Press and daily Dakotaian. (Yankton, Dakota Territory [S.D.]) 1880-1889, 1888-06-09
THE PLATFORM.

THE PLATFORM.
The Democratic party Of the United
| States, in national convention assembled,
renews it's pledge of fidelity to the Demo-
cratic faith, and reaffirms the platform
adopted byits representatives in the con-
vention of 1884, and endorses the views
expressed by President Cleveland, in his
last annual message to congress, as the
| act and execute the laws and are charged
with the duty Of preserving the peace,
insuring equality and establishing just
ice. The Democratic party welcomes
an exacting scrutiny of the administra-
ton of the executive power, which
| four years ago was committed to its
trust, in the election of Grover Cleye-
land president of the United States, and
| 1t challenges q most searching inquiry
| concerning its fidelity and devotion to
| the pledges which then invited the suf-
frages of the people during q most crit
| ical period of our financial affairs, result
ing from oyer-taxation, the anomalous
condition of our currency, and q public
| debt unmatured. 1t has avoided a disaster
| and greatly promoted the prosperity Of
the people. 1t has reversed the improve
dent and unwise policy Of the Republican
party touching the public domain, and
has reclaimed from corporations and syn
dicates, alien and domestic, and restored
to the people 100, 000, 600 acres OF land,
to be sacredly held as homesteads for our
citizens. While carefully guarding the In
terests of the taxpayers and conforming
strictly to the principles of justice and
equity, 1t has paid out more for pensions
and bounties to soldiers and sailors of
the republic than was ever paid before
during an equal period. BY intelligent
management and judicious and conom-
ical expenditure Of public money, 1t has
set on foot the reconstruction
OF the American navy upon a
| system which forbids a recurrence
of scandal and insures successful results.
1t has adopted and consistently pursued
a firm and prudent foreign policy, pre-
serving peace with all nations while
s~crupulously maintaining all the rights
and interests of w government and
people, at home and abroad. The eX-
clusion from our shores of Chinese laboe-
ers has been effectually secured under
the provisions of q treaty, the operation
of which has been postponed by the ac-
ton of the Republican majority in the
| senate. Honest reform In the civil
service has been inaugurated and main
tanned by President Cleveland, and he
has brought the public service to the
highest standard of efficiency, not only
by rule and precept, but by example Of
his own untiring and unseIfish admins
tration of public affairs. In every branch
and department of the government under
Democratic control the rights and wei
fare of all the people have been
guarded and defended. Every public in
| terest has been protected, and equality
l pf n1Jl pl1r ctt3vanH hcfprs tho 1oyT rt,tf1Ls
| out regard to race or color, has BEEN
| steadfasfly maintained. Upon its record
thus exhibited, and upon a pledge of its
continuance to the people of the benefits
Of good government, the national Democ-
racy invokes u renewal of popular trust
by the reelection of a chief magistrate
who has been faithful, able and prudent.
| They invoke, in addition to that trust,
| the transfer to the Democracy of the en-
tire Legislative power. The Republican
party, controlling the senate and resist
! ing in both houses of congress reforma-
lions of unjust and unequal tax laws,
which have ontlasted the necessities of
| war and are now undermining the abund-
ance of a long peace, deny to the people
/ equality before the law and the fairness
and justice which are their right. Thus
the cry of American labor for a better
share of the rewards Of industry is
stifled with false pretepses, enterprise is
fettered and bound down to home
markets, capital is disturbed with doubt,
and the unequal, unjust laws can neither
be properly amended nor repealed. The
| Democratic party will continuc with
all the power confided to it to
struggle to reform these laws in ac-
| cordanee with the pledges of Its last
| platform, endorsed at the ballot box by
the SURFACES of the people. OF all the
industrious freeman of our land, an inn
mense majority, including every tilIer of
the soil, gain III advantage from Excess
sive tax laws; but the price Of nearly
everything they buy is increased by the
fayoritisn of m unequal system of tax
legislation. AL unnecessary taxation is
unjust taxation. 1T is repugnant to the
creed OF Democracy that by such taxation
| the cost of the necessaries of life would
be pnJustly increased to all our people.
Judged by Democratic principles, the in
terests of the people are betrayed when,
by unnecessary taxation, trusts and'com-
binatiops are permitted and fostered
which will undnly enrich the few that
combine to rob our citizens by depriving
them of the benefit Of natural COMPETE
ton. Every Democratic rule Of govern
mental action is violated when, through
unnecessary taxation, a vast sum of
money, far beyond the needs of an econom-
ical administration, Is drawn from the
people and thec channels of trade and aca
cumulated as a d~emoralizing surplus in
the national treasury. The money
now lying idle in the federsl treas
hry, resulting from superf1ueus taxation,
amounts to more than s125, 600, 00G, and
the surplus collected in reaching the sum
Of. more than SOC, 1000, 900 annually. De-
bShched by this immense temptation,
the remedy of the Republican party was
to meet and exhaust it by e~xtravagant
legislation. The Democratic remedy is to
enforce frugality in public expenditure
and abolish unnecessary taxation. Our
established domestic industries and en-
terprises could not and need not be en-
dangered by q reduction and correction
of the burdens of taxation on the coun-
try. A fair and careful revision OF our tax
laws. with due allowance for difference
between the wages of American and for
eign labor, must permit and encourage
every branch of industry and enter
prise by giving them the assurance
of an extended market and steady
and continuous operation. In the
interest of American labor, which should
in no event be neglected, the revision of
Our tax law is contemplated by the Dem
ocratic party, and to promote the ad-
vantage of such labor by cheapening the
necessaries of life in the home of every
w~orkinsman, and at the same time Sc
curing to him steady and re1nuneratiye
employment. Upon this question of tar
i'll reform, 10 closely concerning every
phase of u national life, and upon every