Daily Los Angeles herald. [microfilm reel] (Los Angeles [Calif.]) 1876-1884, 1884-07-20
The democratic PLATFORM

Of free government; the reservation Of personal
rights. the equality OF all citizens before the law
the reserved rights Of thu States and the 81.
premaoy Of the fe ieral Government within the
limits u the conztitution, vii eser form the
true basis Of our liberties and can never be sur
rendered without destroying that balatoe II
rights and po.srs which enables a continent TO
he developed IN peace and social order and 10 be
maintained BY means Of local self goseInmpnt
But u " T. dispensahle for the practical appiies
ton and enforcement Of these fundamental prin.
ciples that the Government should not always he
controlled by one political party. Frequent
change Of administratio is NJ necessary ~ con
slant recurrence 10 the popular will. Otherwise
abuses grew and the Government fundamentally
Is used Tor imposing heavy burdens on the many
who are governed for the benefit Of the few who
govern. Public servants thus become arbitrary
rulers This Is now the condition OF the eoun.
try. hence a change Is demanded.
Tho Republican party, 80 fat Is principle Is
concerned, u reminiscenc In practice, IL IL
an organization for ennching those who control
It's machinery, The frauds and jobbcry which
have been brought TO light In every department
Of the Government sufficient 10 have called
for reform within the Republican party, yet
those IN authority, made reckless BY the long
possession of power, have succumbcd 10 its cor.
fuItlng Influence and have placed In nomination
a ticsct against when the independent portion
OF tho party are In open revolt. Therefore
change Is demanded. Such y change was alike
necessary la 1875, but the will Of the people WAS
then defeated by fraud which can never be for.
gotten or condonoi, Again In 1880 tho change
demanded by the people was defeated by the
lavish use Of money contributed bj unscrupulous
contractors aud shameless JDbbers who had bar.
gained Tor unlawful profits or Tor high Office
The Republican party during ts legal, its
stolen and its bought tenurcs OF poeer has stfadl
| ~ deciyed IN moral character and pollcical Gu
pacity. it, platform promises are now list Of
It's past failures. u demands the restoration OF
our navy. It has squaiidered hundreds OF mil
lions ~ create a navy that does not exist. IL
calls upon Congress- remove the burdens under
which Amoi lean shipping has been depressed II
| Imposed aud has continued those Burdens, %
Processes preference for free institutions. II
organized and tried 10 legallze control OF State
elections By Federal troops. II processes a dc.
sire 10 elevate labor. IL has subjected American
workngmon TO the composition Of convict and
| imported contract labor 1t PROCESSES gratitude
10 all who were disabled or died In the war. lcay
| Ing widows and Orphans. 1t left TO a Democratic
| House Of Representatives the first effort 10
eqn ,lise both bouuties and pensions. II profer
| cd pledge To correct the Irregularities Of our
tariff. II created AMI has continued them Its
own Tariff Commission confessed the need Of
| moro than 20 per cent reduction. Its Congress
gave a reduction Of less than per cent It pro
fes-os the protection Of Amarcan manufacturers
| II 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 to protect all
American industries. II has impoverished many
to subsdize few. II processes the protection OF
American labor Il has depleted the returns OF
An rlcan agriculture, an industry followed by
half our people, 1t processes the equality Of all
citizens before the law. Attempting to tx the
status Of colorcd citizens, tho Acts OF Its Con.
gress vera overset By tn, decisions OF Its courts
its caught criminals are permitted to escape
through nntrived DELAYS CT actual conDivance in
the prosecution. lIOneycombod with corruption,
outrageous exposures no longer shock It's moral
sense. Its honest menbers aud IL. independent
journals no longer maintain successful contest
.s.rtts In to Nata had
nominations.
That change IL necessary Is proved by an ex
listing surplus Of more than sliW 100000, which
has yearly been collected from a suffering peo
pie. Unnecessary taxation II unjust taxation.
We dcnounce tho Republican party for having
failed TO relieve the people from the cru ihing war
taxes. which have paraiyzod business, cripple
industry and deprived labor OF employment and
Of II, jud reward.
The Democracy pledges itself h. purify the Ad-
minstrion from corruption, to restore economy,
10 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 to
It's creditors aud ito pensioners, knowing full
we'll, however. that Legislation effecting the vel
fare Of the people should be cautious and con
scry tive In method, not In advance of public
opinion, but responsive " Its dcinan4s
The DemUcr ,tic party is pledged to revise the
tariff In spirit OF fairness TO all interests, but
m making n reduction in taxes IL Is not proposed
~ iniure any domestic indu tries, but rather TO
promote their healthy growth From the foun
dalton of this Government, taxes collected at the
custom house ha, been the chef source OF Fed
eral revel ne, 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 he at every step
rcganful OF the labor and alita 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 VI an
economical Government, The necessary reduc
ION In NJ nd mi II h.N tna tp1 IA.
out dcpriying American labor Of the ability to
compete successfully with foreign lab r. and
without imposing lower 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 prlY0i'ing In this country.
sufficient revenue to pay all tine expenses OF tho
Federal Government, economically administered,
including pensions and interest aud principal Of
the pbbic debt, can be- got under our present
system of taxation from custom. house taxes on
fewer imported artces bearing heaviest on ar
ticles OF luxury and bearing lightest on articles
Of necessity. We therefore denounce the abuses
Of tho exis ing tariff, and, subject to these hmi
tations, we demand that Federal taxation shall
he exclusively Tor public purposes and shall not
exceed the needs OF the Government, economi.
tally administered.
| The system OF direct taxation known as the
internal revehnc is a war tax and - long as the
| law continues the duty derived thorcfrom should
he sacredly devoted TO the + lief of the people
from the remainin' burdens Of the war and bo
m ne "a fuUu 10 Gray the eApthHe OF inc care
and comfort Of worthy soldiers disabled In the
line OF duty in the wars OF the republic and for
the p,yment OF sucn pc sons rs Congress may
from time TO time grant to such soldiers. like
fund Tor the sailors having been already provd
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 aud South America but entanging
ALI nee with none.
We believe In honest money, the gold and sill
yer image and of the Gu tivatiou and rcula
ton OF N dun convertible into such money,
without ioss,
asserting the equality OF all men before the
law, We hold that it is the duty OF the Govern.
mcnt IN its dealing, with the people to mete out
equal and exact justice to all cit2cns OF what.
ever nativity, race, color or persuasion, religious
or political
We hucve In free ballot and fair count
ani We recall TO the memory OF the people the
noble struggle OF the Democrats In the Forty
fifth and Forty sixth Congresses, b, which re
luctant Republic III opposition was compelled tn
assent to legislation making everywhere illegal
the presence OF troops at the POLLS the CON
elusive pro- that Democratic administration
will preserve liberty with orier.
The election OF Federal officers for the Terri
toiics should be restricted to ctizers previously
resident therein
We oppose sumptuary laws, which vex the eiti.
zen and interfere with individual liberty.
We favor honest civil service reform, the com
pensation Of all United States officers by iix,d
diaries. the parIiion OF Church and State and
the diffusion OF free education by common scho Is,
so that every chill in the land may be tau lit the
ri.hts and duties of citZ fnship.
While we favor all legislation which will tend
to the equitable distribution Of property, to the
prevention nj monopoly and t. the strict en-
oriemert If In lividul rights against corporate |
abuses we mold thai the welfae of society de
peuds OIL o crupul us rcgar { the rights OF |
property as defined by law. We bell we that Ia |
hor is best rvwnr lei VIII re II Is freest AMI most
enlightened It should be fostcred snd chez ish- |
ed. We favor the repeal OF all laws restoring the |
free aciiun OF labor and the enactment Of laws |
by which labor organizations may be increa. ed |
and of all such legislation as will tend to en-
tighten the people rs to the true rotations Of |
capital aud labor.
We believe that the public lands ought as far
as possible, to be kept AZ homcsteads for actual |
settlers that all unearncd lands heret fore i'm
provil ently granted TO railroad corp .ratiuns bl
the action OF the Rcpuh lean party, should he
re-tured to the public domain and NJ more
grants shall be made to corporal ions or be allow
ed to fall into the owi ership OF alien absentees.
We are opposed to all prouositiOus which, up.
on any prcteNt, would convert the general Gov.
eminent INFO a machine fot the collection OF tax.
Is to be distributed amoug the States or the ci.
zens thereof
In sfert the declaration Of the Democratic plat
form Of 1856 that "fbt liberal principle en-
bodied by Jefferson in the Declaration OF indie
pendence aud sanctioned in tue Constitu 10
which make ours the land OF liberty aud the asy.
lam OF the oppressed of every natl N, have ever
bcon the cardinal principles in the Democratic
faith. We, nevertheless, do not sanction the inn
pOrutiDu OF foreign labor or the admis. ion of
sotNic races, untitled by habits training religi-
on or kindred, for absorption into the great b DIV
of our people, or Tor the citi2 nship which Our
laws confer. American civilization demand,
that against the immigration or importation of
Mongoliaus 10 these shores our ties be closed
The democratic party insists that it Il the
duty Of the Government u protect with equal
fidelity aud vigilance the rights OF its cit2eHs-
native AID haturhli2ed at home and abroad
a Il 70 the end that this protection may be AS |
sure'l, the United States papers Of naturalization,
i'sued by courts Of conn etc jurisdiction, must |
BE- resp cted by the eNecu i've and legislative de. |
partmenis of our own Government AMI by all |
foreign Powers
II is the imperative duty OF this government |