Los Angeles daily herald., 1884-10-15
POLITICAL


and old ISSUES perish, but the fundamental pflu
oiples Of the Democracy. approved By the united
voice Of the people, remain. and viii ever remain
as the best aud only security tor the continuance
of free government. the preservation Of personal
rights. the equality Of all citizens before the law
the reserved rights Of the state. and the su-
premhcy Of tho Feieral Government within the
limits Of the Constitution Vill csur form the
true basis Of our liberties and can never be sur.
rendered without destroying that balance ut
rights and powers which enables a contiroht 70
be developed In peace and SOCIAL order ana 70 he
maintained by means of local self government.
But II i. H. disponsable for the isacticd aprhea
ton and enforcement " these fundamental pm
cipies that the Government should not always be
controlled By one political party. Frequent
change Of administrator IL as necessary "a con
slant recurrence u the popular will. Otherwise
abuses grow and the Government fundamentally
il used Tor imposing heavy burdens on the many
Wh1 are governed for the benefit oi the lew Who
govern Public servants thus become arbitrary
rulers This il nov the condition Of the c1un-
try. hence a change Ia demanded.
Tho Republican party, ~ far ~ principle II
concerned, Is "reminiscences. In practice, u IL
an organization for onrching those who control
it. machinery The frauds and jObbery which
have been brought TO light In every department
Of the Government are sufficient TO have called
Tor reform within the Republican party, yet
those in authority, made reckless by the long
possession ut power, nave alGfnlHhD1 u It's cor
rupting influence and have placed ~ termination
n tcset against which the iudep ndcut portion
OF the party arr IN open revolt. Therefore a
change IN demanded. such change was alike
necessary IN 1870 but the will Of the people was
thon defeated by a fraud which can never be for
gotten or c0ndoned, Again In 1850 the change
demanded by the people was defeated bt the
lavish u-r Of money contributed bj unscruHulous
contractors and shameless i1bhcrs who had bar
gained for unlawful profits or Tor high Office.
-
stolen and Its bought teuures Of poser, has atead
ly dccayed In moral character aud policical ca
pacity. lts platform promises are now list o.
It's past failures. II demands tho restoration OF
or navy. II has squiHdured hundreds OF NH
Hons to create navy that does not exist IL
calls upon Congress remove tho burdens under
which American shipping has been depressed. IL
imposed aud has confirmed those burdens 10
Processes preference for free Institutions 1t
organized and tried to egalile control Of State
| elections by FodorAl troops II proiesscs de
| sire 10 elevate labor II has subjected American
worldngmon to the competition Of convict and
| imported contract labor. II processes gratitude
| to all who were disabled died Ia the war lCaN
| ng widows and orphans II left TO "A Democratic
| House OF Representatives the first effort 70
equ ,lize both bounticH aud pensions. II Proier
| ed pledge to correct the irregularities OF our
| tariff II created anI has continued them Its
| own Tariff Commission confessed the need OF
| more than 20 per cent. reduction. Its Congress
CAV a reduction Of lussthnn per cent, IL pro.
| les es the protection Of Amarican manufacturers.
| II has subjected them to an Increasing Hood of
ma ruiaotured goods a hopeless competition
with manufacturing nations. not one OF which
| aAos raw materials IL processes TO prot ct all
American Industries. II has impoverished many
TO ,ubsidize few. II PROCESSES the protection OF
| American labor v has depleted the returns Of
Am rcan agriculture, an industry followed by
| half our people Processes the equality uf all
cit 1ens before the law. Attempting to tix the
status OF colorod citizens, the Acts of Its Con
grcss were Ovcrset by tin decisions OF its courts.
Its caught criminals arc permitted to uHcape
through contrived delays actual conniYancu in
| the prosecution, HOneycombed W. tn corruption,
| outrageous exposures no longer shock its moral
| sense. Its honest members aud it, Independent
| Journals no longer maintain successful contest
| Tor authority In its connsels or veto on bad
nominations.
| That q change Is necessary h proved by AL eX,
isting surplus OF more than sl000OO.O0l, which
has yearly been collected from suffering PEG
pie. Unnecessary taXntiOn Is unjust taxation.
We denounce the Republican party tor having
failed to relieve tho people from the crushing wal
taxes, which kaye paraiyaed business, crippled
industry and deprived labor OF employ ment aud
| Of II, ust reward.
The Democracy pledges itself to purity the Ad-
mllistraion from c1rruption to restore economy
TO revive respect for law. and 10 reduce taxation
to the lowest limit consistent with a due regard
to the preservation Of tho faith Of the nation to
its creditors and it4 pensioners, knowing full
well, however, that legislation affecting the wei
fare OF the people should he cautious and con.
sentative In method not IN advance OF public
opinion, but responsive to its demands.
The democratic party il pledged TO revise the
tariff In spirit OF fairness to all interests, hut
In making a reduction in taxes II is not prDpo 'ed
to injure any domestic industries but rather Ia
promote their healthy growth From the fOuu-
dsiion OF this Government, taxes collected Mt the
ctst0m.house have been the chief source Of Fed
ern reyei tie, and such they must continue TO be.
Moreover. many indust rits have come TO rely up
on Legislation Tor their successful continuance, so
that any change Of the law must be at every step
regardiul OF the labor and capital thus involved
The process OF reform must be subject to the exc.
Cuton Of this plain dictate OF Justice, All taxa
ton shall be limited to the requirements OF an
economical Government The necessary reduc-
ton in taxation can aud must he effected with
out depriving American labor Of the ability Ia
compete successfully with foreign labor. and
without imposing low rates OF duty than will
be ample to cover any increased cost OF prOduc'
ton which may exist In consequence OF the
higher rate OF wages prevailing In tins country
sufficient revenue TO pay all tho expenses Of the
Federal Government, economically administered
including pensions ana Interest and principal Of
the pbblic debt, can be got under our present
system Of taXation from custom-house taxes on
fewer imported articles, bearing heaviest on ar
ticles ef luxury and bearing highest articles
| OF necessity We therefore dcuuunce the abuses
OF the cSis ing tariff. and. subject TO these lmi
tttons, we demand that Federal taxation sha
nc exclusively IhE lhlhilf IIotth anu NINu Hol
exceed the needs OF the Government, ecOnom
cally administered.
The system OF direct taxation known ~ thu
internal revenue lisa war tax and 81 long the
law continues the duty derived therclrOm should
he sacredly devoted to the r lief OF the reoplt
from the remaining burdens OF the war and be
mi,de u fund to oetrny the expense ~ the cart
and comfort of worthy soldiers disabled in tbs
line Of duty in the wars Of thu republic aud foI
the payment Of sucn pc SLOWS as Congress MAY
frpu nm a time t4gl apl,iprs lil
fund for the sailors haN hcen already prOvd
eli, and ANY surplus sipuid he paid into the
Treasury.
We favor an American continental polic,.
based ON more intimate continental ant political
relations with the fifteen sister republics 81
North, Central aud South America, but entanginl
alliance with none
We believe in honest money the gold and all.
Yer coinage, and OF the cultivation and crcula
ton OF n m dunn convertible into such money
without oss
Asserting the equality Of all men before the
| law, we hold that it is the duty al the Govern
ment in its dealings with the people TO mete out
equal and exact Justice to all citizens, OF what
ever nativity. race color or persuasion, religion,
| or political
We believe in free ballot and "a fair count
| and We recall to the memory of the people the
| ohle struggle OF the Democrats in the Forty
nth and Forty sixth Congresses, by which re-
luctant Republican opposition was compelled u
| assent to legislation making everywhere illegal
the presence OF troops at the polls, the con
! elusive proof that "A Democratic administration
| wiilpeservc liberty with order.
The election OF Federal officers for the Terri
Dries should he restricted TO citizens previously
resident therein.
We oppose sumptuar, laws which vex the citi-
zen and Interfere with individual liberty.
We favor honest civil service reform, the com.
pcnsatiou OF al United States officers hN fixed
salaries, the separation nj Church and state and
the diffusion Of Tree education by common scioals,
that every child in the lard may he taug lat the
ri.hts and duties OF citizenship.
| While we favor all legislation which will tend
to the equitable distribution OF property, In the
prevention Of monopoly and To the strict en-,
ioreement of individual rights against corporate
| abuses, we mold that the welfare OF society de.
ponds on Il scrupulous regard for the rights OF
property as defined by law. We believe that Ia
Dor is best rewarded VIII IL it is frecst ans most
enlightened II should he fOstcrrd 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 he Increases
and of all such legislation AS will tend TO en-
tighten the people as to The true rotations Of
capital and labor,
Wcbeleye that the pub e lands ought. as far
As possible, to be kept as h0mcsteads Tor actual
settlers; that all unearn,d lands heretofore i'm
proyidently granted to railruld corporations by
the action Of tie Kepuh lean party, should be
restored to the public domain and no mre
grants shall be made to corporations or be alu
ed 10 fall into the owner.hip Of alien abscntees
We are opposed TO all propositions which, up
on any preteNt, would convert the general GOV
eminent into machine toI the collection OF tax
Is to he distributed among the states or the eli.
zens thereof.
In effect the declaration OF the Democratic plat
! form of 1856 that THE liberal principle Gu
bodied by jefferson in the Declaration oi hide
| peudvuce and sauctt ned in the Constitution,
! which make ours the land OF liberty and the asy
lum OF the oppres, ed Of every nation, have ever
been the Cardinal principles in the democratic