and sailor
. were flying the stars and stripes il
. every port and successfully searches
out a market for the varied product
of American industry. Under quar-
|. ter of a century of republican rule ant
9 policy, and despite our manifest ad
= vantage over all other nations in higl
e paid labor, favorable climate anC
! teeming soils, despite trade among al
! these, despite their population by thu
\ foremost races of men. the annual i'm
' migration of the young and adventdr