Daily Los Angeles herald. [microfilm reel] (Los Angeles [Calif.]) 1876-1884, 1884-07-22
The Democratic PLATFORM.

I FTTlD7TTt TT1WE
older new issues are born Of time and progress
and old issues perish, but the fundamental prIn
/ ciples Of the Democracy, approved By To-. uaiaoi
voice Of the people, re main, and will ever remain
as 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 ~.
| premacy OF the feieral Government within the
limits Of the Constitution, will form the
true basis Of our liberties and can never be sur.
rendered without destroying that balasee n
rights and powers which enables a continent TO
be developed In peace and social order and 70 be
maintained by meansof LEGAL self government.
But II Il II dispensable for the practical appica
ciples that the Government should not always be
controlled by one political party Frequent
| change Of administrator Il as necessary AZ con
slant recurrence 70 the popular will otherwire
abuses grew aud the Government fundamentally
Is used Tor imposing heavy burdens on the many
who are governed Tor the benefit u the few who
govern. Public servants thus become arbitrary
rulers. This Is nov the condition OF the coun-
try; hence a change IL demanded.
Tho Republican party so far As principle 10
concerned, u a "reminiscences. In practice u Is
an organization for cnriching those who control
it, machinery. The frauds and jobbery which
have been brought 70 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 Of power, have succumbed ~ It's cor
tupNUlk lnUltUct anu nave ulhcel IN nomination
a ticset against which the independent portion
Of tho party are In open revolt. Therefore a
| change Is 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 condonet. Again In 1880 the change
demanded by the people was defeated by the
| lavish use Of money contributed by nnscru Dt 3ns
contractors and shameless jobbers who had bar
gained Tor unlawful profits or for high office.
The Republican party, during its legal its
| atOpn and lts hotiOht has ataadt
| ly dcciyed In moral character and policical ca
pacity Its platform promises are now a list OF
| Its past failures. II demands the restoration Of
| our navy. II has squanderod hundreds Of mil
! lions 10 create a navy that does not exist II
| calls upon Congress remove the burdens under
| which Amoi lean shipping has been depressed. IL
| imposed and has continued those burdens II
processes a preference for free institutions. II
organized and tried to cgalizo control Of State
elections by Federal troops. II processes do.
sire 10 elevate labor II has sub ected American
workipgmen 10 the competition of convict and
imported contract labor II Processes gratitude
| 10 all who were disabled or died In the war cav.
ing widows and Orphans II left TO Democratic
House OF Representatives the first effort 10
equtlize both bountes and pensions II proffer.
cd pledge TO correct the Irregularities Of our
tariff. II created AMI has continued them. Its
own Tariff Commission confessed the need Of
| more than 20 per cent reduction. Its Congress
Rnye q reduction Of less than 4 per cont IL pro-
fos.os the protection OF Amarican manufa cturcrs.
| " HuD1tcten them 10 al lncfcnsluk UOOd OF
manufactured goods and a hopeless competition
| with manufacturing nations, not one OF which
| taxes raw materials. II processes TO prot ct all
Am,r lcan industries. II has Impoverished many
TO substitute few. II processes the protection Of
| American labor H. has depleted the returns Of
Am rean agriculture, an industry followed by
| half our people IL Processes the equality n all
| citizens before the law. Attempting 10 tx the
| status OF colored citizens, the Acts Of its Con
| gresa were 0verset by TIN decisions OF Its courts
1 Ita tIVht criminals pptnittai IN ma
| through tontriyed delays or actual eonnivance in
| the prosecution, lioneycombed with corruption,
outrageous exposures no longer shock It's moral
sense. Its honest members and ta independent
| journals no longer maintain successful contest
| Tor authority In It's oonnsels or veto on bad
| nominations.
| That change II necessary Is proved by an OK
lsting surplus Of more than siOo,oo0,Ooi which
has yearly been collected from suffering PEG
pie. Unnecessary taxation is. unjust taxation.
| We denounco the Republican party for having
failed TO relieve tho people from the crushing war
taxes, which have paraiyzed business, crippled
industry aBd deprived labor OF employment and
of IL, Just reward.
| The Democracy pledges itself to purify TIE Ad-
minstraiion 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 creditors and It's pensioners, knowing full
well, however, that legislation affecting the wei
fare OF the people should be cautious and con
seryhtite In method not In advance OF public
opinion, but responsive l., its demands
The Democratic party Is pledged to revise the
tarih In spirit Of fairness TO all interests, but
| In making reduction in taxes II is not proposed
to injure any domestic industries, but rather to
promote their healthy growth From the foun-
dalton Of this Government, taxes collected NJ the
custom house have been the chef source Of Fed.
ernl rnyei ne, and such they must continue to be.
Moreover, many Industries have come to rely up
on legislation for their successful continuance,
that change of tho In ~ must M on
regardfu OF the labor and cal ital thus involved.
The process OF reform must be subject to the exc.
cuiion 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 and must he effected with
| out deprying 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 prevailing In this country
Sufficient revenue TO pay all the expenses Of the
Federal Government, economically Administered,
including pensions and interest and principal Of
the pbblic debt, can he got under our present
system of taxation from custom. house taxes on
fower imported articles, bearing heaviest on ar.
tcles Of luxury and bearing ightest on articles
OF necessity. We therefore deRounce the abuses
of the exis ing tariff, and. subject to these limi-
| tations we demand that Federal taxation shall
be exclusively for public purposes and shall not
exceed the needs Of the Government, economi-
| cally administered
The system of direct taxation known as the
internal revenue Ia a war tax and - long as the
law continues the duty derived therefron should
be sacrcdly devoted to the r. lief of the people
from the rtmaininf burdens of the war and he
made a fund to efray the expense Of the care
and comfort of worthy soldiers disabled In the
line Of duty in tho wars OF the republic and for
the payment OF sucn pc sions as Congress may
from time to time grant TO snch soldiers. a like
fund for the sailors having been already proyid.
cal nuI any aurnluS shoul he maid into he
Treusury
We favor an American continental policy
based on more intimate commercial and political
relations with the fifteen sister reruhlcs of
North, Central and South America hut ENHANCING
ALI ,ncc with rome
We believ, In honest money the gold and sill.
yer image, and of the Gu, tivation and rcul,
tion Of a m dium convertible into such money.
without ,oss
Asserting the equality of all men before the
law. we hold that IL is the duty OF the Govern
mcnt IN its dealing, with the people 10 mete ont
enual and exact IN ,tica 10 ali ritizcns nj what