The weekly Floridian. [volume] (Tallahassee, Fla.) 1867-19??, 1884-07-29

its representatives in National Convention AS
sembled, recognizes thai, rs the Nation grows
older, new issues are born of time and progress
and old issues perish But the fundamental prn-
clples OF the Democracy, approved by the united
voice 81 the people, remain and will ever remain
as the best and only security for the continuance
OF free government. The preservation of per
sonal rights, the equality of all citizens before
the law, the reserved rights Of the States, and
the supremacy o.: the Federal Government,
within The limits of the Constitution will ever
form the true basis of our liberties and can never
be surrendered without DESTROYING that balance.
OF rights and powers which enables the continent
To be developed in peace AMI social order; to he
maintained by means OF local SELF ovrrnment.
But 1t is Indispensable for The practical appi-
cation and enforcement OF these fundamental
principles that the government should not al
ways be controlled bv one political party
Frequent change OF administration is as neces-
sary as constant recurrence In The popular will.
Otherwise abuses grow and tn" government. in
stead OF being carried on for The genera, welfare,
becomes an insrumenlaIity tor imposing heavy
burdens on the many who are governed for the
benefit OF the lew who govern The public
servants thus brcomr arbitrary rulers
ms * now the condition of tie country.
Hence change Is demanded. The Republican
party, so far as principle /, Concerned, is remns
ence In practice II IS an organization for enrich
ing those who control us machinery The frauds
and iobbery which have been brought 10 lgh,
in every department of the government arr.
sufficient to have called for reform within the
Republican party. Yet those in authority, made
reckless by the long possession oi power have sue
! cumbed TO its corrupting influence and have
placed in nomination ticket against which the
independent portion of the party are in open
revolt. Therefore change is demanded Such
change was alike necessary in 1876, bur the
will OF the people WAS then defeated by fraud
which can never he forgotten nor condoncd.
Again IN 1880 the change demanded by the
people wins defeated by the lavish use of
money contributed by unscrnpnlous contractors
and shameless jobbers, who had bargained for
unlawful profits or for high office The Rcpub
llcan party, during its legal, its stolen and its
bought tenures OF power, has steadily decayed
In moral character and political capacity. Its
platform promises are now list OF its past fail
ures. Ii demands the restoration of our navy ;
II has squandered hundreds OF millions Ia create
navy that does not exist. 1t calls upon Con-
gress to remove the burdens under which
American shipping has been depressed 1t i'm
posed ana nas continued those burdens Ii pro-
iesses the policy OF reserving pnblic lands for small
holdlngs Dy actual settlers. 1t has given away
the peoples heritage, till now few railroads
and nonresident aliens, individual and covpo-
rate, possess larger area than all our farms be.
tween the two seas.
Ii Processes a preference for free institutions
II organized and tried To legaliZe the cnntro! of
State elections by Federal troops 1t prufes>es
desire to elevate labor; il has subjected Ameri-
can wOrkingmtn to the cOmpctllIOn OF convict
and imported labor. 1t Processes gratitude 10 all
who were disabled or died in the war, leaving
widows and orphans; il lett Ia n Democratic
House of Representatives the first effort To equal
lze both bounlies and pen>lnns Ii proffrrs
pledge TO correct the irregularities at our tariff
II created and has continued them Its own
Iarln Commission confessed need Oi more
than ~ per cent re ncton; its Congress gave
reduction vi less than per cent II PROCESSES
the protection OF American manufactures il has
subjected them TO AN increasing flood OF manu-
faciured goods and hopeless competition with
Manufacturing nations, not one at which taxes
raw materials
1t Processes To protect all American industries;
il has impoverished the many to subsidize
few. II Processes the protection OF American
labor; il has depleted the returns OF Ameri-
can agriculture, AL industry foil wed by half of
our people II processes the equality OF all men
before the law ; attempting 10 fix the status
OF colored citizens. the acts 0l lis Congress were
overset by the decisions of its courts II accepts
new duty 10 leading in The work of progress
and reform : its caught criminals are per
mitted to escape through connlvrl delays or
actual connlvance in the prosecution Honey
cOmbed with cOrruptIOn, outhIenkinv txpos-
ures no longer shock its moral sense Its
honest members, its independent Journals no
longer maintain a successful contest Tor authority
IN us councils or veto upon bad nominations
That change is necessary is proved by an
existing surplus of more than 100000 600
which has yearly been collected from n suffering
people. Unnecessary taxation is unjust taxa
ton. We denOunce the Republican party for
having failed TO relieve the people from crushing
war taxes, which have paraiyZed business, Grip
Piled industry and deprived labor OF employment
and OF its just reward
The Democracy pledges itself to purify the
administration from Corruption, 10 restore econ.
0my, 10 revive respect for law, and to reduce
taxation To the lowest limit consistent with n
due regard to the preservation OF the faith Of The
Nation TO it's creditors and pensioners
Knowing full well, however, that legislation
affecting the operations of the people should be
cautious and conservative 10 method, not in ad.
vance OF public opinion, but responsive to its
demands, the Democratic party IL pledged To
revise the tariff in n spirit OF fairness 10 a in
terests. But, In making reduction in taxes, II
Is not Proposed to injurt any dome site industries
but rathe- 10 promote their healthy growth |
From the foundation OF this government the |
lakes collected al The custom houses have been |
the chief source Of Federal rev enue Such they |
must continue Ia he. Moreover, many indus |
tries have come IN rely upon legislation for sue |
cessful continuance so that any change of
law must be NJ every siep rcgardful at the labor |
and capital thus involved The prt,cess OF re-
form must be subject In tile execution to this
plain dictate Of justice.
All taxation should be limited to the require