St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1884-07-17

lower rates of duty than will be ample
to cover any Increased cost of produc-
ton which NAV exist in consequence
of the higher rate of wages prevailing
in this country. Sufficient revenue to
pay all the expenses of the federal gov
eminent economically administered.
including pensions, the interest and
principal of the public debt, can he got
under our present system of taxation
from custom house taxes on fewer i'm
ported articles, bearing heaviest on
articles of luxury and lightest on arti-
cIcs of necessity. We therefore de-
nounce the abuses of the existing tariff;
and. subject to the preceding limita
tions. we demand that federal taxation
shall be exclusively for public purposes
and shall not exceed the needs of the
government economically admins
tered.
The system of direct taxation, known
rs 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 burdens of
the war. and be made fund to defray
the expense of the care and comfort of
worthy soldiers disabled in the line of
duty in the wars of the republic, and
for the payment of such pensions as
congress may from time to time grant
10 such soldiers, IA like fund for the
sailors having been already provided,
and any surplus should he paid into
the treasury.
We favor an American continental
policy based upon more intimate COM
mcrcial and political relations with the
- sister republics of North, Central
aud Sonth America, but entangling al
lances with none.
We believe i'll honest money, the
gold and silver coinage of the cOnsti-
tuition. and IA circulating medium con
vertible into such money without loss.
Asserting the equality of all men
before the law. we hold that it is the
duty of the government, in its deal
! ings with the people, to mcte out equal
and exact Justice to all citizens oil
whatever nativity, race, color, or per
Suasion, religious or political.
We believe in n free ballot and il
! fair count, and we recall to the MEM
DRY of the people the noble struggle
of the democrats in the 45th and 10th
congress bv which reluctant republi
can opposition was compelled to assent
to legislation making everywhere IL
I legal the presence of troops ut the
polls, as the conclusive proof that IA
democratic administration will pre-
serve liberty with order.
| The selection of federal officers for
/ the territories should he restricted to
citizens previously resident therein.
| We oppose sumptuary laws which
veX the citizen and interfere with in
dividual liberty we favor honest civil
service reforms ANA the compensation
of all United States officers by fixed
salaries the separation of church and
state and the diffusion of free educa-
ton bv common schools, 50 that every
child in the land may be taught the
rights and duties of citizenship.
While we favor all legislation which
will tend to the equitable distribution
of property, to the prevention of mon
opolv, and to the strict enforcement ot
individual rights against corporate
abuses. we hold that the welfare al
society depends upon scrupulou'
regard for the rights of property us de-
fined by law.
We believe that labor is best reward
ed where it is frecst and most enlight-
encd. 1t should therefore he fostered
and cherished. We favor the rcpea
of all laws restricting the free actiOl
of labor and the enactment of laws 10y
which Labor organizations may he III
corporatcd. and of all such Legislation
as will tend to cnlighten the people a.
to the true relation of capital anC
labor.
We believe that the public lane
Ought. as far as possible, to he kept ~
homestcads for actual settlers, that nj
uncarncd lands heretofore impruVi
IDENTITY granted to railroad corporations
10y the action of the republicans party
should be restored to the public do
main, and that no more grants of lane
shall be made to corporations, or b
p allowed to fall into the ownership o
alien abSentces.
We are opposed to all proposition
} which upon any prcteNt would CONVEX
the general government into machine
for collecting taxes to be distributed
among the states or the citizens there
t Of
In re-afiirming the declaration of tn
democratic platform of 1856 that 9Th
liberal principles embodied by Jetfer
+ son in the declaration of independents
and sanctioned in the constitution
f which makes ours the land of libert
and the asylum of the oppressed q
every nation, have ever been cardiha
principles in the democratic faith" W
! nevertheless do not sanction the i'm
70 portation of foreign labor or the ad
- mission of Servilc races untitled b.
o. habits. training. religion. or kindrc
f for absorption into the great body q
our people, OF for the citizenship whic
: our laws confer. American civiliZa
ton demands that against the immi
grafton or importation of MOngolian
e to these shores our gates he closed.
The democratic party insists that
: is the duty of this government to pro
' tect with equal fidelity and Vigilanc
, the rights of its citizens, native an
/ naturalizcd, at home and abroad. an
to the end that this protection may b
assured, United States papers of natu
: ralization issued by courts of compe
; tent jurisdiction must he respected b
% the executive and legislative depart
' meuts of our own government and b
| all foreign powers. 1t is an impcra
tive duty of this government to eff
/ cicntly protect all the rights of perso
4 and property of every American citi
D zen in foreign lands and demand an
e. enforce full reparation for any invasiO
D.. thereof. An American citizen is onl
I responsible to his own government fc
t any act done in his own country c
e under her flag, and can only he trie
' therefor on her own soil and accord
/ ing to her laws and no power exist
in this government to eNpatTiate a
q American citizen to be tried in an
- foreign land for any such act. Tn
t. country has never had well define
n and executed foreign policy save und,
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