Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1884-07-11
THE PLATFORM.
Text of the PIanks on Which the Party
Can Stand and Reach Victory.

| "
Text of the PIsnIks on Which the Party
Can Stand and Reach Victory.
CHICAGO, July lO.-The platform as
presented to the convention by Mr.. Nor
rison tonight reads as follows:
The Democratic party of the Union, through
It's representatives in National Convention
| assembled, recognizes that as the nation
/ grows older new issues are born Of time and
! progress, and old issues perish. But the fun
| damental principles of the Democracy, ap-
! proved by the united voice of the people, re-
main and will ever remain as the best and only
security Tor the continuance of free govern
1 ment.
The preservation of personal rights, the
! equality Of all citizens before the law pre-
| served, the rights of the States and the su-
| premacy of the FEEDER al Government within
| the limits of the constitution will ever form
| the true basis Of our liberties, and can never
| be surrendered without destroying that bal
| ance Of right and power which enables the
| continent TO be developed in peace and social
| order, and to be maintained by means of local
| self governments.
| CHANGE OF PARTIES IN POWER INDIs-
PENSIBLE.
But it is indispensable for the practical ap-
| pllcatlon and enforcement of these funda-
| mental principles that the government should
| not always be controlled bv one political
| party. Frequent change of administration is
| as necessary as constant recurrence to the
| popular Will. Otherwise abuses grow and the
| government, instead Of being carried on for
| the general welfare, becomes an instrument
/ tality for imposing heavy burdens on the
| many who are governed for the benefit of the
| few who govern. Public servants thus be-
| come arbitrary rulers. This Is now the cou-
! dltlon of the country. Hence a change
| is demanded. The Republican party
| so far as principle Is concerned,
| is q "Reminiscences. In practice it is an or
| ganization for enriching those who control its
| machinery. The frauds and iobbery which
have been brought to light in every depart
ment OF the government are sufficient to have
| called for reform within the Republican
| party. Yet those in authority, made reckless
| by long possession of power, have succumbed
| to Its corrupting influence and have placed in
nomination ticket against which the Inde-
| pendent portion of the party are In open re-
| volt, therefore change is demanded
THE FRAUD OF 1876.
| 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 change was de-
manded by the people and was defeated by
| the lavish use of money contributed by un-
| scrupulous contractors and shameless jobbers
| who had bargainedsfor unlawful profits or for
| high office. The Republican party during Its
| legal, its stolen and its bought tenures of
| power, has steadily decayed i'll moral eharac-
| ter and political capacity. Its platform
| promises are now lists OF its
| failures. 1t has squandered hundreds Of
millions to create navy that does not exist.
| 1t calls on Congress to remove the burdens
| depressed; it imposed and has continued
| these burdens. 1t processes the policy of re-
| serving public lands for small holdings by
| actual settlers; it has given away the peo-
pies heritage till now a few railroads and
| non resident aliens, individual and cOrpor-
ate. possess larger area than all our farms
| between the two seas.
BAYONETs AT THE POLLS.
1t processes preference for free institutions;
| it organized and tried to legaliZe the control
| of State elections by Federal troops. 1t pro-
| fesses desire to elevate labor; it has sub
jected American workingmen to the competi-
| ton OF convict and imported contract labor.
| 1t processes gratitude to all who were disabled
| or died in the war, leaving widows and or
phans; it left to the Democratic House
| Of Representatives the first effort to
| equalize both bounties and pensions.
1t prohers pledge to correct the irregulari-
ties of our tariff: it created and has continued
them. It's own Tariff Commission confess the
need of more than 20 per cent. reduction; its
| Congress gave reduction of less than per
cent. 1t processes protection of American
manufactures; it has subjected them to an in
| creasing flood of manufactured goods and
hopeless cOmpetititiOn with manufacturing
nations, not one of which taxes raw material.
FAILURE TO PROTECT.
1t processes to protect all American indus
tries; it has impoverished many to subsidize
few; 1t processes protection of American
labor; it has depleted the returns of Ameri-
can agriculture, an industry followed by half
of our people. 1t processes equality of all men
4
| of cOlOred citizens; the acts of its Congress
were Overset by the decisions of its courts.
| 1t accepts new duty of leading IN the work
of progress and reform; Its caught criminals
are permitted to escape through continued
delays or actual connivance in prosecution.
/ HOneyeombed with corruption, outbreaking
exposures no longer shock its moral sense.
Its honest members, its Independent journals,
no longer maintain successful contest for
authority in its councils or veto on bad
nominations.
That a ehanUa ia nacasaorx ia ,,ro,,ad
/ by an existing surplus of more than
| Sl00,000,0 900, which has yearly been collected
from suffering people. Unnecessary taxa
tiOn is unjust taxation. We denounce the
Republican party for having failed to
relieve the people from crushing war taxes
which have paralyzed business, crippled in
dustry and deprived labor OF employment and
Of just reward.
THE TARIFF PLANK.
The Democracy pledges itself to purify the
administration from corruption, to restore
economy, to revive respect for the law
and to reduce taxation to the lowest
limit consistent with due regard to the pre-
servatiOn Of the faith of the nation to its
creditors and pensioners. Knowing full well,
however, that legislation affecting the oeeu-
patton OF the people should be cautious and
/ conservative in method, not in advance of
public opinion, but responsive to its demands,
the Democratic party is pledged to revise the
tarih in spirit OF fairness to all interests,
but in making reduction in taxes it is not
proposed to lnjure any domestic Industries,
but rather to promote their healthy
growth. From the foundation of this govern
ment taxes collected at the custom house has
been the CHER source of the Federal revenue.
Such they must continue to be. Moreover, many
industries have come to rely upon legislation
for successful continuance. so that any change
OF the law must be at every step regardful OF
the labor and capital thus involved. The pro-
cess Of reform must be subject in execution to
| this plain dictate Of justice. All taxation
should be limited to the requirements of an
| economical government.
LABOR MUST NOT BE DEPRIVED OF Sue
CESsFUL COMPETITION,
Necessary reduction in taxation can and
must be effected without depriving American
labor Of the ability to compete successfully
with foreign labor, and without imposing
| lower rates of duty than viii be ample to
cover any increased cost Of production which
may exist in consequence of a higher rate of
| wages prevailing in this country. Sufficient
| revenue to pay all expenses of the Federal
| Government economically administered. in
| cludlng pensions, interest and principal of the
| public debt, can be got under our present
Z system Of taxation from the custom house
| taxes on fewer imported articles. bearing
/ the heaviest on articles of luxury and
1 bearing hghtest ON articles of necessity
| We therefore denounce the abuses Of tie
| existing tariff, and, subject to the preceding
/ limitations, we demand that Federal taxation
shall be exclusively for public purposes. and
| shall not exceed the needs of government
| economically administered.
THE CARE OF WORTHY SOLDIERS A
SACRED DUTY.
The system Of direct taxation. known as
internal revenue, Is war tax, and as long as
| the tax continues the money derived there
from should be sacrediy devoted to the relief
| OF the people from the remaining burdens Of
the war, and be made fund To defrav the