Daily Los Angeles herald., 1884-09-23

The Democratic PLATFORM.


The Democratic PLATFORM.
The Democratic party Of the Union. through
lts representatives IN National Convention as
somblod. recognizes that rs the nation grows
older new issues are born Of time and progress
and old issues perish, but the fundamental prin
ciples Of the Democracy. approved by the united
voice Of the people, remain. and will ever remain
As the best and only security TOR the ooufinuanoo
o. free government; the preservation Of personal
rights. the equalisy Of oil citlzsns before the Law
the reserved rights Of the s,atos and the So
pretnacy Of the 10 ieral Government vithn the
limits OF the Constitution, Will esor form the
rue basis Of our liberties and can never be sur
rendered without destroying that balaSco q
rights and poatrs which enables continent 10
he developed In peace and social orler and 10 be
maintained by means Of LEGAL self government
Bat u Is J. dspensable for the practical aprliea
lion and enforcement o. these fundamental prln
dples that the Government h0uid not aiWays %
controlled by Que political party Frequent
change OF standardization l. as necessary as cun
slant recurrence 10 the popular will. Othern I've
lbuses grew aud the Government fundamentally
IL used Tor imposing heavy burdens on the many
who are governed for the benefit u the few who
govern. Public servants thus become arbitrary
rulers. This IL now tho condition Of the coun.
Try; hence q change IL demanded.
The Republican party so Tar as principle ~
concerned, Is n Renaissance. III practice, " Is
an organization for cDncAiHg those VINO control
IL. machinery, The frauds aud jobberY which
have been brought 20 light IN every department.
Of the Government are sutncient TO have called
Tor reform within the Republican party, yet
Hose In authority, made reckless BY the long
nos .es,lon Of power, have succumbed 70 Its COT.
rupting Influence and have placed In nomination
ticsot against which the iodep sndent portion
- a.. anl..
change IL demanded such a change was alike
necessary In 1875, but the III ~ the people was
than defeated by fraud which Can never be for
gotten or condOnu1. Again In 1851 the thsnge
demanded by the people was defeated BY the
lavish use Of m ney contributed By unsoru ul lus
contractors and shameless tDbbers who had bar
gained for unlawful profits Or tor high offias.
Tho Republican party, during It. legal, H.
stolen an It's b iught tenufes ~ pc ssr has-t adj
~ decayod in moral character aud poiicical Ca
pzciy, ITS platform pro1ii 20 arc now list o.
It's past failures II demands the re- toration OF
our navy. II has squand,rvd hundreds Vi mil
lions ~ create a nav that does not exit IL
calls upon congress remove the burdens und,
which Anne loan shipping has been dupro SD. II
Imposed and has continued those buIdens ~
PROCESSES preference for Tree institutions. u
organized and tried TO logalze control u State
elections b., fe loral troops. II processes do
sire to elevate labor. It hes subjrcte American
wotkug,nen TO the competition VI ounsiot and
imported contract labor. II profe's,s gr ttude
10 all who wero disabled or died In the war, leay
ing Widows and phana. " left to a Democratic
House Of Representatives the iirst effort 10
equ llzo both bountios and pensions II prefer
I'd pledge TO correct the lir qualities of oul
tariff IL created AMI has continued them. Its
own Tariff uonmis Ion confess the ncsd VI
more than 20 por cent reduction. II, 90 gresr
gave reduction OF leslth.tni per cent, II pro-
fos. a. the protection Of Amshean manuf cturers.
IL has subjected them 10 an Increasing hood OF
manufactured good, and hopeless conpe iton
IA
taxes raw materials. l. Processes to prot 1t al
Am rcan indu 3tries 1t has lmpoveri he'd mnny
10 subsIdire n few. II professes tho protection VI
American labor has depleted the returns OF
Am rcsn agrinultur an industry followed BY
half our people p oftsses the equality 81 all
citizens before the law. Attempting to HH the
status Of colored citizens, the Acts OF Its Con
gross were overset by thu decisions OF its courts,
Its caught criminals arc permitted TO escape
through contriyed delays CT actual conniylnce In
the prosecution. Iioneycombod WITH corruption,
outrageous exposures no longer shock Its moral
sense. Its honest members aud II, indepen lent
journals no Longer maintain successful contest
Tor authority In Its connsos or veto on bad
nominations.
That a change Is necessary IL proved by an ex.
listing surplus OF more than slO0,000.00, which
has yearly been collected from a suffering PEG
pie. Unnecessary taxation Is unjust taxation.
We denounce the Republican party for having
failed 70 relieve the people from the crushing war
taxes, which have paraiyzed business, crippled
industry and deprived labor OF employment and
Of IT. 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 regard
TO the preservation OF tho faith Of the nation TO
les creditors and It's pensioners, knowing full
well, however, that legislation affecting the vol
fare OF the people should be cautious and CON
serstive In method, not In advance Of public
opinion. hut responsive to its demands.
A...a t.s d al. tl.
tariif In n spirit OF fairness 10 all interests but
in making reduction In taxes II Is not proposed
to nlure any domestic industries but rather to
promote theie healthy growth From the foun-
dalton of this Government taxes collected at the
custom house have been the chief source Of Fed
cral revet ue, and such they must continue DO he
Moreover. many industries have come to rely up
on Legislation for their successful continuance 80
that any change Of the law must be at every stop
regardful Of the labor and capital thus involved
The process OF reform must be subject to the
cufion of this plain dictate OF Justice, All taxa
tion shall be limited to the requirements u an
economical Government The necessary reduc-
ton In taxation can and must DO effected with
out dopriying 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 produce
tion which may exist In eou,equenoe Of the
higher rate OF wages prevailing in this country
Sufficient revenue To pay all tho expenses OF the
Federal Government, economically administered,
including pensions and interest and principal of
the pbbic debt, can be got under our present
system Of taxation from custom house taxes on
fcwor imported articles, bearing heaviest on ar
tioles Of luxury aud bearing lightost on articles
OF necessity. We therefore denounce the abuses
OF the exits ing 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 economi
cally administered.
The system OF direct taxation known as the
rnta I To- ...Aa I...... (.
law continues the duty derived Jherefrom shou d
DO sacrodly devoted to thu lief OF the PEOPLE
from the remaining burdens OF the war and be
made fund TO ofray the expense Of the care
and comfort OF worthy soldiers disabeo In the
line Of duty in the wars OF The republic and for
the payment OF sucn pc sions as Congress may
from time to time grant to srch soldiers, like
fund II the sailors having been already proyid-
Oh, aud any surplus should DO paid Into the
Treasury.
We favor an American continental policy,
based on more intimate commeroil and pc itical
relations with the fifteen sister repub cs OF
North, Central and South America, but entsusing
ALI nce with ono.
We believe in honest money tho gold and sill.
yer coinage and OF the Gu tivation aud rcult.
ton OF IN dun 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.
ment n its dealings with the people to mcto out
equal aud exact Justice 10 all oltigons Of what.
ever nstivity, race color or persuasion, religious
or political.
We believe in a FREQ ballot and a fair count.
and we recall to the memory OF the people the |
noble struggle OF the Democrats in tho Forty |
NTH and torty.sixth Congresses, by which re-
luctant Kepublici m opposition was compelled 10 |
assent TO legislation making everywhere Illegal
the presence OF troops at tho rolls, the con-
elusive prof that Democratic administration |
willpr~serve liberty with order.
Tue election Of Federal officers for the Terri |
NhA ha taNaA IN.
resident therein.
We oppose sumptuary laws which vex tho citi. |
zen and interfere with individual liberty.
We favor honest civil service reform, the com.
pensatDn OF all United States officers by hxgd |
salaries, the separation OF church and state aud |
the diffusion OF tree education by common scho l., |
80 that every child in the land may be tau ht the
RI. hts and duties Of citizenship.
While We favor Ill legislation which will tend !
TO tho equitable distribution OF property. To the |
prevention OF monopoly and - the strict ell
forcomeut Of individual rights against corporate !
abuses, we hold that the welfare of society de-
ponds on scrupnlous regard for the rights OF !
property as defined BY law. We believe that la
Dor Is best rewarded whore it Is freest ana most
enlightened, Il should be fostered and cheris5.
ed. We favor the repeal of all laws restoring the
free actionot labor and the enactment oil laws
by which labor organizations may be iHcrea .ed
and OF all such legislation as viii tend to en-
tighten tho people no to the true rotations OF
capital and labor.
WeOtheNe tnAt tine pubnc lanus ought, As lar
as possible, 80 be kept rs homesteads Tor actual
settlers, that allunoarned lands heretu tero i'm.
proSidently granted 10 railroad corporations by
the action OF the Repub lean party, should be
TO the public domain and no more
grants shall be made to corpora lions or he al ow
ed 70 fall into the ownership of alien sbsentees
We are opposed to all propositions which, up
m any pretext, would convert the general Gov
crnment into machine for the collection OF tax
rs to be distributed smoug the States or the siti
Gems thereof.
In effect the declaration Of the Democratic plat
form OF 1855 that THE liberal principle O a.
bodied by Jefferson in the Declaration of indie
pendence and sanctioned in the Constitution.
which make ours the land OF liberty and the asy-
INN of the oppressed Of every nation, have ever
been the cardinal principles Ia the Democratic
aith. We, nevertheless, do not sanction tho i'm
portation of foreign labor or the admission of
.ervi,e races untitled by habits. training rsligi-
IN or kindred, for absorption into the great cy
II our people, or for the citizenship which our
aus nnfR Am ,ft 81. !