Port Tobacco times, and Charles County advertiser. (Port Tobacco, Md.) 1845-1898, 1884-07-18
The Platform.

In another column. we lay before our
readers the full text of the plat form adopt
ed by the recent Democratic national con-
vention. In the dual duty which devolv-
ed upon the convention, the formation and
adoption of platform of principles Was
not secondary in point of Importance to
the nomination of candidates. In both
respec,s we believe the convention has
done its work wisely and well.
The platform, though exceeding in its
length the customary declarations Of poll
teal conventions, is not encountered with
useless verbiage or meaningless redundan-
cy, but is pregnant with well stated prin-
ciples and truths in its every paragraph
and is good English all the way through
1t is a clear and elaborate statement cf the
great and indestructible principles which
give life and vitality to the Democratic
party of to-day, and should be carefully
read by every Democratic voter as a cor
rect exposition thereof. Its exce'lences
become more apparent by careful study,
and especially so when read in COMPARE
son with the meaningless equiv ocation
and duplicity of the weak document put
forth by the late Republican convention.
Its arrangement of the Republican party
is we'll conceived, we'll expressed and
frnfbf,l fbro,rbouf Tho rroot ouoetio
OF tariff reform, which Republicans have
so hopefully pointed to as the rock upon
which the party would split, is handled
with consummate ability. This plank
evinces happy blending ofjudgment and
tact, courage and honesty. While making
every proper concession to the protection
element of the party, it isyet consistent in
all its paris and clear and unequivocal
enunciation of the principle that tariff
taxation must be limited to the necessities
of the Government, economically admins
tered. 1t will not fall SO harshly upon
the ear of the manufacturer as the terse
tariff for revenue only" but at the same
time it gives to the consumer satisfactory
assurance of greae alienation from the
burdens of tariff taxation. I'VE demand
that federal taxation shall be exclusively for
public purposes and shaN not exceed the needs
Of the Geoernment, ecOno nically administer
3D." This is the Democratic principle
clearly enunciated. With this as the
guiding and primary principle in levylng
tariff taxes, the consuming masses Of the
country will not object to the small class
of manufacturing laborers having the ben
eft fthe protection and increase of wages
resulting from it, provided their employ
ers will let them have it. OF the 'sinter-
nal revenue" tax, the platform justly says
that it is war tax, but it clearly repudi-
ates Randall's policy Of abolishing that
tax because the war is over, and properly
says that it should be devoted to the relief
of the people from the remaining burdens
of the war.
The Evolutionary financial principles of
the party are reafflrmed: It's opposition to
sumptuary laws declared: its advocacy Of
free pub ic education of the masses, its
recognition of the laboring mans rights
and, at the same time, the Law of private
property, and its insisance upon the pre-
servation and honest dis 'ribution of the
public lands are affirmed. The importa-
the interest Of American civilization
The prompt and adequate protection of
our naturalized citizens in foreign cnun-
tries is insisted upon, and the mischievous
policy of the Republican party, which has
worked the destruction of our merchant
marine, is pointed out and the remedy in
dictated; and, after referring to other mat