Daily Los Angeles herald., 1884-09-16
POLITICAL
rhe I,rmoern,le rIatforu,.


The Democratic party OF the Union. through
It's representatives ia National Convention rs
aembled. recognizes that as the nation grows
Older new issues arc born Of time and progress
and old issues perish, but the fundamental prin
riples Of the democracy. approved By the united
voice Of the people. remain, and will ever remain,
~ the best and oniy security for the continuance
Of free government; the preservation a personal
rights The equality Of all citizens before the law
the reserved rights Of the States and the 81.
premaey Of the he lerai Government within TIE
limits Of tho Constitution, Will tfef form the
rue basis Of our liberties and can mover be sur
rendered without destroying that halsNee ~
rights and postrs which enables cohtiroht 70
be developed In peace aud social order and 70 be
maintained by means Of LEGAL self gotfiHmaht.
But II is T. dlspensable for the practical apriea
tion and enforcement Of these fundamental piii-
cipes that the Government should not always "
controlled by Que political party. Frequent
change of administration : Il ~ necessary as con
slant recurrence 10 the popular "ill otneisiise ,i
abusos grew and the Government instflilneu'aiity
is used Tor imposing heavy burdens O, .he @ many
who are governed for tho benefit Of the lew VINO
govern. Public servants thus bcoome arbitrary
rulers This is now the condition OF the eonn-
Try; hence change Is demanded.
The Republican party, 10 lar ~ prino9io y
concerned.
an organization for enrichng those who control
lts machinery, Tho ffauas and Iobbery which
have been 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 tho long
possession of power, have sucnumbed 10 its cor
rupting influence and have placed IN nomination
a ticset against whch the independent portion
OF the party are In open revolt Therefore
change i demanded. such change was alike
Int tna will af fha naDulp Q,tA
then defeated by y 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 m .noy contributed By unscru 1ul Jus
contractors and shameeas jObbers who hod bar
gained for unawful profits OF for high office.
Tho Republican party, during itr legal, it'
stolen and Its bought Of po scr, hasstaadi
ly decayed In moral character and policical ca
pacIty. It's platform promises are now list o.
Its past failures Il demands the restoration OF
our navy. 1t has squanderod hundreds Of mil.
lions TO create navy that does not exist. IL
calls upon Congress remove the burdens under
which American shipping has boen depre sed. u
imposed and has confirmed those burdens. ~
processes a preference for free institutions. II
organized and tried to legalxe control Of State
elections by Federal troops. II processes de-
sire to elevate labor IL has subjected American
workingmen TO the competition OF convict ana
imported contract labor. II professors gr utndo
TO all who we're disabled or died In the war, cav
ing widows and orphans. II left to u Democratic
House OF Representatives the first effort 70
oquaiyo both bounties and pensions. II pronaf
ed q 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 cciit. IL pro
fes-es the protection Of Amarican manufacturers.
II has subjected them to an increasing Hood OF
manufactured good and hopeless competition
with manufacturing nations, not one oi which
taxes raw materials II processes TO prof, Ct all
| American industries. II has Impoverished many
to subsdize few. II processes the protection of
| American labor has depleted the returns OF
| Am rican agrieutur : an industry followed BY
halt our people, processes the equality Of all
citizens before the law. Attempting to nix the
status OF colored citizens. the Acts OF Its Con-
gress were overset by tn. decisions Of its courts
| Its caught criminals are permitted to escape
through contrived delays CT actual connivAnce In
the prosecution uoneycombed with corruption,
outrageous exposures no longer shock It's moral
sense. Its honest members and Its independent
| journals no longer maintain successful contest
for authority in its connsols or . veto on bad
nominations.
That change is necessary Is proved By an OK
| isting aurplus Of more than $l10U00,01l, which
| has yearly been collected from a suffering peo
| pie. Unnecessary taxation is unjust taxation
We depounce the Republican party for having
failed to relieve the people from the crushing wal
taxes, which hayo paraiyzed business, crippled
industry asd deprived labor of employment ant
| OF It's Just reward.
| The Democracy pledges itself 30 purify TIE Ad
ministraiion 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 te
| its creditors and its pensioners, knowing full
well, however, that Legislation affecting the vel
| fare Of the people should be cautious and con
servative in method, not in advance of public
opinion, but responsive TO Its demands
The Democratic party is pledged to revise the
tariff In a spirit of fairness TO all interests but
in making reduction in taxes II is not proposed
to iDjure any domestic industries, but rather to
promote thcif healthy growth From the foun-
dntion Of this Government, taxes collected at the
custom house haS o been the chief source OF Fed
eral revei te, and such they must continue to be.
Moreover, many industries have come to rely up
ON Legislation for their successful continuance, 30
that any change Of the law must be at every step
regardfnl of the labor aud capital thus involved
The process of reform must be subject to the exe-
cution Of this plain dictate OF Justice All taxa
tion shall be limited to the requirements VI an
economical Government. The necessary reduc-
tion in taxation can and must be effected with
out depryng American labor of the ability TO
compete successfully with foreign lab 4, and
without imposing lower rates OF duty than will
be ample to cover any increased cost OF produc-
tion which may exist In cou equence of the
higher rate Of wages prevailing in this country
Sufficient revenue to pay all the expenses OF the
Federal Government, economically administere1.
including pensions and 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
| tioles Of luxury and bearing ghtest on articles
| of necessity. We therefore denounce the abuses
OF tho oxis ing tariff and subject to these lmi-
| tations, we domand that Federal taxation shall
be exclusively for public purposes and shall not
exceed the needs of the Government, economi-
caly Administered.
The system OF direct taxation known as the
internal revenue is a war tax and 50 long az the
law continues the duty derived therefrom should
be sacredly devoted TO the rsliei Of the peoplo
from the remaining burdens of the war and be
made fund to efray the expense Of the care
and comfort Of worthy soldiers disablGt in the
line OF duty In the wars OF the republic and for
the payment OF sucn pc sions Congress may
from time to time grant to snch soldiers, like
fund for the sailors having been already provid-
ed, and any surplus should be paid into the
Treasury.
We favor an American continental policy,
based on more intimate commercial and political
North, Central and South America, but entanging
alliance with mono.
We believe in honest money, the gold and sill
yer coinage, and Of the cultivation and c rculI-
ton OF m dium convertible into such money,
without oss.
Asserting the equality of all men before the
law, we hold that 1t Is the duty OF the Govern
ment in its dealings with the people to meto out
equal and exact justice to hll citizeHs, Of what.
ever nativity race, color or persuasion religious
or political,
We believe In free ballot aud fair count.
and We recall to the memory OF the people the
noble struggle Of the Democrats in the Forty
fifth and torty-sixth Congresses, by which re
luctant Republican opposition was compelled 10
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 to citizens previously
resident therein.
We oppose sumptuary laws, which vcx the citi.
zen and interfere with individual liberty.
We favor honest civil service reform, the COM
pensaton of all United States officers by fixed
| salaries, the separation o Church and state and
the diffusion of free education by common sGho Is
so that every chilh in the land may he taug ht the
ri4hts and duties Of citizenship.
While We favor all legislation which will tend
to the equitable distribution OF properly, to tine
prevention OF monopoly aud to the strict en-.
foreemeut OF individual rights against corporate
abuses, we mold that the welfare OF society de
pends on scrupnlous regard for the rights OF
property as defined by law. We believe that la
Dor Is best rewarded whs re 10 Is freest anA most
enlightened, II should be fostcred 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 bo increased
and OF all such legislation as will tend to en-
tighten the people to the true relations of
capital and labor.
We believe that the public lands ought, as far
az possible, to be kept as homesteads for actual
settlers; that all unearned lands herct fore i'm
providently granted 10 railroad corporations by
the action OF the Repub lean party, should he
restored to the public domain and no more
grants shall be made TO corporations, or be allow
ed to fall into the owner.hip OF alien absentees
We are opposed to all propositions which, up
on any pretext, would convert the general Gov
ernmeHt into machine toT the colcc ion of tax
es to be distributed amoug the States OF the cili
9eus thereof.