Daily Los Angeles herald., 1884-09-20
POLITICAL.
Tho DemocratIe Platform.

'ights and powers which enables contirent to
20 developed In peace and social order and 70 ne
by means OF local self government
But 1t Is " dispensabe for the practical aPrhca
ion and enforcement OF these fundamental prin-
liples that the Government should not always DC
controlled BY enc political party Frequent
change Of administratio, Is as necessary as con
slant recurrence to the popular will otherwise
abuses grew and the Governments instrumentahty
10 used Tor imposing heavy burdens on the many
who are governed for the benefit Of the lew VINO
xovern Public servants thus become arbitrary |
rulers, This is now the condition Of the coun-
try; hence change is demanded.
The Republican party, 30 lar - principle IS
concerned. Is "reminiscences. In prnctice, IL u |
an organization for enriching those VINO consfS is
have been brought 70 light In every department.
OF the Government are sufficient 10 have called
for reform within the Republican party. yet |
those In authority. made reckless ey tho long
possession Of power. have uccunbed to its cor
rupting influence and have placed in nsmination |
Z ticxet against which the Independent portion |
Of the party are In open revolt. Therefore
change d demanded. Such q change was alike |
necessary In 1875. but the will OF NE people was
then defeated By . fraud which oan never be for
gotten or condoned Again In 1880 the change |
demanded by the people was defeated by the |
lavish use Of money contributed By unssruoulous
contraetors ard shameless jobbers who had bar |
gained for unlawful profits or for high office.
The Republican party. during its legal, its |
gtolsn and its bought tenures Of power has steadi
" dscaysd In moral character and policical ca |
pscity. Its platform promises are now list o.
II past failures. II demands the restoration Of
our navy. Il has squandered hundreds Of mil |
lions 10 create . navy that does not exist. Il |
calls upon Congress- ~ remove the burdens under |
which American shipping has been depressed. 1t
imposed and has continued those burdens. 1t |
Processes preference for free institutions. It
organised aud tried to legalise control Of State
elections BY Federal troops. It processes de- |
sire to elsvsto labor. 1t has subjected American
workingmen to the composition Of convict and
imported contract labor. 1t processes gratitude
to all who were disabled or died In the war leav-
ing widows and orphans II left TO . Democratic |
House Of Representatives the Arst effort 70
equalise both b0unties and pensions. II proner
ed pledge TO correct the Irregularities OF our
tariff. II created ana has continued them. Its
own Tariff Commission confessed the need q
more than 20 per oent- reduction. It's congress
gave reduction Of less than per cent ~ pro
iesses the profession Of Amarcan sH !;
manufactured goods and hopeless competition
with manufacturing nations, not one o. when
taxes raw materials. II professes TO prot ct All
American industries; II has impovefsnea % many
American labor y has depleted the returns OF
Am srican agficultue }, an industry followed by
half our people. processes the equaiity OF sli
citizens before the NV Astsmpnnx 20 nA 1 sne
xrees were oversst BY ths decisions Of its courts.
n caught criminals are permitted to escape
through contrived delays CT actual connivance In
the prosecution. Honoycombed with corruption,
outrageous exposures no longer shock its moral
sense. it honest members and it, independent
journals no longer maintain successful contest
for authority In its connsels or veto on bad
nominations.
isting surplus d more than sl00. .Ooo. .ooO. which
hss yearly been collected from suffering peo-
pIe Unnecessary taxation 10 unjust taxation.
We denounce the Republican party for having
failed 70 relieve the people from the crushing war
industry and deprived labor Of employ ment snd
Ths Democracy pledges itself TO purify TIE Ad-
Manifestation from corruption, TO restore economy,
RIVE rssPsc. aor .aw. sns % Y leeucs
TO the preservation Of the faith Of the nation 70
its creditors and It's pensioners knowing full
we'll however, that legislation affecting the wei
| fare Of the people should be cautious and con-
sentative In method, not In advance Of public
opinion, but responsive 70 its demands.
Tho Democratic party 10 pledged to revise the
tariff In spirit OF fairness TO all interests. but
in making reduction in taxes It e not proposed
| 10 iniuro nny domestic industries, but rather 10
promote theif healthy growth From the foun-
dation Of this Government. taxss collected at the
custom house have been the chief source OF Fed
eral revef ne, and such they must continue 10 be.
Moreover. many industries have come to rely up
legislation for their successful continuance, 20
that any change Of the law must be 1t every step
regardful Of The labor and capital thus involved
The process Of reform must be subject to the eKe-
cution Of this plain dictate Of Justice. All tsxa-
| tion shall be limited 70 the requirements Of an
economical Government. The necessary rsduc-
| tion In taxation can and must be effected with
| out depriving American labor Of the ability TO
compefs successfully with foreign lab r. and
without imposing lower rates Of duty than Win
| tion which may exist In eou-equanse OF the
/ higher rate Of wages prevailing In this ceunty
eufioisnt revenue TO py all the expenses Of the
/! Federal 0ovsFnsnent. sconomisslly sdministetei.
including pensions and interest and principal cf
| the pbblic debt, can be got under our present
system Of taxation from custom-house taxes on
| fswa imported articles bearing heaviest on ar
tioiss si luxury and bearing lehtcst on articles
OF necessity. We Therefore denounce the abuses
Of the existing tsri, and. subjeet to these limi
tati0ns. we demand that Federal taxation shall
be exclusively for public purposes and shall not
excssd the needs Of the Government. soonomi-
The system q direct taxstion known ~ the
internal revenue 10 . war tax and % long - the
law continues the duty derived therefrom should
b. ncrsdly devoted 10 the relief Of the people
from the remaining burdens OF the war and bs
made fund to oefray the expense Of the care
and comfort Of worthy soldiers disAhiec In the
line of duty In the wars Of the republic and fer
the payment Of sucn per sions ~ Congress may
from time 70 tisne grant 10 sueh soldieu. . like
fund for the saiiors having been already provid-
~ @1@ @4S s>@t fte. ~ssS-%~ ~ - -
We favor an American continental policy,
based on more intimate commercial and political
relations with the heteen sister rsPublios Of
North, Central and South Amefioa, but cntangihg
alliance with none.
va believe in honest money, the gold and sI-
yer coinage, and Of the cultivation and crcula-
tion a M dium convertible into such money,
Asserting The equality Il all men before tho
law, We hold that II Is the duty Of the Govern
ment in its dealings with tho people TO mete out
equal and enact justics to all citisons, OF what
ever nativity. nee. color or persuasion. religious
or political
Ws believe In free ballot and . fair count.
and We recall 10 the memory Of the people The
noble struggle Of the Democrats in the Forty
fifth and Forty -sixth Congresses, BY which . re-
assent 70 legislation making everywhere Illegal
the presence Of troops at the polls, . the con-
elusive proof that . Democratic administration
will preserve liberty with order.
The election Of Federal onhcers for the Terri
tories should be restricted 10 citizens previously
| resident therein.
We oppose sumptuary laws, which vex the citi-
zen and Interfere with Individual liberty.
| We favor honest civil. service reform, the com.
pcnsation Of all United States officers by hxed
salaries, the separation Of Church and state and
the diffusion Of free education by common schools.
90 that every child in the land may be taught the
rixhts and duties Of citizenship
70 the equitable distribution OF property. 10 the
prevestion Of monopoly and 70 the strict en-
forcement Of individual rights sgainst corporate
abuses We hold that the welfare Of society de-
ponds on q serupnlous regard for the rghts OF
| property a. defined by law. We believe that la-
| bor is best rewarded where Il Is fresst and most
| enlightened, II should be fostsred and cherish
cd. We favor the repeal Of all laws restoring the
| free action Of labor and the enactment Of laws
BY which labor organizations may be Increased
and Of all such Legislation a. will tend 70
tighten the people - 70 the true relations Of
| sapital ard labor.
Wsbslisve that the public lands ought. as far
- posaible, 70 be kept a. homesteads for actual
| settlers, that all unearned lands heretofore i'm
providsntly granted 70 railroad corporations by
the action Of the Repub lean party. should BE-
restored TO the public domain and no more
grants shall be made 10 corporations, or BE- allow
ed 70 fall into the Ownership Of alien abscntess.
| We are opposed 70 all propositisns which. up
| m any pretsxt. would convert the general eov-
srnmens Into machine fos the eollection Of tax
= 70 be Distributed smoas the States or the ell
In eject the desiaration Of the Democratic plat
| form Of 1855 that The liberal principle en-.
bodied by Jefferson In the Dcclsrztion o. lnde-
pendencs and sanctioned In the Constitution
which make ours the land Of liberty and the ssy-
lum Of the oppressed Of every nation, have ever
been the cardinal principles In the Democratic
| faith. We, nevertheless, do not sanction the I'M
portation Of foreign labor or the admission Of
sefVft races, unnttou DI nAutt5. tfafnihAs fetk-
on or kindred. for absorption into the great bady
| Of our people. or for the citizenship which our
laws confer American civilization demands
that agAinst the Immigration or importation sf
Mongolixns to these shores our gates be closed.
| Tho Democratic party insists that II Is the
duty Of the Government TO protect with equal
fidelity and vigilance tho rights Of its ss,zens--
| native and naturalired--st home and abroad,
and 70 the end that this protection may be A.
sured the United Statss papers Of naturalization,
issued by courts OF oompstsut jurisdiction. must
be respected by the execu i've and legislative de-
partments OF our own Government and BY all
foreign Powers.
u IL the Imperative duty Of this government
to efficiently protect all the rights OF her sons
and the property Of svsry American citizen Ia
foreign lands and demand and enforce null rspar-
alton Tor any invasion Thereof An American
1tixsn is only responsible 10 his own govern
nsnt Tor any act done In his country or under
her hag and laws. and can only be tried therefor
on her own soil and according TO her laws, and
no power exists 10 this government to sxpatriats
an american eitison to be tried In any foreign
IA fora sttrt 90 ~,