Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1885-08-07


tions and the first lien to employees upon their
assets: the establishment of labor bureaus for
the collection of statistics and the investiga-
ton of questions connected with the elevation
of the laboring classes; the preservation of the
public lands as the heritage of the people; the
revision of the laws to secure the simple and
speedy administration of justice and the lncor-
poration of labor societies are all matters
which have had in the past and shall have in
the future the favor of the Democratic party.
INTERNAL REVENUE.
The internal revenue system brought into
existence by the Republican party, and per-
petuated by it when there was no necessity for
or reasonable apology for its continuance,
survives as a relic of the war, is foreign to the
spirit of our institutions and is obnoxious to
the interests and convictions of our people.
We favor its complete and unconditional abo
lition.
THE TARIFF.
We reaffirm the declarations of the National
Democratic party in its last Convention on
the subject of the tariff, and especially do we
maintain that the necessary reduction in tax
alton can and must be effected without de-
priving American labor of the ability to COM
pete successfully with foreign labor, and with
out imposing lower rates of duty than will be
ample to cover any increased cost of produc-
ton which may exist in consequence of the
higher rate of wages existing in this country.
And we favor, as in 1883 and in 1884, tariff
for revenue limited to the necessities of Gov
eminent economically administered, and SO
adjusted in its application as to prevent une-
quail burdens, encourage productive industries
at home, and afford just compensation to Ia
Dor, but not to create or foster monopoies. In
the necessary reforms to remedy the abuses of
the existing tariff the schedule rates should
bear heaviest on articles of luxury and light
est on articles of necessity.
cIvIL-sERvIcE REFORM.
We reiterate our advocacy of such civil
service reform as will make character and
fitness the tests of official preference, and ex-
clude the loathsome systems of the Republi-
can party which became the scandal of the
country; but we hold at the same time that an
administration charged with the solemn re-
sponsibilities of government, and needing re-
lations of confidence and harmony between it
and its subordinates to secure efficiency,
should not be unduly hampered by having OBJ
noxious officials forced into or continued in
its service. No efficacious system can he es-
tablished that does not work in accord with
the will and aspirations of the people under
an executive head untrammelled in the exer
else of official functi6 ms, and the fundamental
principles of free government exact that the
powers of the Executive shall not be shackled
by the usurpation of commission or other
official power unknown to the Constitution.
THE ADMINISTRATION.
We rejoice that in the Administration of
Grover Cleveland as President of the United
States sectional lines have been obliterated,
honorable and upright men have been ap-
pointed to Office and that the work of reform
has been initiated by dispensing with needless
Offices, cutting down expenses in the various
departments refusing the acceptance of con