Democratic Northwest. [volume] (Napoleon, Ohio) 1869-1894, 1884-06-19
THE PLATFORM.
AClear, Candid and Uuanswerable
Criticism.
[Chicago Herald.l

in due time If by the will OF the voters
it shall be the continued in power.
Such is the gist of the platform adopted
yesterday in national convention. Main
ly as self indictment should this latest
party deliverance be regarded, though
it does contain some self-congratulation
which is highly proper, and to which
no fair minded man can take excep-
ton. The fluctuations INDUCED in over
the party's financial policy are in good
taste and fully warranted by the facts.
On some other points not quite as I'M
portant, perhaps, but in the aggregate
amounting to a matter of some moment,
the party's preachments are not fully
in accord with the record it has made.
The Republican praty promises relief
to the taxpayer and the wiping out OF
the surplus accumulating in the treas
ury, but it has voted solidly against
every attempt to do this in Congress,
and, although controlling a majority OF
the Senate and of the House until last
winter, no effort has been made in that
direction.
It demands the restoration of the duty
on wool. 1t was a Republican Congress
that took it off.
1t is in favor of the regulation of in
ter-state commerce-in other words, the
control of railroad corporations opera
ting lines through several states; but
a Democrat member of Congress has
had bill providing for this supervis-
ion before the House Of representatives
for ten years, and has never been able
to rally the Republicans to its support
The Republican party demands the
establishment of bureau of labor sta
tistics, now that after almost exclu-
sive control of the government on their
part for twenty-three years Demo-
cratic Congress has just passed bill to
that effect.
1t reprobates Chinese immigration,
though two Republican Presidents have
vetoed bills prohibiting it, and it de-
mands that the importation of pauper
laborers under contract, as practiced for
years by the protected monopolists OF
of Pennsylvania, shall cease.
1t is in favor of civil service reform,
when nothing has been in the way OF
civil service reform for a generation but
the Republican party. Every Federal
executive officer in the country is a Re-
publican, and if civil service reform is
so urgently demanded why have not
the Republicans given it to us.
1t condemns the policy of giving pub
lie lands to railroad corporations, mo-
nopolies and aliens, now that millions
ON millions of acres have been squand-
cred under the legislation of the Re-
publican party, and so small a section
of the once imperial public domain re-
mains that it is not of much conse-
quence what becomes of it.
1t demands that all unearned land
grants shall be forfeited, but in Con-
gress its representatives have steadily
for years voted against every PROPOSE
tion of that kind.
1t calls in patriotic terms for the res
toration of the navy while the damning
record of Rebeson's robberies is open tc
all, showing that since the close of the
rebellion this country has expended
more money than England has expend
ed for war vessels and yet has none
while Great Britain remains monarch
of the seas.
1t denounces polygamy and demands
its extirpation by the use of force, i
necessary. Yet for a generation laws
have been in existence prohibiting pol
ygamy, and with Republican Presi'
dent continually in Office no serious
effort has been made to enforce them
It condemns the outrages on negroes
at the South, and demands free anc
fair elections in that quarter, when it il
plain that if the negro has not been pro
tected in all the rights of citizenship ir
the old slave states it is the Republican
party which has been derelect. 1t has
had the power, and it's leaders have
been sworn to enforce the law, but
when it traded away the Southern Re
publicans in 1877 for the Presidency
delivering them bound hand and foo
into the possession of the Democrats, il
estopped itself from the further righ
to express concern for them.
1t endorses President Arthur's admin
istration as wise, polite and patriotic
and attributes to its moderation much
of the prosperity now existing, but i
refuses to continue him in office which
all admit he has honored.
TO this extent the platform is an ar
raignment of the Republican party by
the Republican party. Besides the
above points it indulges in the usua
generalities, bears tender and appro
pirate tribute to the memory of Garfield
recognizes the services of the armies o
the Union, reiterates the party's we'll
known views in favor of the mainte
nance of the protective tariff, after Civ
ing an exceedingly Democratic inter
pretation of the relations of the State
to the Federal Government, makes
small-sized cry of fraud against tn