Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1884-07-16

| more than 20 per cent. reduction. Its Congress
gave a reduction OF less than per cent.
| It processes the protection of American manu-.
| features. 1t has subjected them to an Increasing
| flood of manufactured goods and hopeless com
| petition with manufacturing nations, not one OF
| which taxes raw material.
IT processes to protect all American industries
| 1t has Impoverished many to subsidize few
| 1t processes the protection of American labor
1t has depleted the returns OF american agricult-
It processes the equality of all men before the
law. Attempting to fix the status OF coiored citi
zens, the acts of its Congress were overset by the
decisions of its courts.
1t accepts anew the duty of leading in the
work of progress and reform" Its caught crimi-
nails are permitted to escape through contrived
delays or actual connivance in the prosecution.
Honeycombed with corruption, outbreaking ex-
posures no longer shock its moral sense. Its hon.
est members, its independent journals, no longer
maintain successful contest for authority in its
cOunsels or a veto upon bad nominations.
That change is necessaryis proved by an exist
ing surplus of more than $100,COOOOO, which has
yearly been collected from a suffering people.
Unnecessary taxation is unjust taxation. We de-
nounee the Republican party for having failed to
relieve the people from crushing war taxes which
have paralyZed business, crippled Industry, and
deprived labor of employment and of just re-
ward
The Democracy pledges itselfto purify the adj
mlnistration 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 to its
pensioners
knowing full we'll, however, that legislation
affecting the occupations of the people should be
cautious and conservative in method not in adj
vance of public opinions but responsive to its
demands, the Democratic party is pledged to
revise the tariff in aspirit OF fairness to all in
tereSts.
But in making reductions in taxes it is not pro-
posed to injure any domestic industries, but
rather to promote their healthy growth. From
the foundation of this government taxes collected
at the custom-h have been the chief source of
n m continue
Moreover, many industries have come to rely
upon legislation for successful continuance, so
that any change of law must be at every step re
gardful of the labor and capital thus involved.
The process of reform must be subject in the ex-
ecution to this plain dictate of justice.
All taxation shall be limited to the require
mentS of economical government The necessary
reduction in taxation can and must be effected
without depriving American labor of the ability
to compete successfully with foreign labor, and
without imposing lower rates OF DUTY than VIII
be ample to cover any increased cost of produc-
ton which may exist in 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, interest and principal OF the
public debt can be got, under our present system
of taxation, from cuStom-houSe taxes on fewer
imported articles, bearing heaviest articles of
luxury, and bearing lghtost on articles of neces
sity.
we therefore denounce the abuses of the exist
ing tariff and subject to the preceding limita-
tions 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 war tax, and so long as
the law continues the money derived therefrOm
should be Sacledly devoted to the relief of the
people from the remaining burdens of the war,
and be made a fund to detray the expense of the
care and comfort of worthy soldiers disabled in
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, like
fJ1r1d for 4hn col hox DIV nrn-
vided; and any surplus should be paid Into the
treasury.
We favor an American continental policy based
upon more intimate commercial and political re-
lations with the fifteen sister republics of North,
Central and South America, but entangling ALI
ances with none. - e s& .
yer coinage of the constitution, and circulating
medium convertible into such money without
loss.
Asserting the equality of all men before the
law, we hold that it is the duty of the govern
ment, in its dealings with the people, to mete out
equal and exact justice to all citizens of whatever
nativity, race, color, or Observation-Disclosures or
political'
We believe in free ballot and a 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 reluctant
Republican opposition. was compelled to assent to
legislation making everywhere illegal the pres
ence of troops at the polls as the conclusive proof
liberty with order.
The selection of federal officers for the terri
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; and 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 rights and duties of citizenship
While we favor all legislation which will tend
to the equitable distribution of property. to the
forcement of individual rights against corporate
abuses, we hold that the welfare of society de-
ponds upon a scrupulous regard for the rights of
property ss defined by law.
We believe that labor is best rewarded where it
is freeSt and most enlightened. 1t should there
fore be fostered and cherished. We favor the re-
peal 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 as will tend to enlighten the
people as to the true relations of capital and
labor.
We believe that the public lands ought, as far
as possible, to be kept as homesteads for actual
providently granted to railroad corporations by
the action of the Republican party should be re-
stored to the public domain; and that no more
grants of land shall be made to corporations, or
be allowed to fall into the ownership of alien alb
sentees.
We are opposed to all propositions which upon
any pretext would convert the general govern
ment into machine for collecting taxes to be
distributed among the states or the citizens
thereof.
In reaffirming the declaration of the Demo-
cratic platform of 1885, that 'fthe liberal prlnci-
pies embodied by Jefferson in the Declaration of
independence and sanctioned in the constitution
which makes ours the land of liberty and the
asylum of the oppressed of every nation, have
ever been cardinal principles in the Democratic
faith,'' we nevertheless do not sanction the i'm
portation of foreign labor, or the admission of
servie races, untitled by habits, training relig-
ion, or kindred for absorption into the great
body of our people, or for the citizenship which
our laws confer. American civilization demands
that against the immigration or importation of
Mongolians TO these shores our gates be closed.
The Democratic party insists that it is the duty
of this government to protect, with equal fidelity
and vigilance, the rights of its citizens native
and naturalized at home and abroad; and to the
end that this protection may be assured, United
States papers of naturalization, issued by courts
of competent jurisdiction, must be respected by
the executive and legislative departments of our
own government, and by all foreign powers
1t is an imperative duty of this government 10
efficiently protect all the rights of persons and
property of every American citizen in foreign
lands, and demand and enforce full PREPARATION
for any invasion thereof.
An American citizen is only responsible to his
own government for any act done in his own
country, or under her flag, and can only be tried
therefor on her own soil and according to her
laws; and no power exists in this government to
expatriate al American citizen to be tried in any
foreign land for any such act.
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