Daily Los Angeles herald., 1884-08-14
POLITICAL.
The Democratic PLATFORM.

sembled recognizes that as the nation grows
older new issues are born Of time and progress
and old issues perish, but the fundamental prin
cples Of the Democracy, approved by the united
voice Of the people, emain. and will ever remain
as the best and only security for the continuance
OF free government; the preservation Of personal
rights, the equality OF all citizens before the law.
the reserved rights Of the States and the SUI
premacy Of the Federal Government within the
limits OF the Constitution. will ever form the
true basis OF our liberties and can never be sur
rendered without destroying that balal ee OF
rights and powers which enables continent to
be developed In peace and social order and to be
maintained by means OF LEGAL self government.
But it Is " dispensabe for the practical applica
tion and enforcement Of these fundamental prin-
ciples that the Government should not always DC
controlled by one political party. Frequent
change Of administratio, Is as necessary as con
slant recurrence to the popular will. Otherwise
abuses grew and the Government instrumentality
is used for imposing heavy burdens on the many
who are governed for the benefit OF the few who
govern. Public servants thus become arbitrary
rulers. This is now the condition Of the coun
try: hence n change Is demanded.
1he Republican party, so far as principle Il
concerned, is a reminiscence. In practice, it is
an organization for enrching those who control
its machinery, The frauds and jobbery which
have been brought to light in every departmenl
Of the Government are sufficient to have called
y
those in authority, made reckless BY the long
possession OF power, have succumbed to its cor.
ruptng Influence and have placed in nomination
u ticKet against which the independent portion
OF the party are In open revolt. Therefore a
change Is demanded. Such change was alike
necessary in 1875, but the will of the people was
then defeated by fraud which can 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 rupul )us
al,. f.,hh bad
gained for unlawful profits or for high office.
The Republican party during its legal, its
stolen and its bought tenures Of power has steadi
ly decayed in moral character and policical ca
pacity. Its platform promises are now list Of
its past failures. II demands the restoration OF
our navy. 1t has squandered hundreds Of mil
lions to create a navy that does not exist. 1t
calls upon Congress remove the burdens under
which American shipping has been depressed 1t
imposed and has continued those burdens. 1t
processes a preference for free institutions. 1t
organized and tried to legalze control Of State
elections by Federal troops. 1t processes de-
sire to elevate labor. 1t has subjected American
workingmen to the competition OF convict and
imported contract labor 1t processes gratitude
to all who were disabled or died in the war. eav-
ing widows and orphans. 1t left to Democratic
House of Representatives the first effort to
equalize both bountes and pensions 1t proffer
ed pledge to correct the irregularities OF our
tariff 1t created ana has continued them. Its
own Tariff Commission confessed the need OF
more than 20 per cent. reduction. Its Congress
gave a reduction Of less than per cent. It pro-
fesses the protection Of Amarican manufacturers.
II has subjected them to an increasing Hood Of
manufactured goods and a hopeless competition
with manufacturing nations, not one OF which
taxes raw materials. IL processes to prot ct all
American industries. 1t has impoverished many
to subsdize a few. II processes the protection Of
American labor It has depleted the returns Of
American agriculture, an industry followed by
half our people,. 1t processes the equality of all
citizens before the law. Attempting to fix the
status of colored citizens, the Acts OF its Con-
gress were overset by tn, decisions Of its courts,
Its caught criminals are permitted to escape
through contrved delays or actual connivance in
the prosecution, Honeycombed with corruption,
outrageous exposures no longer shock its moral
sense. Its honest members and it, Independent
Journals no longer maintain successful contest
Tor authority in its connsels or veto on bad
nominations.
That a change Is necessary is proved by an ex
listing surplus OF more than slDO, ,O00, ,00, which
has yearly been collected from suffering peo-
pie. Unnecessary taxation is unjust taxation.
We denounce the Republican party for having
failed to relieve the people from the crushing war
taxes, which have paraiyzed business, crippled
industry and deprived labor Of employment and
OF its just reward.
The Democracy pledges itself D purify tie Ad-
ministraon 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 the faith of the nation to
its creditors and its pensioners, knowing full
well, however, that legislation affecting the wei
fare OF the people should be cautious and con-
servative in method, not in advance OF public
opinion but responsive to its demands.
The Democratic party is pledged to revise the
tariff In spirit OF fairness to all interests, but
in making reduction in taxes it is not propose
to injure any domestic industries, but rather to
promote their healthy growth From the foun-
dation OF this Government. taxes collected at the
custom. house have been the chief source OF Fed.
eral reyet ue, and such they must continue to be.
Moreover, many industries have come to rely up
on legislation for their successful continuance, SC
that any change Of the law must be at every step
regardful OF the labor and capital thus involved
The process of reform must be subject to the exc
cution of this plain dictate of Justice, All taxa
tion shall be limited to the requirements Of an
economical Government. The necessary reduc-
tion in taxation can and must be effected with
out depriving American labor of the ability to
compete successfully with foreign labor. and
without imposing lower rates of duty than will
be ample to cover any increased cost Of produc-
tion which may exist in consequence of the
higher rate of wages prevailing In this country.
Sufficient revenue TO pty all tine expenses OF the
Federal Government economically administered,
including pensions and interest and principal Of
the pbblic debt, can be got under our present
system of taxation from custom house taxes on
fewer imported articles, bearing heaviest on ar
ticles Of luxury and bearing lightest on articles
OF necessity. We therefore denounce the abuses
Of the exis ing tariff, and, subject to these lm-
tations we demand that Fedora 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
internal revenue is q war tax and so long as the
law continues the duty derived therefrom should
be sacredly devoted to the relief Of the people
from the remaining burdens Of the war and be
made fund to defras the expense Of the care
and comfort OF worthy soldiers disabled in the
line Of duty in the wars Of the republic and fer
the payment Of sucn pensions as Congress may
from time to time grant to such soldiers, n like
fund for the sailors having been already provid-
ed, and any surplus should be paid into the
Treasury.
We favor an American continental policy.
based on more intimate commercial and political
relations with the fifteen sister republics OF
North, Central and South America, but entanging
allisnce with none.
We believe in honest money, the gold and sill
YER coinage, and OF the cultivation and circula.
tion OF q mt dium convertible into such money,
without loss
Asserting the equality Of all men before the
law, we hold that it is the duty OF the Govern.
ment in its dealings with the people to mete out
ever nativity, race, color persuasion religious
or political
We believe in free ballot and fair count
and we recall TO the memory of the people the
noble struggle OF the Democrats in the Forty
fifth and Forty sixth Congresses, by which re.
luctant Republican opposition was compelled to
assent to legislation making everywhere illegal
the presence Of troops at the polls, IS the con
elusive proof that Democratic administration
will preserve liberty with order.
The election Of Federal officers for the Terri
tories should be restricted to citizens previously