San Marcos free press. [volume] (San Marcos, Tex.) 1877-1892, 1886-10-21
DEMOCRATIC PLATFORM.

l. We, the democrats of Texas, express
our hearty satisfaction with the adminlstra'
ton of our distinguished president, Hon.
Grover Cleveland, and testify our confidence
in his ability, purity and integrity.
2. We pledge ourselves that the current
public expenditures shall be confined wiohin
the current revenue.
8. We recommend the submission to the
popular vote Of an appropriate amendment
to the judiciary article of our constitution
SO as to secure more efficient and prompt
administration of law.
| 4. We favor the best system of education
for white and colored in separate common
schools, which may be provided by liberal,
without excessive, taxation. We believe
that the education of children is matter
of state right ard duty, and that the con-
gress of the United States has no right to
Inappropriate money to its aid. We congrat-
ulate the people of Texas upon their sue
cessful establishment of our state uniyer-
sity, and we recommend the enactment of
| Legislation to remove the same as far as pos
sible from all political influence and that
| its properties and revenues shall be strictly
guarded, increased and fostered 30 far as it
can be done without taxation upon the peo-
pie.
S. We believe that the true policy Of the
state with respect to her public lands is to
provide for their sale, in tracts of reason
able size with reference to their quality and
uses, OF fair prices and upon long credit,
to bonafde settlers for honest purposes.
We favor such classification of school, uni
versty and asylum lands as may permit
the unconditional leasing, for short terms,
of lands only fit for grazing, and that the
remainder may be leased temporarily and
entirely subject to the right of the state to
sell to actual and bonafide settlers, and to
these ends we favor the enactment of laws
to compel the removal of trespassers and
free-grassers from public lands, and to force
the payment of rent for their use, and to
fix absolutely the rental price of lands to be
leased. There should be such Legislation as
will make it practicable to enforce all laws
intended to prevent the illegal use of school
or other public lands of the state.
g. We pledge ourselves to encourage and
! foster all work of internal improvement and
the development of the manufacturing in
terests of the state.
7. We denounce unlawful interference
with or injury to corporate property and
corporate rights as equally intolerable as is
such interference with or injury to the rights
| OI ClllLtub, anu MhlO nO iCOOt1hiNO WV as
obligation of the Democrats. party to con.
troll and subordinate all public corporations
to the general good, we pledge ourselves to
enact and enforce all laws that may be nec-
essary to protect their property from every
danger, from Whatever source the same may
come.
s. The Democratic party looks with ap'
prehension upon the fact that foreign rail
way corporations have acquired control OF
the railways of Texas in violation of the
provision OF the constitution and protests
against the methods by which they are be-
ing operated. We pledge ourselves to pass law
to correct the abuses and prevent unjust dis
elimination, to compel railways doing bus
iness in this state to maintain offices in the
state, in compliance with section three, srti.
Gle 232, Of the constitution, and We pledge
ourselves 10 secure by law the right OF the
state to inspect all books belonging or ap-
pertaining TO the organization, operation
and business of the railways Of Texas. We
protest against the consolidation of parallel
aud competing lines in the state and pledge
ourselves that laws shall be passed and en-
forced 10 correct this evil. We pledge our
selves to pass general laws forfeiting 10 the
state I'll lands heretofore granted 20 rail-
way corporations, where such corporations
have failed 10 comply With the terms Of
their charters, or have failed in good faith
20 ALLEVIATE their lands within the period
fxsd By Law.
9. We believe that stockholders in private
corporations should be held liable to pay
the debts of s1ch corporations 10 the amount
due On their stock. and an additional amount
sqnai % the sock Ornsi b. them. sni that
ths le-isiaturs EbaI reZa'ats AID hr TIE
terms gpon Which private corp0ratious nay
90 bus1rs-s o. tis safe. aui that laws sail
ts rasssd prohibiting oorporatio1s not cha--
tsred bv flls lsus of tbs slsts buyinz a.
Isssfnr p1bIic la1is of this ststs o. auy q
"a a.h1ol "a re-sfF o. 1s~l1-1 ianis
%. We tsisrl lhst t,s sristirE lsT -
tlss s-ats fOr tta prc-setio1 u. msetsrics