The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1888-06-13
CLEVELAND'S CONVENTION.
Continued From Third Page.
THE PLATFORM.

THE PLATFORM.
The democratic party of the United States in
national convention assembled. renews the
pledge of its fidelity to democratic faith and
reafirms the platform adopted by its represen-
tetives in the convention of 1884 and endorses
the views expressed by President Cleveland in
his last earnest message to congress as the cor
rect Interpretation of that platform upon the
question of tariff reduction and also endorses
the efforts of our democratic representatives in
congress to secure a reduction of excessive
taxation. Chief among its principles OF party
faith are the maintaining of the indissoluble
union of free and indestructible states now
about to enter upon its second century OF I'M
exampled progress and renown; devotion to
plan of government regulated by a written
constitution strictly specifying every granted
power and expressly reserving to the states or
people, the entire ungranted residue of power;
the encouragement of jealous popular vigil
lance, directed toward all who have been
chosen for brief terms TO enact and execute
laws and are charged with the duty of preserv-
ing peace, insuring equality and establishing
Justice.
The democratic party welcome an exacting
scrutiny of the administration of the executive
power, which four years ago was committed to
its trust in the election of Grover Cleveland
president of the United States, and it challenges
the most searching inquiry concerning Its hdel-
ity and devotion to the pledges which then in
vited the suffrages of the people. During
most critical period of our financial affairs,
sulting from over taxation, the anomalous condi-
ton of our currency and a public debt I'M
matured, it has by the adoption of wise and
conservative course not only arrested disaster
but greatly promoted the prosperity of the pee
pie. Ii has reversed the improvident and un-
wise policy of the republican party touching
the public domain and has reclaimed from cor
porations and syndicates, alien and domestic,
and restored to the people nearly one hundred
millions of acres of valuable land to be sacredly
held as homesteads for our citizens.
While carefully guarding the principles OF
Justice and equity il has paid out more for
pensions and bounties to the soldiers and sail
of the republic than was ever paid before
during an equal period
1t has adopted and persistently pursued
firm and prudent foreign policy, preserving
maintaining all the rights and interests of our
own government and people at home and
abroad. The exclusion from our shore of Chi
nese iaborers has been effectually secured un-
der the provision of treaty, the operation of
which has been postponed by the action OF a
republican majority in the senate.
Honest reform in the civil service has been
inaugurated and maintained by President
Cleveland and he has brought the public SER
vice to the highest standard OF efficiency, not
only by rule and precept but by the example
OF his own untiring and unselhsh administra-
ton of public affairs.
In every branch and department of the gov
eminent under democratic control, the rights
and the welfare of all the people have been
guarded and defended; every public interest
has been protected and the equality of all our
citizens before the law, without regard to race
color, has been steadfastly maintrined.
Upon its record thus exhibited, and upon the
pledge OF a continuance TO the people of its
benefits, the democracy invokes a renewal of
popular trust by the reelection of a chief mag
istrate who has been faithful, able and prudent.
They invoke an addition to the trust by the
transfer also to the democracy of the entire
legislative power. The republican party
trolling the senate and resisting in both houses
of congress q reformation of unjust and I'M
equal tax laws, which have outlasted the neces-
sites OF war and are now undermining the
abundance of a long peace, deny TO the people
equality before the law and the fairness and
the justice which are their right Then the cry
of American labor for better share in the re-
wards of industry is stihed with false pretenses
enterprise is fettered and bound down to home
markets; capital is discouraged with doubt, and
unequal and unjust laws can neither be prop
erly amended nor repealed. The democratic
party will continue, with all the power con-
tded TO il, 10 struggle to reform these laws in
accordance with the pledges of its last plat
form, indorsed Mt the ballot-box by the suf-
frages of the people. OF all the industrious
freemen of our land, the immense majority,
including every tiller of the soil gain no adj
vantage from excessive tax laws but the price
of nearly everything they buy is increased by
the favoritism of an unequal system OF taxa
ton.
1t is repugnant to the creed of democracy
that by such taxation the cost of the neces-
saries of life are uniustifably increased to all
our people. Judged by democratic principles,
the interests OF the people are betrayed when,
by unnecessary taxation, trusts and combina-
tons are permitted to exist, which, while
unduly enriching the few that combine, rob
the body Of our citizens by depriving them of
the benefits OF natural competition. Every
democratic rule of governmental action is vio-
lated when, through unnecessary taxation, n
vast sum of money, far beyond the needs of an
economical administration, is drawn from the
people and the channels of trade and aceumu-
lated as demoralizing surplus in the national
treasury. The money now lying idle in the
federal treasury, resulting from superfiuous
taxation, amounts to more than $40, 0OO,OOO,
and the surplus collected is reaching the sum
of more than S600,00000 annually. Debauched
by this immense temptation, the remedy of the
republican party is to meet and exhaust by ex-
travagant appropriations and expenses, whether
constitutional or not, the accumulation of ex-
travagant taxation. The democratic policy is
to enforce frugality in public expense and
abolish unnecessary taxation. Our established
domestic industries and enterprises should not
and need not be endangered by the reduction
and correction of the burdens of taxation. On
the contrary, fair and careful revision OF our
tax laws, with due allowance for the difference
between wages and foreign labor must promote
and encourage every branch of such industries
and enterprises, by giving them assurance of
an extended market and steady and continuous
operation. In the interests of American labor,
which should in no event be neglected, the
vision of our tax laws contemplated by the
democratic party should promote the advan-
tage Of such labor by cheapening the cbst of
the neccssaries of life i'm the home Of every
workingman, and at the same time securing to
him steady and remunerative employment.
Upon this question of tariff reform so closely
concerning every phase OF our national life,
and upon every question involved in the prob
lem OF good government, the democratic party
submits il principles and professions 10 the in
telligent suffrage Of the American people.
nEIIRRRATIVE ROnX