Daily Los Angeles herald., 1884-09-04
POLITICAL.
The Democratic PLATFORM.

Of free government; the preservation Of personal
rights. the equality Of all ciiircns before the law
tho reserved rights of the states and the sn-
premhcy Of the fc ierai Government within the
limits u the Constitution. will e.or form the
true basis Of our liberte. and eau never be sur
rendered without destroying that balaEeo of
rights and powers which enables continent 10
be developed IN peace and social order and 10 be
maintained by means Of LEGAL self government.
But II IL Indispensable for the practical appca
tion and enforcement Of these fundamental prin.
eipcs that the Government should not always DO
controlled by Que political party Frequent
change Of adtninlstrstio, Il "a necessary ~
slant recurrence te the popular will, Otherwise
abuses grew and the Government instrtmentality
Ia used Tor imposing heavy burdens on the many
who are governed for the benefit OF the lew who
govern. Public servants thus become arbitrary
rulers. This Is now the condition Of tho coun
try; hence q change IL demanded.
The Republican party, 20 Tar as principle u
concerned. " q rcniiniscence. In practice, u u
an organization for cnrichng those who control |
It's machinery, The frauds and jobbery which |
have been brohght 10 light In every department |
Of tho Government are sufficient TO have called
for reform within tho Republican party, yet |
those In authority. made reckless BY the long |
possession Of power, have succumbcd to ats cor
rtptlnQ Influence and have placed In nemiDstion |
a tiosct against which the independent portion
Of the party are In open revolt. Therefore
change % demanded. Such change was alike
NECESSARY In 1876 but the will Of the people WAS
then defeated by fraud which can never be for.
gotten OF condonoi. Again In 1850 the change
demanded by the people was defeated by tho
lavish use OF money contributed bJ onscrupulous
contractors and shameless jobbers who had bar
gained for unlawful profits or Tor high Office.
The Republican party, during It's legal, Us
stolen and Its bought tonurea Of power, has stsadi
" decsyed In moral character and policica en-
pacity. It's platform promises are now list of
It's past failures. II demands the restoration Of
our navy II has sqlandorcd hundreds Of mil
Hons 10 create navy that does not exist. lt
calls upon Congress y remove the burdens under
which American shipping mas been depressed II
imposed and has confirmed those burdens. II
Processes preference for free institutions. II
organized and tried 10 legalize control Of State
elections by Federal troops. II Processes de-
sire ~ elevate labor. II has subjected American
workingmen TO tho competition OF convict and
imported contract labor. II Processes gratitude
TO all who were disabled or died In the war. leay
ing widows and orphans. II left to Democratic
House Of Representatives the first effort 10
equaize both bountIes and pcnsions II proifor
ed pledge To correct the Irregularities OF our
tariff. II created AM has continued them. It's
own Tariff Commission confessed the need Of
more than 20 per cont reduction. Its Congress
gave q reduction Of less than per cent, IL pro
fesses the protection Of Amarican manufacturers.
IL has subjected them TO an increasing flood Of
manufactured goods and a hopeless competition
with manufacturing nations, not one Of which
taxes raw materials. II profossos to prot ct all
American iDdu.tries. It has Impoverished many
to subsidize few 10 processes the protection Of
American labor has depleted the returns Of
American sRteu arl, an industry followed by
half our people. pfoiessos the equality of all
citizens before the law. Attempting to fix tho
status Of colorcd citizens, the Acts OF its Con.
grcss were overset by TIN decisions Of Its courts
Its caught criminals are permitted to escape
through contriyed delays CT actual c0nnivance In
the prosecution, Honey eycombcd with corruption,
outrageous exposures no longer shock Its moral |
sense. Its honest members and Its independent
Journals no longer maintain successful contest
...ts. IA Ia. l..I
nominations.
That a change Is necessary is proved by an OK
listing surplus of more than slOO, 900, ,0G', which
has yearly been collected from q suffering peo.
pie. Unnecessary taxation is unjust taxation.
We denounce the Republican party for having
failed 10 relieve the people from the crushing war
taxes, which have paraiyzed business, crippled
industry and deprived labor Of employment and
of It's Just reward.
The Democracy pledges itself to purify tho Ad-
mlnistraiion from corruption, to restore economy,
TO revive respect for law. and to reduce taxation
to the lowest limit consistent with a due regard
TO the preservation Of the faith Of the nation TO
its creditors and its pensioners, knowing full
we'll however, that Legislation affecting the vel
fare OF the people should be cautious and con-
servatlye In method, not In advance 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 making y reduction In taxes 1t Is not proposed
to injure any domestic Industries, but rather TO
promote their healthy growth From the foun-
dation Of this Goyernfnen nt taxes collected at the
custom house have been the chief source OF Fed. |
era revel ue, and such they must continue to be-
Moreover. many industries have -coms.ts vsly up
on legislation Tor their successful continuance, 70
that any change Of the law must be at every step
rogardful Of the labor and capital thus involved
The process OF reform must be subject to the
dution Of this plain dictate Of JUSTICE All taxa
tion shall be limited TO the requirements Of an
economical Government The necessary reduo-
Ii, Inv linn and In afa
out depriving American labor OF the ability 10
compete successfully with foreign lab1r, and
without imposing lower rates Of duty than will
be ample to cover any increased cost OF produc-
ton 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,
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 on articles
OF necessity. We therefore denounce the abuses
OF the exs Ing tariff and subject to these limi-
tations, we demand that Federal taxation shall
be exclusively for public purposes and shall not
exceed the needs OF the Government, economi.
caily administered.
The system Of direct taxation known as the
internal revenue is a war tax and so long as the
law continues the duty derived therofrom should
be sacredly devoted to the relief of tho seupe
from the remaining burdens OF the war and be
made fund to oefray 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 pei sions as Congress may
from time to time grant to such soldiers, a like
fund for the sailors having been already provid-
cd. 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 tone.
We believe In honest money, the gold and sill.
yer coinage, and Of the cultivation and circula-
tion of N, dum convertible into such money,
without 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 persuason religious
or political
We believe In a free ballot and fair count.
and we recall to the memory Of the people the
noble struggle OF the Democrats in the Forty
fifth 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-
elusive proof that Democratic administration
will preserve liberty with order.
The election OF Federal officers for the Terri
torios should be restricted to citizens previously
resident therein.
We oppce sumptuary laws. which vex the oiti.
zen and interfere with individual liberty.
pensation OF all United States officers by fixed
salaries, thu 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
ris hts and duties Of citizenship.
While We favor al legislation which will tend
to the equitable distribution of property, to the
preveRtion of monopoly and 60 the strict en-.
foroement OF individual rights against corporate
abuses, we hold that the welfare of society de
pends on scrupnlous regard for the rights Of
property as defined by law. We believe that la
Dor is best rewarded whore it Is freest ana most
enlightened, II should be fostered and cherish
cd. We favor the repeal OF all laws restoring the
free acti IN of labor and the enactment of laws
by which labor organizations may be increased
and Of all such legislation as will tend 10 en-
tighten the people as to the true relations Of
capital and labor.
We believe that the publlc lands ought, as far
AS possible, 10 he kept as homesteads for actual
settlers; that all unearned lands heretofore i'm
proyidently granted 10 railroad corporations by
the action of the Repub lean party. should be
restored to the public domain and no more
grants shall be made to corporations. or be allow
ed to fall into the ownership Of alien absentees.
We are opposed to all propositions which, up
on any pretoxt, would convert the general Gov.
ernmeBt into a machine fot the collection OF tax
es TO be distributed amoug the StaIes or the cit
zens thereof.
In effect the declaration OF the Democratic plat.
form of 1856 that 9Th, liberal principle en-.
bodied by Jefferson in the Declaration OF Inde. |
pendence and sanctioned in the Constitution,
which make ours the land OF liberty and the asy-
lum of tho oppressed OF every nation" have ever
been the cardinal principles In the Democratic
faith We nevertheless do not sanction the i'm. |
portation of foreign labor the admission Of
servie races, untitled by habits training, religi-
on or kindred, for absorption into the great dy
Of our people. or for the citizenship which our
laws confer American civilization demands
that against the immigration or importation OF
Mongolians to these shores our gates be closed |
The Democratic party insists that it is the
duty Of the Government to protect with equal
fidelity and vigilance the rights Of its citizens
native and naturslized-at home and abroad, |
and to the end that this protection may be as.
sured the United States papers Of naturalization,
issued by courts Of competent jurisdiction. must
be respected by the executive and legislative de-
partments of our own Government and by oil
foreign Powers
It is the imperative duty Of this government
Ll.u ullin LII I,i h.r