The Aberdeen examiner. [volume] (Aberdeen, Miss.) 1866-current, 1884-07-17
THE PLATFORM.
OF THE DEMOCRATIC PARTY, AS AID PIED
AT CHICAGO, July 10Th, 1884.


older new issues are born of time
and progress and old issues perish,
but the fundamental principles OF
the Democracy, approved by the
united voice of the people, remain,
and will ever remain as the best and
only security for the continuance OF
free government, the preservation of
personal rights of the States, and
the supremacy of the Federal Gov.
eminent within the limits of the
Constitution, and will ever form the
true basis of our liberties, and can
never be surrendered without de
stroying that balance of rights and
powers which enables continent to
be developed in peace and social
order to be maintained by means OF
local self.government But 1t is in
dispensible for the practical applica-
ton and enforcement OF these fun
damental principles that the govern.
ment should not always be coutroll-
I'd by one politiotl party. Frequent
change of administration is as nee
essary as constant recurrence to the
popular will, otherwise abuses grow
and the government, instead of be.
ing carried on for the general well
fare, becomes an instrumentality for
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
country; hence change is demand
ed The Republican party, so far as
principle is concerned, is a reminls'
ence; in practice it is an organization
for enriching those who control its
machinery. The frauds and jobbery
which have been brought to light in
every department of the government
are sufficient to have called for re
form within the Republican party,
yet those in authority, made reckless
by the long possession of power, have
succumbed to its corrupting infu>
ence, and have placed in nomination
q ticket against which the independ
ent portion of the party are in open
revolt.
Therefore, change is demanded.
Such a change was alike necessary
in 1876, but the will OF the people
was then defeated by a fraud which
can never be forgotten nor condoned.
Again in 1880 the change demanded
by the people was defeated by the
lavishness of money contributed by
INSCRIPTIONS contractors and shame
less iobbers. who had bargained for
unlawful profits or for high office
The Republican party, during its
legal, its stolen and its bought ten
ures of power. has steadily decayed
in moral character and political ca
pacity. Its platform promises are
now list of ito past failures.
It demands the restoration of our
navy. 1t has squandered hundreds
of millions to create navy that does
not exist.
1t calls upon Congress to remove
the burdens nnder which American
shipping has been depressed. 1t i'm
posed and has continued these bur-
dens.
1t processes the policy of reserv>
ing the public lands for small hold
ings by actual settlers. 1t has given
away the peoples heritage till now
few railroads and non resident aliens,
individual and corporate, possess a
larger area than that OF all our farms
between the two seas.
It processes a preference for free
institutions. 1t organized and tried
to legalize a control of State cleo
tons by Federal trops.
1t processes a desire to elevate
labor. It has subjected American
workingmen to the competition of
convict and imported contract labor.
1t processes gratitude to all who
were disabled, OF died in the war,
leaving widows and orpans 1t left
to a Democratic House Of Represen-
tatives the first effort to equalize
both bounties and pensions.
1t proffers pledge to correct the
Irregularities of our tariff 1t created
and has continued them. Its own
tariff commission confessed the need
of more than 20 per cent. reduction.
Its Congress gave reduction of less
than 4 per cent.
It processes the protection OF
American manufactures 1t has subs
jected them to an increasing food Of
manufactured goods and hopeless
competition with manufacturing ma
tons, not one of which taxes raw
materials.
1t processes to protect ell Ameri-
can industry. 1t has impoverished
many to subsidize few.
1t processes the protection of
American labor. 1t has depleted the
returns of American agriculture, an
industry followed by half our people.
1t processes the equality of all men
before the law, attempting to fix the
status of colored citizens. The acts
of its Congress were overset by the
decisions of its courts.
1t accepts anew the duty OF lead
ing in the work of progress and re-
form. Its caught criminals are per-
mitted to escape through con trived
delays or actual coDniyance in the
prosecution, honey combed with cor-
ruption, and outbreaking exposures
no longer shock its moral sense.
Its honest members, it's indepen>
dent journals no longer maintain a
successful contest for authority in
it's counsels or a veto upon bad
nomination.