Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1885-07-31

tt.4t'Vus anu dttentOn a. may be needed to
! Dring them up TO the highest stand ards known
among civilized nations.
/ AID 70 CONFEDERATE SOLDIERS.
In providing wisely for the instruction Of
us cltl2ens ana generously for the afflicted in
! mlnd anu body, the commonwealth should
respect the sacred duty which it owes 60 its
! needy Confederate soldiers, disabled by
/ wounds or disease. This, only hitherto an in
Itlatlye, aud observed by successive i)emo-
cratic Legislatures. should be followed up by
some more adequate provisions than have vet
1 been made. A II proper aid should be gwen
| those disabled veterans who are without
| support. which they freely vote TO accord
/ their former foes, and who, in The course Of
nature, must, ere many years have passed
| cease to tread the soil OF Virginia which IS
! forever cOnsecrated by their dauutless yaIor
/ and devotion.
LOCAL OPTION.
/ Reanirming the traditional opposition Of
| the Democratic party to all sumptuarv lnws
! or laws unduly interfering with Individual
] liberty, we recommend the General Assem-
! bly, 70 pass such laws rs will permit each
/ county or district, ut special elections held
/ Tor that purpose under proper regulations, to
| decide for itself whether the sale OF spirituous
| liquors shah be legally permitted within its
/ limits.
I The internal revenue system brought into
/ existence by the Republican party, and per-
! petUated by 1t when there was no necessity
| Tor or reasonable apology for a continuance Of
TINS relic Of war, is foreign to the spirit of our
ana convictions OF our people. We favor its
complete and unconditional abolition.
CONVICT LABOR.
Public policy requires that convict labor
! should not be brought in competition with
free labor. 1t is due TO the honest mechanics
and workingmen Of the country that convict
labor be employed on railroads and internal
improvements or otherwise in Ways not
conflicting with the full wages Of honest Ia
boring men, and we advocate legislation that
viii carefully guard against such conflict.
| Government contracts should be performed
only 10y free labor, and we favor the passage
OF laws that VIII require it to be condition
in all contracts with the government that
convict labor be not employed in their execu-
| tiOn.
OTHER INTERESTS OF LABOR.
Eight hours per day for labor upon public
works, opposition to an discriminate un-
! justly bearing upon labor or capital, the pay
inent OF money wages by corporations, and a
! first lien to employees upon their assets. the
establishment of labor bureaus for the col &c
! ton or statistics and the investigation Of
questions connected with the elevation Of the
laboring classes, the preservation Of the
| public lands as heritage of the people, re-
| vision of the laws to secure a simple
and speedy administration of justice and tho
Incorporation OF labor societies, are matters
which have haC in the past, and shall have in
the future, the favor of the Democratic party.
We favor such an amendment Of existing
laws as Will reconcile conflicting interests,
and TO that end suggest a convention, to be
composed OF representative men from the
counties interested, who will recommend to
the General Assembly such legislation upon
the subject as may be proper.
TOO FREQUENT ELECTIONS.
We favor such changes in the existing laws
as may be necessary TO relieve the people OF
the commonwealth as far as possible OF the
! burden OF too frequent elections, but are un-
| alterab'y opposed to mixing state with Fed
eral elections, whereby such interference as has
been experienced in the past under an i'll
advised or corrupt administration might be
possible.
In the distribution OF public patronage
within the State, we favor equality among all
| sections, whereby those sections without
Democratic representation may have just
and equal share Of such patronage. and we
recommend the members of the General As
sembly and all representatives Of the Demo
cratic party to dulv consider this subject and
to provide some mode by which this result
may be obtained.
THE TARIFF
We reafirm the declarations OF the Ma
tiOnal Democratic party at It's last cOnVen-
ton on the subject of the tariff aud especially
do we maintain that a necessary reduction In
taxation can and must be effected without
depriylng American labor Of ability TO com
pete successfully with foreign labor and with
out imposing lower rates Of duty than viii be
ample to cover any increased cost OF
production which may exist in consequence
OF a higher rate OF wages existing IN this
| country and we favor. as in 1883 and in 1884,
"A khr1U IOf revenue AihtLtu 10 bub 0SCtsSiAAca
Of the government economically administered
and 80 adjusted in its application as to pre-
vent unequal burdens. encourage productive
industries st home and afford just compensa-
tiOn 20 labor, but not 20 create or foster mo
nOpO!ies
PUTTING THE BURDEN ON LUXURIE5.
Ia necessary reforms to remedy abuses Of
the existing tarif schedule rates shOuld bear
heaviest on articles OF luxury and hghtest on
articles of necessity. We rciterate our adj
vocacy ~ such civil service reform as will
make character and fitness tests Of Official
preference, aud exclude the loathsome syS-
TENS Of the Republican party, which have be-
come thc scandal Of the country bus We hold
az the same time that an admlniatratiOn
charged with the solemn responsibilities of
government, and needing rotations OF con
ndence ana harmony between it and IT'S
subordinates to secure efficiency, should not
be unduly hampered by having obnoxious
officials forced into or continued In service.
THE EXECUTIVE MUST BE UNFETTERED.
No eAcacious system can DO established
that docs rot work In accord with the VIII
and aspirations of the people under an eAecu- =
1--WE head untrammeed IN the exercise or
ohicial positions, and the fundamental princi-
plee Of free government exact that the powers
OF the executive shall not be shackled by the
usurpatOn OF commission or other ohclal
power unknown 10 the constitution
! We rejoice that in the adminstrat ION
of Grover Gle iei I'D ~ Pres dent
Of the United States sectional lines have been
been appointed 30 Office, and that the work OF
reform has been initiated by dispensing with
needless offices, cutting down expenses IN va
riuus departments, refusing acceptance OF
contract work not fulfilling specifications.
and iu securing % the people vast area OF
the public domain unjustly held by large cor
! pOratlons.
REMOVALS OF PARTISANs.
We congratulate the people Of Virginia that
he has removed m many Instances obnoxious
pnrtisans who neglected public duties for
party work. and have confidence shat the
blessings OF good government already
secured, will be amplined aud extended un-
stonily against corruption. and has so speedily
entered upon the great work Of reform. We
apurn the charges brought agHinst tho Demo-
cratic party SET forth IN the document pur-
porting to be the Republican state platform.
IL says, for instance, that tho Democrete OF
the laHt Legislature unssated II Republican
membors and seated Democrats, whereas the
records show that out OF % cases Of contests
over elertiors iu 10 casesonly were Democrats
awarded the seats, and IN only OF these
were Republicans unscated.
OTHER LIEs NAILED.
~ Hays that the Democrats passed over 20
acts relieving dciaultinR collecting officers,
whcrcas,with single exception, no such acts
were passed The acts referred b. were less
than ~ in number, AMI we're concerning
eureties, and were supported by Republicans
and approved 10y q kepublican government.
Again, 10 ls charged that Democrats squhn
dered the surplus they found in the treasury,
whereas larger surplus now exists IMAM
ssh.r thn IlssuaarNfa "a pafNn intu nuWer. aIuUt