St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1884-07-26
NATIONAL PLATFORM |
Adopted at Chicago, July 10th,
1884. Official Copy.

Older, new issues are born of time and pro-
gress, and old issues perish. But the funda-
mental principles of the democracy, approved
by the united voice of the people, remain,
and will ever remain, as the best and only
security for the continu ance of free govern
ment. The preservation of personal rights
the equality of all citizens before the law, the
reserved rights of the states, and the suprem-
acy of the federal government within the
limits of the constitution will ever form the
true basis of our liberties, and can never be
surrendered without destroying the balance
of rights and powers which enables a CONT
nent developed in peace and social order
to be maintained by means of self local gov
eminent.
But it is indispensable for the practical APP
plication and enforcement of these fuHda-
mental principles that the government should
not always be controlled by one political par
ty. Frequent change of administration is as
necessary as constant recurrence to the pop
ular will. Otherwise abuses grow, and the
government, instead of being carried on for
the general welfare, becomes an instrument
tally 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.
That is now the condition of the country
Hence a change is demanded. The Repub-
lican party, so far as principle is concerned, is
Renaissance; in practice, it is an organization
enriching those who control the machinery.
The frauds and iobbery which have neen
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 pos
session OF power, have succumbed to its cor
rupting influence, and have placed in nomin-
alton ticket against which the independent
portion of the party are in open revolt.
Therefore change is demanded. Such
change was alike necessary in 1876. but the
will of the people was then defcatedby fraud
which can never be forgotten nor eondoned
Again in 1880, the change demanded by the
people was defeated by the lavish use of
money contributed by INSCRIPTIONS contract
ors aud shameless jobbers 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 decayed in moral character and DO
| litical capacity.
Its platform promises are now list of its
past failures.
| 1t demands the restoration of our navy. 1t
has squandered hundreds of millions to ere
ate navy that does not exist.
| 1t calls upon congress to remove the bur-
dens under which American shipping has
| been depressed 1t imposed and has con-
tinued those burdens.
1t processes the policy of reserving the pub
lie lands for small holdings by actual settl-
ers. 1t has given away the peoples heritage
till now few railroads, and nonresident
aliens, individual and corporate, possess a
larger area than that of all our farms between
the two seas.
| It processes preference for free institu-
| tons. Itorganized and tried to legalize
control of state elections by federal troops.
| 1t processes desire TO elevate labor 1t
has subjected American workingm to the
competition of COZ vict and imported con-
| tract labor.
| 1t processes gratitude to all who were dis
abled, or died in the war, leaving widows
and orphans. 1t left to Democratic house
of representatives the first effort to equalize
both bounties and pensions.
| 1t proffers pledge to correct the irregu-
larities of our tariff 1t created and has coa-
tinued them. Its own tariff commission
confessed the need of more than 20 per cent.
reduction. Its congress gave a reduction of
| less than per cent.
! 1t processes the protection of American
manufactures. 1t has subjected them to an
| increasing flood of manufactured goods and
hopeless competition with manufacturing
- r L. -
| ial.
| 1t processes to protect all American indus
| tries. 1t has impoverished many to subsi-
die few.
| 1t processes the protection of American
labor. 1t has depleted the returns of Ameri
can agricultur-an industry followed by half
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 to escape through
contrived delays or actual connivance in the
/ prosecution. Honeycombed with corruption
outbreaking exposures no longer shock its
moral sense. Its honest members, its indie
pendent journals, no longer maintain a sue
cessful contest for authority in its counsels
or veto upon bad nominations.
| That change is necessary is proved by an
| existing surplus of more than 500, ZOO, 900,
which has yearly been collected from suf-
fering people. Unnecessary taxation is I'M
! just taxation. We denounce the Republ-
can party for having failed to relieve the
people from crushing war taxes which have
| paralyzed business, crippled industry, and
| deprived labor of employment and of Just re-
ward.
The Democracy pledges itself to purify the
administration from corruption, to restore
economy, to revive respect for law, and to
reduce taxation to the lowest limit consistent
with due regard to the preservation OF the
faith of the nation to its lcreditors and pen :
sioners.
Knowing full well, however, that legisla-
| ton affecting the occupations of the people
should be cautious and conservative in meth
| cd, not in advance of public opinion, but re
| spoHsiye to its demands, the democratic party
| is pledged to revise the tariff in a spirit of
fairness to ell interests.
| But in making reduction in taxes ii is not
proposed to iniure any domestic industries,
but rather to promote their healthy growth.
From the foundation of this government
taxes cotleCteu ~ the CUSTOM mouse nave Deen
the chief sourse Of federal revenue. Such
they must continue TO be. Moreover many
industries have come to rely upon legislation
| for successful continuance, 50 that any
change Of law must be at every step regard
/ full of the labor and capital thus involved. The
| process of reform must be subject in the ex-
cutien to this plain dictate of justice.
All taxation shall be limited to the require
ments of economical government. The
necessary reduction in taxation can and
must be effected without depriving nse-ican
labor Of the ability to complete successfully
with foreign labor, and without imposing
lower rates of duty than will be ample to GOV