The Democratic press. [volume] (Ravenna, O. [Ohio]) 1868-1901, 1884-07-17

has continued these burdens. 1t processes the
holdings by actual Settlers. It has given
away the peoples heritage. till now a few
railroads and nonresident aliens, in
diyidual and corporate, possess larger
area than that of all our farms between the
seas 1t processes preference for free in
stitutions. 1t organized and tried to legalize
q control of State elections by federal troops.
1t processes a desire to elevate labor: it has
subjected the American workingmen to the
competition of convict and imported contract
labor. 1t processes gratitude to all disabled
who were in the war, leaving widows and
orphans; IL left to Democratic House
equalize both bounties and pensions.
1t proffers q pledge to correct the
OF }b our tss Own tac crfaee1 aha
sion confessed the need of more than twenty
per cent. reduction; its Congress gave re,
duction of less than four per cent. 1t professed
the protection of American manufacturers;
1t has subjected them to an increasing flood
of manufactured goods, and hopeless COM
petition with manufacturing nations, not
one of which taxes raw materials. 1t pro-
fesses to protect all American industries;
few. 1t processes the protection of American
labor; 1t has depleted the returns OF American
agriculture, an industry followed by half our
people. 1t professes the equality of all men
before the law attempting to fix the status
of colored citizens, the acts of its Congress
were overset by the decisions of its courts.
1t accepts anew the duty of leading on the
work of progress" Its caught criminals are
permitted to escape through cOntrived delays
honeycombed with corruption. Outbreaking
exposures no longer shock the moral sense;
its honest members its independent journals.
no longer matntain successful contest for
authority in its councils, or q veto upon its
ba nominations. That a change is necessary
is proven by an existing surplus of more than
SlU,OOOOO0, which has yearly been collected
from suffering people. Unnecessary taxa
tiOn is unjust tn xatiOn. We denounce the Re-
publican party for having failcd to relieve the
people from crushing war taxes, which have
paralyZed business, crippled indu stry, and de-
prived 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 the
law. and to reduce taxation to the lowest limit
consistent with due regard to the preserva-
tiOn of the faith Of the Nation to its creditors
and pensioners. knowing full well, however,
that legislation affecting the occupations of
tive in method. not in advance of public
opinion, but responsive to its demands, the
Democratic party is pledged to revise the
But in making a reduction in taxes it is not
proposed to iniure any of the domestic in
grawth. From the foundation of this Gov.
er1ment taxes collected at the custom house
have been the chief source Of Federal rev.
enue, Such they must continue. Moreover,
many industries have come to rely upon lcgis-
lation for successful continuance, so
that any change Of law law must must b" at every
thus involved. The process of reform
must be subject in the execution to the
p3ln dictates OIL juStlCe. All taxation snail De
limited to the requirements of an economical
Government. The necessary reduction in tax
alton can and must be effected without de-
priving American labor of the ability to COM
pete successfully with foreign labor, and with~
out imposing lower rates of duty than will bo
ample to cover any increased cost of prOduo-
ton which may exist In consequence of the
higher rate of wages prevailing iS this coun-
try. Sufficient revenue to pay all the expenses
OF the Federal ,', Government, economcaly ad;
principal OF the public debt, can he got
under our present system of taxation, from
custom house taxes or fewer imported arti-
cles. bearing heaviest on articles of luxury,
and bearing lightest on the articles of ncces-
sity. We therefore deuounce the abuse of the
existing tariff, and subject to the proceeding
limitations, we demand that federal taxation
shall be exclusively for public purposes, and
shall not exceed the needs of the government
economically administered. The system
of direct taxation known as the internal
revenue" is tax, and so long as
the law continues, the money derived there
from should be sacrcdly devoted to the
relief of the neOplo from tho remaining bur.
deas OF ths war, and he made fund to defray
thy soldiers disabled in the line of duty in the
wars OF tho Republic. and for the pasment of
such pensions as Congress may from time to
the sailors having been already provided,
and any surplus should be paid into the treas
We favor an American continental policy,
based upon more ultimate commercial and
political relations with the fifteen sister Re-
but an entangling alliance with mono.
We believe in honest money, the gold and
silver coinage Of the constitution, and q pif@
eItsstng msaum 9onyertahne fh 1 IN sIGh money
men before the law, we hold that it is in the
duty Of the Government in its dealings with
the people. to mete out equal and exact JUS
tice to all citizens of whatever nativity. race,
color, or persuasion, religious Qp political
We believe IN z Fl free @ ballot and 8 M fair count
the noble struggle OF the Democrats in
the Forty-fifth and Forty sixth Congresses by
which reluctant Republican opposition was
compelled to assent to legislation, making
everywhere illegal the presence of troops at
the polls as conclusive proof that a Demo-
with order The selection of Federal ottcera
tor the Territories should be restricted to
pitizens previously residents therein.
We oppose sumptuary laws which VeX the
eltizens and Interfere with individual liberty,
We favor honest civil service reform, and
the compensation OF all United States of
doers be fixed salaries. The separation
of church and State, and the diffusion OF free
education by the common schools, SO that
every child In the land may be taught the
favor all legislation which will tend to the
equitable distribution of property, the pre-
forcement of individual rights against corpq,
rate abuses,. we hold that the welfare of So
eiety depends upon scrupulous regard for
believe thnt labor is best rewarded where
u 10 freest ana most enlightened. Ii SHOULD
fhRrefOr6 le fOStereu ana cherished. We favor
the repeal OF all laws restricting the free action
of labor, and the enactment of laws by which
labor organizations may be Incorporated and
OF all such legislation us will tend to enlighteQ
the people as to tho true relations of capital
and labor. We believe that the public lands
ought, as far as possible, to be kept as home
steads for actual settlers; that all unearned
lands heretofore tmprOVldently granted to
railroad corporations by the action of the Re-
publican party should be restored to the pub
, lie domains. and that no more grant Of lands
shall be made to corporations or be allowed to
fall into the ownership of alien absentees.
We are opposed to all proportions which upon
any preteAt you'd convert the general gov
ernment into machine for collecting taxes
. TO be distributed among the States or the citi-
zens thereof, g..s .
In reaffrming the declaration of the Demo.
cratic platform of 1856, that 1.-THE liberal prin.
ciples embodied by Jefferson in the Declara-
ton OF Independence. and sanctioned in the
liberty and the asylum of the oppressed of
every nation, have ever been the cardinal
principles In the Democratic faith" We new
ertheless do not sanction the importation of
races. untitled by habits, training. religion
or kindred for absorption into the great body
of our people. or for the citizenship which our
laws confer. American civilization demands
t9at against the Immigration or Importation
pf Mangolians to these shores our gates shall
he closed. I.sl r..
The Democratic party insists that is the duty
OF tnls Gpyernment to protect with equal
ndehty and vigilance the rights OF its citizens,
native and natQralized, at home aud abroad,
and to the end that this protection may be
assured, United States papers OF naturali2a-
lon ISSUED by courts of competent juris-
alcglqn, must be respected by the Executive
and Legislative departments OF our own Gov
ernment, and by ali foreign powers. 1t Is an
imperative duty Of this Government To eta4