The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1884-07-17
THE DEMOCRATIC CONVENTION.
CLEVELAND AND HENDRICKS,
AND FREE TRADE.
TIE PROCEEDINGS OF TIE LAST TWO
DAYS.-THE PLATFORM. but
LER's SPEECH.

4
work. On Thursday, the name OF Sam'l.
1 ]. Randall was presented to the Conven-
ton by Senator Wallace, of Pennsylvania,
and the nomination was seconded by Gov.
| Albeit. of New Jersey. The name of
Gov. Hoadley, of Ohio, was also added to
the list of candidates, Mr.. Powell, of
Ohio. making the presentation speech. At
| late hour, the balloting began and vote
was taken with the subjoined result:
| Cleveland-392 Carlisle.
! Bayard-l70 FloWer-4.
| Thurman-SS. Illden-l.
| Randall-7S. Hoadley-3.
McDonald-56. Hendricks.
Ohio gave Hoadley 81, Cleveland q, and
| Thurman "a, but afterward gave the
Hoadley votes to Cleveland.
On this ballot Virginia voted 13 for
! Cleveland for Bayard | for Thurman,
and for Mcdonald.
! After a long struggle, Morrison, of H.
| linOis. who was elected chairman of the
| Committee on Resolutions, and before the
taking of the ballot recorded above, pre-
sented the report of the majority of the
Committee
| The Platform.
| The Democratic party of the Union, through
| its representatives i'll National Convention as
| sembied recognizes that the Nation grows
| older new issues are born of time and progress.
| and old issues perish. But the fundamental
| principles of the Democracy, approved blythe
| united voice of the people, remain, and will
/ ever remain the best and only security for
| the continuance of free government. The
| preservation of personal rights the equality of
Of of the States. and the supremacy of the Fed
/ eral Government within the limits of the Con-
| stitution, will ever form the true basis of our
| liberties, and can never be surrendered with
| out destroying that balance of rights and
/ powers which enables the continent to be de-
4 veloped in peace and social order maintained
4 by means of local self-government. But il is
i Indispensable for the practical application and
enforcement of these fundamental principles
! that the Government should not always be con-
trolled by political party. Frequent change
of administration is as necessary as constant
abuses grow, and the Government, instead of
being carried on for the general welfare. be-
| burdens on many VINO are governed for the
benefit ofthe few who govern. Public servants
! thus become arbitrary rulers. This is now the
condition of the country; hence change is
demanded.
The Republican party, so far as principle is
concerned, is "Reminiscences in practice; it is
| an organization for enriching those who con-
troll its machinery. The frauds and jobbery
1 which have been brought to light in every de-
i partment of the Government are sufficient to
have called for reform within the Republican
! party; yet those in authority, made reckless
by the long possession of power, have sue
/ cumbed to it's corrupting influence, and have
| placed in nomination q ticket against which
the independent portion OF the party are in
Therefore a change is demanded. Such a
change was alike necessary in 1876, but the will
| of the people was then defeated by fraud
which can never be forgotten nor condoned.
Again, in 1880, the change demanded by the
| people was defeated by the lavish use of money
contributed by the INSCRIPTIONS contractors
unlawful profits, or for high office The Repub-
lican 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 q list of its past
| failures. 1t demands the restoration of our
navy. 1t has squandered hundred of millions
| to create navy that does not exist. 1t calls
upon Congress to remove the burdens under
which American shipping has been depressed.
1t imposed and has continued those burdens.
| 1t processes the policy of reserving the public
has given away the peoples heritage till now
| few railroads and nonresident aliens. indi-
vidual and corporate, possess larger area than
that of all our farms between the two seas. 1t
processes a preference for free institutions. 1t
| organized and tried to legalize control of
a desire to elevate labor. It has subjected
| American workingmen to the competition of
convict and imported contract labor. 1t pro-
fesses gratitude to all who were disabled or
died in the war. leaving widows and orphans.
It left to a Democratic House of Representa-
and pensions. 1t proffers pledge to correct
the irregularities of our tariff. It created and
/ has continued them. Its own tariff commission
confessed the need of more than twenty per
cent. reduction. Its Congress gave reduction
of less than four per cent. 1t processes the
protection of American manufacturers: it has
subjected them to an increasing flood of man
i ufactured goods and q hopeless competition
taxes
RAW MATERIALS.
1t processes to protect all American Industries
II has impoverished many to substitute a few. 1t
processes the protection of American labor. 1t
has depleted the returns of American agricul-
ture-an industry followed by half our people,
| 1t processes the equality of all men before the
law Attempting to fix the status of colored
| citizens, the acts of it's Congress were overset
by the decisions OF it's courts. 1t accepts anew
the duty of leading in progress and REFORM"
Its caught criminals are permitted to escape
through continued delays or actual connivance
in the prosecution. Honeycombed with cor
ruption, outbreaking exposures no longer shock
it's moral sense. Its honest members, and it's
| Independent journals no longer maintain a
successful contest for authority in its counsels
| or veto upon bad nominations. That change
more than $l00, GOO, which has yearly been
sary taxation is unjust taxation. We de-
nounce the Republican party for having failed
which have paralyzed business crippled indus
try and deprived labor of employment and of
The Democracy pledges itself to purify the
administration from corruption to restore
axato t the fqT s3
| with due regard to the preservation of the faith
ofthe Nation to its creditors and pensioners,
knowing full well, however, that legislation
| affecting the occupations of people should be
| cautious and conservative in method, not in
| advance of public opinion, but responsive to
| its demands.
II THE TARIFF
The Democratic party is pledged to revise the
tariff in spirit of fairness to all interests, but
| in making reduction in taxes it is not pro-
1 posed to injure any domestic Industries, but
| rather TO promote their healthy growth From
| the foundation of this government, taxes col
| lected at the Custom-house have been the chief
| source OF Federal revenue. Such they must
continue. Moreover, many industries have
| to rely upon legislation for successful contin-
uance, SO that any change of law must be at
every step regardful of the labor and capital
thus involved. The process of reform be sub
\ Justice
/ All taxation should be limited to the require
| ments of economical government. The nee
essary reduction in taxation can, and must be
| effected without depriVing American labor of
| eign labor and without imposing lower rates of
duty than will be ample to cover any Increased
cost of production which may exist in conse-
| quence of the higher rates OF wages existing in
| this country. sufficient revenue to pay all the |
expenses OF the Federal Government. econom- |
| 1cally administered, including pension, inter- |
est and principal of the public debt, can be got
| under our present system of taxation from
cles, bearing heaviest on articles of luxury and
| bearing lightest ON articles of necessity. We |
/ therefore denounce the abuses OF the existing |
tariff and, subject to the preceding limitations
we demand that Federal
fTAXATIoN SHALL. BE EXCLUSIVELY FOR PUBLIC |
PURPOSES,
| and shall not exceed the needs of the Govern |
nlent. economically administered.
The system of direct taxation known as the |
.sINTERNAL REVENUE
is'a war tax, and so long as the law continues. |
the money derived therefrom should be sacredly |
devoted to the relief of the people from the re-
manning burdens of the war, and be made |
fund to defray the expenses of the care and |
comfort of worthy soldiers disabled in line of |
duty in the wars of the. Republic, and for the
payment of such pensions as Congress may
from time to time grant such soldiers, q like |
fund for the sailors having been already pro- |
vided; and any surplus should be paid into the |
treasury.
We favoran
AMERICAN CONTINENTAL POLICY
based upon more intimate commercial and |
political relations with the fifteen sister Re- |
publics OF North, Central and South America I
but entangling alliances with none.
We believe in honest money, the gold and |
silver coinage of the Constitution, and circu-
lating medium convertible into such money |
without loss. lot-s sI.,sI efa f34p
Asserting the equality of all men before the |
law, we hold that it is in the duty of the Gov
eminent, in its dealings with the people, to |
meJe out equal and exact justice to all citizens,
of Whatever nativity, race, color or persuasion,
religious or political.
We believe in free ballot and O 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 a
reluctant Republican opposition was compelled |
to assent to legislation making everywhere !
Illegal the presence of troops at the polls, the
conclusive proof that @ Democratic administra-
ton will preserve liberty with order.
THE selection of Federal officers for the terri
ries should be restricted to citizens previously
resident therein. ssaaf 81 ", t-
We oppose sumptuary laws which vex the
Mt arfa iudi VII