The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1884-07-19
The Democratic Platform.


the late Democratic National Convention
at Chicago. As this is TO be historical
document and will no doubt be OFTEN re
ferred to during the canvass, IT would be
we'll to lay it away where it can always be
easily found;
The Democratic party Of the Union
through its representatives in National Con
yention assembled, recognize that as me
nation rrows older new issues are born OF
time and progress, and old issues perish.
But the Fundamental principles OF the
Democracy. approved by the united voices
of the people, remain and will ever remain
as the best and only security for the con
tinuaton of free government. Inc pres
ervation of personal rights, the equality Oh
all citizens before the law, the reserved
rights of the States and the supremacy VI
the Federal Government within the nnllls
of the constitution will ever form the true
basis of our liberties and can never De sur
rendered without destroying that Dai"hce
of rights and powers which enables con,
tinent to be developed in peace ana s0ciai
order TO be maintained by means Oh ioC"i
self government; butt is indispensable Tor
the practical application and enforcement
of these fundamental principles tllat 'he
Government should not always be con,
trolled by one political party. Frequent
change OF administration is rs necessary rs
constant recurrence to the popular Will
Otherwise abuses grow, and the Govern
ment, instead of being carried on for the
General welfare, becomes an instrument
ality for imposing heavy burdens on the
MANY who are governed for the benefit Oh
ft.l.a 81, ,,l, ,rpUarp Dullip servants thus
become arbitrary rulers. This is now the
condition of the country-hence change
is demanded. The Republican party, 50
far as principle is concerned, is reminis-
cence In practice il is an organization Tor
enriching those who control its machinery
The frauds and iobbery which have been
brought to light in every department OF
the Government are sufficient 10 have
called for reform in the Republican party.
Yet those in authority, made reckless by
the long possession of power, have sue.
cumbed to its corupting influence ana
have placed in nomination ticket against
which the Independent portion OF the party
are in open revolt.
A CHANGE DEMANDED.
Therefore change is demanded. Such
change was alike necessary in 1876, but
nv n 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
nnscrupulous contractors and shameless
iobbers who had bargained for unlawful
profits or for high office. The Republican
party during its legal, its stolen and its
bought tenures of power has steadily de-
cayed in moral character and political ca
pacitv. It's platform promises are now a
list of its past failures 1t demands the
restoration of ouv navy; II has squandered
hundreds of millions to create navy that
does not exist. Ii calls upon congress to
remove the burdens under which American
shipping has been depressed; it imposed
and has continued those burdens. II pro
fesses the policy of reserving the public
lands for small holdings by actual settlers;
il has given away the peoples heritage till
now few railroads and non resident aliens,
individual and corporate, possess larger
area than that Of all our farms between the
two seas.
REPUBLICAN FALSE PRETENSES.
1t processes preference for free insti-
tutions; it organized and tried to legaliZe
a control of state elections by Federal
troops. 1t processes Il desire to elevate Ia
Dor; it has subjected American working
men to the competition of convict and I'M
ported contract labor 1t processes graft.
tude TO all who were disabled or died in
the war leaving widows and orphans; it
leftto a Democratic House of Represents.
tives to equalize both bOunties and pen
sions; II proifers a pledge to correct the
Irregularities of our tariff; it created and
has continued them. Its own tariff com.
mission confessed the need of more than
20 per cent reductions its congress gave II
reduction of less than per cent. Ii pro
fesses the protection Of American manu-
features; ii has subjected them to an in
creasing flood OF manufactured goods and
hopeless competition with manufacturing
nations, not one of which taxes raw mate
rails. 1t processes TO protect all American
industries; |. has impoverished many to
subsidize few. II processes the protec
ton of American labor; it has depleted
the returns of American agriculture-an
industry followed by halt our people. 1t
processes the equality of all men before
the law: attempting to fix the status of col
ored citizens, the acts of its congress were
overset by the decisions of its courts, 1t
accepts anew the duty of leading in the
work of progress and REFORM" its caught
criminals are permitted 10 escape through
contrived delays or actual connivance in the
prosecution Honeycombed with corup-
ton ,outbreaking exposures no longer shock
its moral sense. Its honest members, It's
Independent journals no longer maintain a
successful contest for authority In its coun
ellis or veto upon bad nominations That
change is necessary is proved by an exist
ing surplus of more than $lO0OOO,0OO
which has yearly been collected from 4
suffering people. Unnecessary taxation
is unjust taxation. We denounce the Re
publican party for having failed to relieve
the people from crushing war taxes which
have paralyzed business, crippled industry
and deprived labor of employment and o
Just reward The Democracy pledges II
self to purify the administration from cor
rutpion, TO restore economy, to revive re
spect for law and TO reduce taxation To tn
lowest limit consistent with due regard t
the preservation of the faith of the natiol
70 its creditors and pensioners.
THE TARIFF PLANk
Knowing full well, however, that legiS
la,;,p .fartinU tho operatioDs pf the ppo