, 1884-07-11

- - 1880
iniscence in practice. 1t is an o~rganiza,
ton for enriching those who control its
machinery. The frauds and jobbery
which have been brought to light in every
department of the Government are sui.
fcient to have called for reform within
the Republican party, yet those in au,
thority, made reckless by
THE LONG POSSESSION OF POWER.
have succumbed to its corrupting influence
and have placed in nomination a ticket
against which the independent portion OF
the party are in open revolt. Therefore
a change is demanded. Such a change
was alike necessary in 1876, but the will
of the people wa then defeated by a
fraud which can never be forgotten, nor
condoned. Again, in 1880 the change de-
manded by the people was defeated by
the lavish use of money, contributed by
INSCRIPTIONS contractors and shameless
iobbers who had bargained for unlawful
profits, or for high office. The Republi-
can party, during its existence, has stolen
and bought its tenures of power, has
steadily decayed in moral character and
political capacity. Its platform promises
are now a list of its past failures. 1t de-
mands the restoration of our navy, it has
squandercd hundreds of millions to create
a navy that does not exist. 1t calls upon
Congress to remove the burdens under
which American shipping has been
pressed. 1t imposed and has continued
those burdens.
1T PROCESSES A PREFERENCE
for free institutions. 1t organized and
tried to legalize a control of state elections
by Federal troops, 1t professed a desire
to elevate labor. 1t has subjected Ameri-
can workingmen to the competition of
convict and imported contract labor. 1t
processes gratitude to all who were dis
abled or died in the war, leaving widows
and orphans. 1t left to a Democratic House
Of Representatives the first effort to equal
ize both bounties and pensions, 1t proffers
a pledge to correct the Irregularities OF
Oui eAAlhs IL Sitdbth anu IOiltllutu lIltlu.
Its own Tariff Commission confessed
the need of more than twenty per cent.
reduction. Its Congress gave a reduction
of less than four per cent. 1t processes
the protection of American manufacture.
1t has subjected them to an increasing
flood of manufactured goods, and
uOpFI FsS COMPETITION
with manufacturing nations, not one of
which taxes raw materials. 1t processes
to protect all American industries. 1t has
impoverished many to subsidize a few. 1t
processes the protection of American
labor. 1t has depleted the returns of
American agriculture, an industry followed
by half our people. 1t processes the
equality Of all men before the
law. Attempting to fix the status of
colored citizens, the acts of its Congress
were overset by the decisions of the courts.
1t accepts anew the duty of leading in
the work of progress and REFORM Its
caught criminals are allowed to escape
through contrived delays or actual conni-
vance in the prosecution.
HoNEYcoMBED WITH CORRUPTION,
outbreaking exposures no longer shock its
moral sense. Its honest members, its in
dependent journals, no longer maintain a
successful contest for authority in its coun-
sells or n vote on bad nominations. That
change is necessary is proved by an exist
ing surplus of more than 500, 900, 900
which has yearly been collected from a
suffering people. Unnecessary taxation
is unjust taxation. We denounce the Re
publican party for having failed to
relieve the peop's from crushing
war taxes which have paralyzed business,
crippled industry, and deprived labor of
employment and of just reward. The De
mocracy pledges itself to purify the ad-
ministration from corruption, to restore
economy, to revive respect for law, and to
reduce taxation to the lowest limit con-
sistent with a due regard to the preserva-
ton of the faith of the Nation to its cred
itors and pensioners.
AS To TARIFF.
Knowing full well, however, that legis-
lation affecting the erruptions of the peo-
pie should be cautious and conservative in
method, not in advance of public opinion
but responsive to its demands, the Demo
cratic party is pledged to revise the tariff
in a spirit of fairness to all interests. But