Daily Los Angeles herald., 1884-09-25
POLITICAL.
The Democratic PLATFORM.

The Democratic Platform.
The Democratic party Of the Union, through
its representatives 10 National Convention A.
ssmbleJ. recognizes that as the nation grow,
older new issues are born Of time and progres'
and old issues perish, but the fundamental prin
oiples Of the Domocraey. approved by the unite,
voice Of the people. remain. and will ever remain
~ the best and only security for the continuance
Of free government; the preservation Of personal
rights. the equality Of all citizens before the law
the reserved rights OF the States and the 81
premacy Of the Federal Government within The
limits Of the Constitution, will ever form the
| true basis Of our liberties and can never be sur
/ rendered without destroying that balapee Of
| rights and powers which enables ocnlineDt u
| be developed In peace and social order and to be
| maintained By means Of local self government.
Bat II u Indispensable for the practical apphca
ton and enforcement Of these fundamental prin.
| cples that the Government should not always %
controlled by cue political party. Frequent
| change OF administration Is as necessary as con
slant occurrences 10 the popular viii. Otherwise
abuses grew ard the Oovernm ent fundamentally
IL used Tor Imposing heavy burdens on the many
who are governed for the benefit OF the lew who
govern Public servants thus become arbitrary
rulers. This lie now the condition OF inc coun'
try; hence a change Ia demanded
The Republican party ~ FAR NJ principle u
concerned, lisa TenBlseencc. In Practice, II IL
an Organization for onrlehlng these who control
lie machinery, The frauds and jobbery which
have been brosght 10 light In every department
OF the Government are sufficient 10 have called
for reform within the Republican party, yet
those In authority. made reckless BY tho long
possession OF power, have succumbed 10 its cor
| ruptlng Influence and have placed In nomination
ticsst against which tho Independent portion
| " the party are In open revolt. Therefore q
| change Il demanded. Such change was alike
necessary In 1875, but the will OF the people was
then defeated by fraud which can never be for
gotten or condone1 Again In 1880 the change
demanded by the people was defeated by the
lavish use OF money contributed by unsefu puletis
contractors and shameless Jobbers, who had bar
gHined for unlawful profits or for high office.
THE Republican party, during It's legal, It's
stolen and It's bought tsnures Of power, has steadi
| ~ decayed In moral character and policical ca
pacity. Its platform promises are now q list OF
Its past failures. II demands the restoration OF
our navy. II has squandercd hundreds Of mil
| lions 10 create navy that does not exist. 1t
| calls upon Congress b. remove the burdens under
| which American shipping has been depressed. II
imposed and has continued those burdens. II
| processes preference for free institutions. 10
organized and tried 10 legalize control Of State
elections by Federal troops. IL processes dc.
sire 30 elevate labor. II has subjected American
workingmen to the competition Of convict and
imported contract labor IL Processes gratitude
10 VINO were ul5hbleu or uieu IN tnt war lchN-
ing widows aud orphans. II left TO a Democratic
House Of Representatives the first effort 10
| equalize both bolintes and pensions. II prOffer
cd pledge 10 correct the Irregularities Of our
tariff, 1t created ana has continued them. its
own Tariff Commission confessed the need ol
| more than 20 per cent. reduction. Its Congress
gave a reduction OF less than per cent. IL pro
fesses the protection Of Amarican manufacturers
II has subjected them to an increasing Hood Of
manufactured goods hopeless competition
nj
taxes raw materials. II Processes to protect al
American industries. II has Impoverished mani
to subsdize a few. II Processes the protection Of
American labor u has depleted the returns Of
Am rican agricuisrs, an industry followed by
half our people. Processes the equality Of al
citizens before the law. Attempting TO fix the
status Of colored citizens, the Acts Of Its Con
gress were oyerset by tn, decisions Of It's courts
It's caught terminals are permitted TO escape
| through contrlvod delays or actual eonnivance In
the prosecution. Honeycombed with corruption
outrageous exposures no longer shock It's mora
sense. 1ts honest members and Its Independent
journals no longer maintain successful contest
Tor authority In its conDsels or veto on bad
nominations.
That a change IL necessary is proved by an ex
lsting surplus Of more than 800, 200, 900, which
has yearly been collected from suffering peo
pie. Unnecessary taxation Is unjust taxation
| We denounce the Republican party for having
failed TO relieve the people from the crushing wal
| taxes, which have paraiyzcd business, crippled
industry and deprived labor Of employment ant
Of It's Just reward. .
The Democracy pledges itself to purify the Ad
ministraiion from corruption, to restore economy
TO revive respect for law, and TO reduce taxation
| TO the lowest limit consistent with due regart
TO the preservation OF the faith Of the nation Il
It's creditors and It's pensioners, knowing full
| well, however, that legislation affecting the wei
| fare Of the people should be cautious and con
| sentative In method not In advance OF publ,
| opinion, but responsive TO Its demands.
The Democratic party Is pledged TO revise the
tariff In spirit of fairness to all interests hut
In making reduction In taxes IL Is not propo,e d
TO injure any domestic industries but rather u
promote their healthy growth From the foun
dalton OF this Government, taxes collected at the
custom house have been the chef source Of Fed
| eral revof ue and such they must continue to be.
| Moreover. many industries have come TO rely up
on legislation for their successful continuance, nc
| that any change Of the law must be at every step
| regardfu Of the labor and capital thus involved
The process Of reform must be subject TO the exc
cution Of this plain dictate of justice, All taxa.
| tion shall be limited to the requirements of an
| economical Government The necessary reduc-
| tion In taxation can and must be effected with
| out depriving American labor of the ability "a
| compete successfully with foreign labor, and
without imposing lower rates of duty than will
| be ample to cover any increased cost OF produc-
| ton which may exist Ia 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 aud principal VI
| the pbblic debt, can be got under our present
system OF taxation from custom. house taxes on
fewer imported articles, bearing heaviest on at
ticlos Of luxury and bearing lightest on articles
OF necessity We therefore denounce the abuses
| of the existing tariff, and, subject to these llmi.
| tations, we demand that Federal taxation shall
be exclusively for public purposes and shall not
| exceed the needs Of the Government, econom
| cally administered.
The system of direct taxation known as the
| internal revenue IL q war tax and 10 long as the
law continues the duty derived therefrom should
be sacredly devoted to the relief Of the people
| from the remaining burdens of the war and be
made 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 such pensions as Congress may
| from time to time grant TO such soldiers, a 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
| relations with the fifteen sister republics OF
| North, Central and South America, but ENHANCING
alliance with none
We believe in honest money the gold and sill.
yer coinage, and OF the cultivation and circula-
ton of a M dium convertible into such money,
without loss.
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 niete out
equal and exact Justice to all citizens, of what
ever nativity, race, color or persuasion, religious
or political
We believe In free ballot and 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 a re-
luctant Republican opposition was compelled to
assent to legislation making everywhere illegal
the presence of troops at the polls, IS the con-
elusive proof that Democratic administration
will preserve liberty with order.
Tnnn al, at Eal,. A.
tories should be restricted to citizens previously
resident therein.
We oppose sumptuary laws, which vex 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 taught 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 TO the strict en-
forcement Of individual rights against corporate
abuses, we hold that the welfare of society lie.
ponds on a scrupnlous regard for the rights of
property as defined by law. We believe that la.
Dor Is best rewarded whore It Is freest and most
enlightened, II should be fOstered 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 increased
and OF all snch legislation as will tend to ell
tighten the people as to the true rotations of
capital and labor.
We believe that the public lands ought as far
as possible, 10 be kept as homesteads for actual
settlers; that all unearned lands heretofore i'm.
providently granted TO railroad corporations by
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 to fall into the ownership OF alien absentees
We are opposed TO all propositions which. up.
ON any pretext, would convert the general Gov.
ernmeht into n machine fol this collection of tax.
es to be distributed amoug the States OF the eiti.
zens thereof.
In effect the declaration Of the Democratic plat
form OF 1855 that "ThG liberal principle en-.
bodied by Jefferson in the Declaration Of indie
pendence and sanctioned In the Constitution,
which make ours the land of liberty and the asy-
lum of the oppressed of every nation" have ever
been the cardinal principles in the Democratic
faith. We, nevertheless, ds not sanction the i'm.
portation of foreign labor or the admission of
servile races, unhtted by habits, training religi.
on or kindred, Tor absorption into the great bldy
OF our people, or for the citizenship which our
laws confer American civilization demands