Reporter and farmer. [volume] (Webster, Day County, Dakota [S.D.]) 188?-1946, 1888-05-24
MINNESOTA DEMOCRATS.
rhev Meet In Convention. Make a
Truce and Build Platform.

Truoe and Build a Platform.
The Democrats OF Minnesota have Tor
some time been troubled by war oee ..
| the Michael Doran and DR.. Ames iooting.
| and vigorous contest was looked Tor ~
/ the State Convention which met St- faui.
| But in chat the people were disappointed,
| for though there was a lively shuttle the
ieud was partially healed by tne
T! election OF both Doran and Ames 10 tns
| st. Louis Convention. The Delegates anu
alternates were as follows
| Delegates at large: Michael Doran. 81 lie
| Si:aur. Albert A. Aines, of Hennep In; Rob
| ert A. Smith, OF Ramsey; John Ludwig Oh
Winona.
Frank I. Morse. Heunepin; e. w. Du-
| rant, Washington; William Quinn, WriHnt'
John Adams, Dodge.
TIL PLATFORM.
The following resolutions were passed
The Democrats of Minnesota. in harmony
| with the Democracy of the Union, declare
| that the longer continuance OF taxes ievleo
| for the conduct of a war which ended nearly
| quarter century ago Is needless anu III
| justihable burden upon the people Oh TINS
| country. 400
To the already accumulated Sloo,oVU,-
| 600 surplus lying unused and useless 10 the
treasury there is being added unoer our e1
| istiny revenue laws an increasing surplus OF
| $50 600 900 each year. This money II not
| needed for any legitimate purposes OF gov
eminent; it is Withdrawn from circniation,
| il plays no part in the business TRANSACTIONS
| of the people; 1t is constant temptation;
standing inducement for schemes OF piunuer
and corrupt extravaganza.
We demand as a right that the people shall
| be at once and forever relieved from ibis uh-
| necessary and oppressive burden. Super-
| fiuous taxation In tyranny.
The time has come for a thorough revision
| and radical reduction of the existing reVe-
nue taxes We insist that this work be at
| once began and speedily consummated Win
out farther evasion or delay; and that IN the
doing of il the following principles shall De
| adhered to as the true basis OF genuine reVe-
nue. reform. viz
First-That taxation is not public bless
| ing, nor an element of national prosperity
That while sufficient revenue should at all
times be collected for the support OF an eco
nomical government in the discharge OF its
| legitimate functions for the payment Oh tne
nnblic debt and liberal pensions to deserv-
| ing veterans of the Union armies, not one
dollar of superfiuous tax should be imposed
| for the purpose of enhancing the prices OF
commodities consumed by the people, ana
as a tribute to the private business OF
| favored few
Second-That whatever taxation it may be
necessary to retain for governmental pur-
poses should be imposed as far as practical
| BILE upon articles of luxury and induigences
which mainly minister TO the enjoyment Oh
| the rich and the habits of the dissolute
Third-That the taxes should De greatly
| reduced and when practicable, altogether
| abolished upon all articles and materials IN
| such general use as to be rightly classsd as
necessaries for our people, which are essen
tial to their health, comfort and prosperity,
which enter into their domestic life, their
industrial pursuits, and their personal hap
| piness ~
Fourth-That the purchasing power OF the
products of our labor shall he no longer
| diminisled by 4 tax upon the things for
which we exchange these products; the
value of what we sell no longer curtalled py
| enhancing the cost of what we buy with the
proceeds of our sales; that tax upon ini-
ports is in effect tax upon exports, ana tnat
| the best way to render our agricultural and
manufacturing industries profitable ana
prosperous is to Increase the purchasing
power OF their products in the markets OF the
world by abolishing taxes upon the things
purchased.
Fifth-That our foreign and internal com
! merce should be increased and the cost OF
| transportation reduced by repeating taxes
| upon the materials which enter into the con-
| struction and equipment OF the railways and
| marine
Sixth-That our manufacturing industries
| should nave the benefit of untaxed raw ma
| terials used by them, thus enabling them TO
| dispose of their surplus products In other
markets than our own
Seyenth-That the workingmen in those
| industries should have that steady employ
ment and fair remuneration which can never
| exist SO long as the sale of the products OF
| their labor is confined to the limited de-
| mands of an easily overstocked home market
Eighth-That the cunningly complicated
system of specific and ad volorem duties
| upon the same article. whereby the heaviest
| taxation is imposed upon the cheaper grades
of materials used mainly by our working
people, should be wholly abandoned, a3d the
| millionaire compelled to pay at least an
| equal percentage of taxation with the poor
est laborer
individually, that all taxation shall be
| equal and impartial; that our people shall
have free access to the markets of the world
| to buy as well to sell to the best advantage
and with equal terms with the peoples of
| other lands; that cur power to produce and
| our ability TO purchase shall no longer be
| confined to a monopolized home market, in
huenced by combinations and at the mercy
/ of pools and trusts.
| This is what we mean by revenue reform
Ghe existing traffic was created and is now
maintained by the aggregated selfishness of
| tue particular interests which have so long
| and bounteouSly fattened upon its profits
Originally imposed q necessary Swar
| measure" it has since been perpetuated and
| its enormities concealed by deluding a credu-
J lous people with false issues and keeping
| alive the sectional hatreds engendered by
| the war. For more than twenty years the
bloody shirt has protected protection" from
| scrutiny and popular indignation. A COM
| bination OF favored monopolists, so power
| full aud so deeply interested in the mainte-
| nance Of such system is not to be easily
broken Inch by inch the cause of reform
must win its way. We therefore welcome
! and endorse the Mills bill now pending in
congress as the first aggressive advance
| which deserves the united support of ali
men who honestly favor revenue reform.
While we recognize the growing sentiment
| for tariff reform among the Republican vot-
ers of Minnesota. we hereby cali their at
| tention to the recent utterance of the plat
| form adopted by the late Republican state
! convention-a platform which makes no
! demand for a reduction of tariff taxes, but
| is an outspoken endorsement of protective
tariff. But we respectfully suggest to them
| that such reform is not to be expected a
| the hands of men who are benefciaries o
| the abuses to be reformed, but can only com
from those who are in hearty sympathy Wit
| the reform to be accomplished.
In conformity with these principles
| specify as among the articles which shouI
be placed upon the free list salt coal lum-
| Der, sugar, iron and steel, glass, binding
Irvine material, drugs and medicines wool
| and all wearing apparel, carpets and house
| hold goods. tools, implements and ma
| chineIy used in agricultural and mechanical
employments, and all raw materials con
| sumed by our manufactures
While we are not unmindful of the grow
| ing interest of the people of the State of
| Minnesota in this great question, we declare
| our firm conviction that tariff reduction is
| not a local issue merely, but one of trans
| cendent national Importance affecting
the prosperity, welfare and happiness of ali
| the people of the whole country; it was
| made so by the fearless ahd uIequivocal no
sition assumed by President Cleveland in his
| last annual message. Taliff reform unCer
| his leadership is the vital, single issue of the
present campaign. With such cause under
| such q leader we cannot fail