Democratic Northwest. [volume] (Napoleon, Ohio) 1869-1894, 1886-09-09
THE NORTHWEST
THE PLATFORM.
An Admirable Document of Great
Strength and With the True Demo-
cratic Ring-A Rallying Pa
per for the People.

The Democracy of Ohio, in conven-
ton assembled, congratulates the coun-
try upon the fact that the party of the
people has been restored to power, and
with it the promises Of its leaders and
hopes of its followers are being fully
realized.
2. We cordially endorse the admins
tration of President Cleveland, as we be-
lieve the people Of all parties are con-
WINGED that his official conduct has
been marked by great courage and
honesty, and we join with him in his
efforts to secure genuine and perma-
nent reform In every branch and de-
partment of the public service.
8. We express our sincere sorrow and
acknowledge our great loss by the death
of that distinguished soldier, orator and
statesman, Gen. Durbin Ward. We bear
testimony to his courage, integrity and
patriotism, and realize that we are in
debted to him for wise counsel and fear
less advocacy of our cause in our
campaigns for many years. We join
with the Democrats of the country
In mourning over the still more re-
cent loss Of that illustrious man,
Samuel j. Tilden, who bycommon con-
sent was for many years the leader of
the Democracy of America, and who
was honestly and fairly elected the nine
teenth President of the United States.
We also lament the death of those
other distinguished Democrats, Thomas
A. Hendricks, the idol and trusted lead
er for so many years of the Democrats
of Indiana, and at the time of his death
Vice President of the United States;
also of George B. Mcclellan, Horatio
Seymour and Winfield Scott Hancock,
who have all been our leaders in con-
tests for the highest Office within the
gift of our people, and whose courage,
wisdom and patriotism have made them
dear to every true American. The
names and the careers of these men
remind us that as long as we follow
their examples and initiate their vir-
tues SO long shall we have brilliant
leadership and our cause and party be
preserved.
4. Taxes should not be collected be-
yond the needs ofgovernment economi-
cally administered, and we hereby re-
affirm the principles laid down in our
last National platform upon the tar
if question, and demand a thorough
and just revision of existing tariff laws
in accordance with these principles.
We heartily approve the policy of
paying out the surplus revenues hereto
fore accumulated in the Treasury, on
the interest-bearing debt and pensions
to disabled soldiers and their widows.
5. Every dollar of unnecessary taxa
ton, State or National, is robbery, and in
derogation of the rights of the people.
An unnecessary surplus in the treasury
is an incentive to corruption and Con-
gressional jobbery, and an oppression of
the people whose money is thus lock-
ed up beyond their control. The pros
perity of a country must necessarily de-
pend largely upon the harmonious rela-
tions between labor and capital, and we
favor the principle of arbitration in the
settlement of all differences between
these great interests.
6. We denounce the attempt to change
the measure of values In the face of the
worlds vast debts from gold and silver
to gold alone, as an act of monstrous in
justice, and demand that both gold and
silver, as established by the Constitution
shall be maintained as the basis of our
money system.
UuC Vi tLc DGLIlU-
cratic House of Congress in forfeiting
and restoring to the public domain for
h0mesGeads for actual settlers nearly a
hundred millions of acres of unearned
lands heretofore granted by Republican
Congresses to railroad corporations, and
we also approve the act preventing
alien ownership in large tracts of public
lands In the United States.
8. We approve the prompt, firm and
vigorous action of the present Demo-
cratic administration in the protection of
American citizens in foreign counties.
8. In common with the Democracy of
the country we express our sympathy
with Ireland and her great struggle for
home rule. The friends of liberty
throughout the world are deeply inter
ested in the effort which the supporters
Of Gladstone and Parnell are now MAX
Ing to give the right to govern them
selves to the long-suffering and greatly
wronged Irish people, and we sincerely
hope the struggle of Ireland for her just
rights shall be crowned with complete
success.
10. We denounce the usurpations of
the Republican Lieutenant Governor
and less than quorum of Republican
Senators of the State Senate as acts of
revolution, and grave crime against
the constitution of Ohio and a preced-
ent too dangerous to be permitted to pass
uncondemed by the people of the State.
IL. We demand that every safeguard
Of the ballot shall be maintained, that
the votes of the people shall be honestly
cast and honestly counted, and that
every crime against the purity of the
ballot box shall be promptly and vigor-
ously punished whenever and by whom
soever committed.
12. We denounce and condemn the
partizan reorganization of the penal and
benevolent institutions of the State, not
made with view to increase the effici-
ency of their management, but with the
intent to control their revenues and in
oidental powers for partisan purposes
thus dragging down to the basest uses
the willing gifts of generous people
for the amelioration of the condition of
the unfortunate.
IS. Wea opposed to an increase in
the tax burdens upon the agricultural
interests of the State of Ohio as recon-
mended by Governor Foraker in his
special message to the Legislature and
embodied in bills now pending before
that body, and demand that the un-
taxed wealth now withheld from taxa
taxation by evasion and artifice shall be
placed upon the tax duplicate, thereby
relieving those taxpayers who are al