The Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1860-1888, 1884-07-18


then proceeds as follows
| The Democracy pledges itself to purify the
| Administration from corruption, to restore
| economy to revive respect for law, and to re-
! dice taxation to the lowest limit consistent
| with due regard to the preservation of the
! faith of the Nation to It's creditors and PEN
| EiOnerS. sg
| Knowing full WELL however, that legislation
! affecting the occupations OF the people should
/ be cautious and conservative in method, not
IN advance of public opinion, but responsive
pledged to revise the tariff in spirit of fair
| ness to all interests,
| But in making reduction in taxes it is not
| proposed to injure any domestic industries,
| but rather to promote their healthy growth.
| From the foundation of this Government,
| taxes collected at the cuStomhouse have been
| the chief source of federal revenue Such
| they must continue to be. Moreover, many
! industries have come to rely upon legislation
tor successful continuance, so that any
change of law must be at every step regardful
of the labor and capital thus involved. The
process of reform must DC subject IN the exc
cution 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 witho tdepriving American labor
OF the ability TO compete successfully with
foreign labor. and without i'm iosIng aower
1 rates OF duty than will be ample to cover any
/ increased cost of production 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 adj
ministered, including pensions, interest and
| principle of the public debt, can be got, under
| our present system of taxation, free custom
house taxes on fewer imported articles, bear
ing heaviest on articles of luxury and bearing
! l1ghteSt on articles of necessity.
! We therefore denOunce the abuses of the
existing tariff, and, subject to the preceding
limitations. 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 sacredly devoted to the
| relief of the people from the remaining bur
| dens OF the war, and be made fund to de-
! fray the expense of the care and comfort of
worthy soldiers disabled in line of duty III the
! wars of the republ and for the payment of
| such pensions as Congress may from time to
| time grant to such soldiers, like fund for
| the sailors having already been provided; and
| any surplus should be paid into the treasury.
We favor an American continental policy
| based upon more intimate commercial and
| political relations with the fifteen sister Re
! publics of. North, Central and South America,
| but entangling alliances with none.
| We believe in honest money, the gold and
silver coinage Of the constitution, and circu-
/ lating 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 Gov
| ernment in its dealings with the people, to
mete out equal and exact justice to all citi-
EV,fa
suaSlon-=rehglOuS or political.
! We believe in free ballot and fair commit
and we recall to the memory of the people
! the noble struggle. of the Democrats in the
| ALVth and XLVJth Congresses, by which a
! reluctant Republican opposition was COM
| PEELED to assent to legislation making every
where illegal the presence of troops at the
polls. as the conclusive proof that a Demo-
cratic Administration will preserve liberty
| with order.
The selection of Federal officers for the
ftOr rim hn roct 1si0 toH Afaitf
previously resident therein.
| We oppose sumptuary laws, whichve the
citizen and interfere with individual liberty;
| we favor honest civil-service reform, and the
compensation 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 wn1cn will
! tend to the equitable distribution OF property
| to the prevention of monopoly, and to the
! strict enforcement of individual rights against
| corporate abuses, we hold that the welfare of
| society depends upon scrupuous regard for
| the rights of property as defined by law.
/ We believe that labor is best rewarded
| where it is freest and most enlightened 1t
| should therefore be fostered and cherished.
| We favor the repeal 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 settlers; that all unearned lands here
tofore improvidently granted to railroad cor
| poratOps BY the action of the Republican
| party should be restored to the public domaini
and that no more grants of lands shall be made
TO corporations, or be allowed to fall into the
| ownership of alien abSenteeS.
| we are opposed 10 all propositions which,
upon any pretext. would convert the General
| government into machine for collecting
| taxes to be distributed among the States or
| the citizens thereof.
In reafhrmlng the declaration of the plat
! form of 1856, that the liberal principles en-
! bodied by Jefferson in the Declaration of In
| dependence, and sanctioned in the Constitu-
| ton which makes ours the land of liberty and
| the asylum of the oppressed OF every nation,
! have ever been cardinal principles of the
Democratic faith, we nevertheless do not
| sanction the importation of foreign labor, or
| the admission of serVile races untitled by
habits training, religion, or kindred for alb
| sorptlon 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 Mohgo-
! lians 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 vjgiiance, the rights of its
! citizens. native and naturaized, at home and
abroad; and to the end that this protection
uraIizatlon issued by courts of competent
| jurisdiction, must be respected by the execu-
tive and legislative departments of our own
1t IS an imperative duty of this Government
to efficiently protect all the rights of persons
and property of every American citizen in
foreign lands, and demand and enforce full
reparatlc1 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 accord
ing to her laws; and no power exists in this
Government to expatrIate an American citi-
zen to De tried in any foreign land for any
such act.
This country has never had a well defined
and executed foreign policy save under DEM
ocratic administration; that policy has ever
been, in regard to foreign Nations, SO long as
they do not act detrimental to the interests of
the country or hurtful to our citizens, TO let
them alone: that, as the result of this policy,
we recall the acquisition of Louisiana, Flori
da, California and of the adjacent Mexican
territory by purchase alone; and contrast
these grand acquisitions of Democratic states
manshiD with the purchase OF Alaska, the sole
| fruit of a Republican Administration of near
" quarter of a century
The Federal Government should care for
and improve the Mississippi River and other
great waterways of the Republic so as to Sc
cure for the interior States easy and cheap
transportation to tidewater.
Under long period of Democratic rule and
policy. our merchant marine was fast over
taking and on the point of outstripping that
of Great Britain.
Under twenty years of Republican rule and
policy our commerce has been lett to British
bottoms, and almost has the American flag
been swept of the high seas.
Under Democratic rule and policy our mer-
chants and sailors, flying the stars and stripes
In every port, successfully searched out
market for the varied products OF American
industry.
Under a Quarter-century of Republican rule
and policy, despite our manifest advantage
over all other nations in high-paid labor, ia
yorable climates and teeming soils; despite
| freedom OF trade among all these United
states; despite their population by the fore
most races OF men and an annual immigra-
ton of the young, thrifty and adventurous of
all Nations; despite our freedom here from
old-world monarchies their costly war ma
vies, their vast tax-consuming. non-prOducing
standing armies; despite twenty years OF
peace-tbat Of Republican rule and policy