The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1884-07-17
PLATFORM.
FULL TEXT OF THE NATIONAL DEM,
OCRATIO PLATFORM ADOPTED
AT CHICAGO, JULY 10, i84.
Position Taken on the Tariff
and Other Great Issues
of the Day.


trough its representatives in national +
assembled, recognizes that a
S the nation grows Older and issues z
re born of time and progress old issues +
,erish; but the fundamental princl-
lies of the democracy, approved by q
he united voice of the people remain, =
md will ever remain as the hest and i.
)nly security for the continuance Of
rec government, the preservation OF
personal rights, the equality of all cit
zens before the law, the reserved :
rights of the states and the supremacy =,
11 the federal government within the
limits of the constitution, VIII ever
form the true basis of our iluert;"S,
and can never be surrendered without
DESTROYING that balance of rights AMI |
powers which enables cohtlneut 10
be developed III peace and social Or
der, and to be maintained by means OF
local self-government. Bat it Is liz
dispensable for the practical appiica-
ton and enforcement of these funda-
mental principles that the govern
ment should not always be controlled
by one political party. Frequent
change of administration is as neces-
Sary as constant recurrence to the
popular will, otherwise abuses grow
and the government, instead OF being
carried on for the general welfare, be-
comes an instrumentality for impos-
ing heavy burdens on the many who |
are governed for the benefit of the few |
who govern. Public servants thus |
become arbitrary rulers. This is now
the condition of the country, hence
A CHANGE IS DEMANDED.
The republican party, so far as prin
ciple is concerned, is "Reminiscences in
practice. 1t is an organization for en-
richipg those who control the machin-
ery. The frauds and jobbery which
have been brought to light in every
department 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 its corrupting influences,
and have placed a ticket in nomina-
ton against which the independent
portion of the party are in open re-
volt; therefore, a change is demanded.
Such a change was alike necessary
in 1876, but the will of the people was
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
INSCRIPTIONS contractors and shame
less jobbers, who had bargained for
unlawful profits or for high offices.
The republican party, during its
legal, its stolen ami its bought terms
: of power has steadily decayed in
moral character and political capacity
Its platform promises are now lis;
of its past failures.
1t demands the destruction of oul
navy; it has squandered hundreds Of
: millions to create a navy that does moi
I exist.
II calls on congress to remove the
> burdens under which American ship
} ping has been depressed; it imposed
: and has continued those burdens.
1t processes the policy of reserving
the public lands for small holders b.
: actual settlers; it has given away thu
: peoples heritage till now few rail
S roads and non-residents, aliens, anC
corporations possess larger area thar
that of all our farmers between thu
= two seas.
], 1t processes preference for free in
e situations; it organized and tried t.
G legaliZe control of state elections b.
> federal troops.
1t processes a desire to elevate la
y Dor; it has subjected American work
/ ingmen to the competition OF convic
, and imported contract labor.
;. 1t processes gratitude to all whC
i were disabled or died at war, leaving
l windows and orphans; it left to
, democratic house of representative
:, the first effort to equaliZe both boun
ties and pensions.
t 1t processes a pledge to correct tn
J. irregularities of our tariff; it creates
q and has maintained them.
Its own tariff commission confesse,
. the need of more than 20 per cent
u reduction; its congress gave reduC
: ton of less than per cent.
: 1t processes the protection of Ameri
can manufactures; it has SUBJECTS
them to an increasing flood of manu-
). featured goods and hopeless competi
o ton with manufacturing nations, no
U one of which taxes raw material.
.. 1t processes to protect all American
. Industries; it has impoverished man,
), to substitute few.
e It processes the protection of Ameri
:. can labor; it has depleted the return
!, of American agricultural industr,
i followed by half our people.
e 1t processes the equality of all mel
r before the law, attempting to fix the
+ status of colored citizens; the acts O.
its congress were overridden byth,
. decision of its courts.
e 1t accepts new theory of leading
s in the work of progress and reform
its caught criminals are permitted *
escape through continued delays o.
actual contrivance in the prosecution
( Honeycombed with corruptio n out
e breaking, exposure no longer shocks
: its moral sense its honest members
its Independent journals no Longer
maintain a successful contest for au
l thority in its councils or vet o upon I
r bad nomination.
That changes are necessaryis proved
, by an existing surplus Of $l00C0000C
which has yearly been collected from
: a suffering people. Unnecessary tax.
! alton is unjust taxation. We de
, nounce the republican party for hay
ing failed to relieve the people from
the crushing war taxes which has par
allied business, crippled industry and
deprived labor of employment and OF
just reward.
The democratic party pledges itself
70 purify the administration of cor
tuption: to restore economy; to restore
respect for law and to reduce tax alton
to its lowest limit consistent with a
due regard to the preservation of the
: faith of the nation to creditors and
pensioners, Knowing full well, how
ever, that legislation affecting the oc
equations of the people should be eau
tious in method, not in advance OF
public opinion, but responsive to its
| demands, the democratic party is
pledged to.
REVISE THE TARIFF
in a spirit of fairness to all interested
But, in making reduction of taxes
it is not proposed to injure any do
nestle industries, but rather promote
their healthy growth. From the foun-
dation of this government taxes col
lected at the custom houses have been
the chief source of revenue, and they
must continue to be. Moreover, many
Industries have come to rely upon leg
isIation for successful continuance, so
that any change of law must be at
every step fegardful of labor and cap
| ital thus involved. The process of re-
form must be subject in the execution
to the plain dictates of justic~, that all
taxation shall be limited to the re-
! Quirements of economical government.
The necessary reduction can and must
be effected without depriving Ameri-
1