Daily Los Angeles herald., 1884-09-17
POLITICAL.
The Democrn,,e p,ntform.

But IL Il Indispensable for the practical apvlica
ton and enforcement d these fundamental phn
ciples that the Government should not always NJ
controlled BY one political party. Frequent
change Of administratiol u A. necessary a. con
slant recurrence TO the popular will. othorsae
abuses grew and the Government fundamentally
IL used Tor imposing heavy burdens on the many
who are governed for the benoiit Of the few who
govern. Public servants thus become arbitrary
rulers This " now the condition Of the cOun-
Try; hence change Is demanded.
Tho Republican party, 80 far as principle Is
concerned lsa reniniscence. In practice II Is
an organization fof enriching those Who control
its machinery, The frauds and Jobbefy which
have been brought 20 Hight In cvery departmenl
Of the Government are sufficient 70 hafe called
for reform Within tho Republican party, yet
those IN authority, made reckless By the long
possession Of power, have suecumbcd . its cor
rupting Influence and have placed IN nomination
ticaot against which the Independent portion
OF the party are In open revolt Therefore
change h demanded. Such change was alike
Necessary in 1875. but the Nill Of the people was
then defeated by a fraud which can never be FOR
gotten or condoned Again In 1880 the change
demanded by tho people was defeated by the
lavish use Of money contributed bJ uusctup pulous
contractors aud shameless IObbers who had bar
gained f0r unlawful profits or tor high Office,
The Republican party, during its legal, itI
stolen and its bought tenures Of power, has steadi
y decayod In moral character and poliuical ca.
paclty, Its platform promises are now list ot
our navy. II has squandefcd hundreds Of ml
lions 10 create a navy that does not exist II
calls upon Congress = remove the burdens under
which American shipping has been depressed, IL
imposed and has continued those burdens 10
processes preference for free institutions II
organized and tried to legaxo a control OF State
elections by Federal troops. II Processes u de
sire 10 elevate labor. II has subjected American
workiDgmen to the competition Of convict and
imported contract labor. II Processes gratitude
| In. all oh fliualiau M died In the
Ing widows and orphans. II left TO u Democratic
House OF Representatives the first effort 10
cqualxe both bountios and pensions. II proicr
ed pledge TO correct the irregularities of our
tariff IT created ana has continued them. It's
own Tariff Commission confessed the need Of
more than 20 per cent reduction. Its Congress
gave reduction Of less than per cent II pro-
fesses the protection Of Amarican manufacturers
IL has subjected them TO an Increasing Hood OF
manufactured goods and hopeless competition
with manufacturing nations. not one OF which
taxes raw materials. II processes 10 prot ct all
American Industries. II has impoverished many
TO subsdze few. 1t processes the protection Of
American labor has depleted the returns Of
Am rican agriculture an industry followed by
half our people. processes the equality Of all
citizens before the law. Attempting to fix the
status OF oolorod citizens, the Acts OF Its Con
gress vera oyerset by TIN decisions OF Its courts.
| Its caught criminals are permitted to escape
through contriyed delays CT actual connlyance In
| the prosecution, Honey combed with corruption,
| outrageous exposures no longer shock its moral
sense Its honest members and It's independent
| Journals no longer maintain successful contest
| Tor authority In its eonnsels or veto on bad
| nominations.
That change Is necessary Is proved by an ex
| sting surplus Of more than 100000, 10e, which
| has yearly been collected from suffering poo.
| pe Unnecessary taxation Is unjust taxation,
| We donounce the Republican party for having
| failed to relieve the people from the crushing war
| taxes, which havo paTayzed business, crippled
industry and deprived labor of employment and
| Of Its Just reward.
The Democracy pledges itself TO purify tie Ad.
mDistraiion from corruption, to restore economy
10 revive respect for law, and to reduce taxation
| TO the lowest limit consistent with due regard
TO tho preservation OF the faith OF the nation To
| Its creditors and its pensioners, knowing full
| we'll however that legislation aifoctinR the wei
fare OF the people should be cautious and con
| soryatiye In method, not in advance OF public
opinion, but responsive TO Its demands.
The Democratic party is pledged TO revise the
tariff In q spirit OF fairness to all interests, but
In making reduction in taxes II is not propo Sod
to njure any domestic Industries, but rather 10
promote their healthy growth From the fOun-
| dation OF this Government, taxes collected at the
custom house have been the chief source Of Fed
eral revenue, aud such they must continue TO be.
Moreover, many industries have come to rely up
on legislation for their successful continuance 10
that any change Of the law must be at every step
regardful OF the labor and capital Titus involved
The process OF reform must be subject to the exc
cuiion of this plain dictate OF justice, All taxa
tion shall bo limited to the requirements OF an
economical Government The necessary reduc-
ton IN taxation can aud must be effected with
out deprivlng American labor OF the ability to
compete successfully with foreign lab +. aud
without imposing lower rates OF duty than viii
be ample to cover any Increased cost OF produc-
ton which may exist In consequence Of the
higher rate OF wages prevailing In this country
Sufficient revenue TO pay all the expenses Of the
Federal Government, economically administered,
including pensions and interest and principal OF
| the pbblic debt, can he got under our present
| system OF taxation from custom house taxes on
fewer imported articles, bearing heaviest on ar
| tolos OF luxury and bearing lightost on articles
| Of necessity. We therefore denounee the abuses
Of the exis ing tariff and subject to these limi-
| tations, we demand that Federal taxation shall
be exclusively FOR public purposes and shall not
| exceed the needs of the Government, economi-
cally administered.
The system OF direct taxation known as the
Internal revenue Is war tax and 50 long as the
law continues the duty derived therefrom should
lie sacredly devoted TO the relief OF the people
| from the remaining burdens OF the war and be
made q fund to defray the expense OF the care
and comfort of worthy soldiers disabled IN the
| line OF duty In the wars OF the republic and for
| the payment of sucn pensions as Congress may
| from tim0 TO time grant to such soldiors like
| fund for the sailors having been already provid
cd, and any surplus should be paid Into the
Treasury.
We favor an American continental policy,
based on more intimate commercial and political
relations with the fifteen sister republics OF
North Central and South America, but entangng
alliance with uone.
We believe in honest money the gold and sill
yer coinage, and of the cultivation and c'rcula-
tion OF m dium convertible into such money,
without loss.
Asserting the equality of all men before the
law, we hold that it IL the duty oi the Govern
la IL la
equal and exact Justice to oil citizens OF what.
ever nativity, race, color or persuasion religious
We believe in free ballot and a fair count
and we recall to the memory of the people the
noble struggle OF the Democrats in,the Forty.
| fifth and Forty sixth Congresses, by which re
luctant Republican opposition was compelled to
assent to legislation making everywhere illegal
| the presence of troops at the polls, the con.
| elusive proof that Democratic administration
will preserve liberty with order
The election of Federal officers for the Terri
| tories should be restricted 10 citizens previously
resident therein
We oppose sumptuary laws, which vey the citi.
zen and Interfere with individual liberty
We favor honest civil service reform, the COM
pensation of all United States officers by fixed
salaries, the separation OF Church and state and
the diffusion OF free education by common schools,
so that every child in the land may be tau ht the
Ri hts and duties Of citizenship.
While we favor all legislation which will tend
to the equitable distribution of property, TO the
prevention OF monopoly and 10 the strict en-.
forcement OF individual rights against corporate
abuses we hold that the welfare of society de.
pends on scrupulous regard for the rights OF
property as defined by law. We believe that la
Dor is best rewarded whore It s freoIt an most
enlightened, II should be fostercd and cherish
ed. We favor the repeal OF all laws restoring the
free action of labor and the enactment OF laws
by which labor organizations may be ucrea, cd
and of all such legislation as will tend to EN-
tighten TIE people as to the true rotations OF
capital and labor.
We ebelieve that the public lands ought. as far
as possible, TO be kept as homesteads for actual
settlers; that all uneRrned lands heretofore i'm
providently granted 10 railroad corp iratOns hl
the action of the Repub lean party, should be
restored TO the public domain and no more
grants shall be made to corporations, or be allow.
ed 10 fall into the ownership OF alien abscntees
We are opposed to all propositions which, up.
on any prctext, would convert the general Gov.
ernmeht into machine fot the collection OF tax
cs TO be distributed amoug the States or the oiti
zens thereof
In effect the declaration Of the Democratic plat
form Of 1856 that The liberal principle o n
bodied by Jefferson In the Declaration Of Indie
pendence and sanctioned In the Constitution,
which make ours the land Of liberty aud the asy-
lum OF the oppressed of every nation" have ever
been the cardinal principles in the Democratic
faith. We, nevertheless, do not sanction the i'm
portation OF foreign labor or the admission Of
servile races, untitled by habits training, telig
on or kindred for absorption into the great h.dy
OF our rpeople, or for the citizenship which our
laws confer. American civilization demands
that against the immigration or importation Of
Mongolians to these shores our gates he closed
The Democratic party insi-ts that Is IL the
duty of the Government 60 protect with equal
fidelity and vigilance the rights Of is citizens
native and nattirnlized-at home and abroad
and 10 the end that this protection may be as
sured, the United States papers OF naturalization,
issued by courts OF competent jurisdiction. must
be respected by the exocu i've and legislative de
partmelts Of our own Government and by all
foreign Powers
Il is the imperative duty Of this government
to efficiently protect all the rights OF her sons
anu the property OF every American citizen ia
foreign lands and demand ard enforce ftlll repar-
ation Tor any Invasion thereof. An American