Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1888-06-08

But Indiana was not silent Just befoT
the convention was called to order lou
whoop was heard to come from the uppe
gallery and an enthusiastic Gray man wa
seen to unfurl and allow to hang futterin
| down roll of gray muslin several yards i
length, and the adherents of the INDIANA
rewarded his efforts with a succession G
cries and hurrahs. OF course, the Thurma
men could not let the incident go by withou
a counter demonstration, and a cry for THU
man met every shout for Gray
The first business taken up was the plat
form, which was ready and which Henri.
| WattersOn and Senator German had charg
| Of Watterson was the spokesman, and b
| said the document had been adopted unani
mously by the committee Secretary Petit
| read it as follows:
| The Democratic party OF the United States, III
national convention assembled, renews the pledge
| of its fidelity to Democratic faith, and reaffirm
the platform adopted by its representatives in TIN
| convention of 1881, and endorses the views tex
| pressed by President Cleveland in his last annua
message to congress as the correct Interpretation
of that platform upon the question of tariff reduc
| ton; and also endorses the efforts of our Demo
cratic representatives in congress to secure
reduction of taxation. Chief among its principles
| of party faith are the maintenance OF an iudis
soluble union of free and indestructible states
now about to enter upon its second century of un
eXamlled progress and FeDoWn, ueVOplOn 10 I
| plan of government regulated by a written con
sttution strictly specifying every granted power
and expressly reserving to the states or people
the entire ungranted residue of power the en-
enlargement of jealous popular vigilance, di
rected TO all who have been chosen for brief terms
to enact and execute the laws, and are charged
with the duty OF preserving peace, ensrring
equality and establishing Justice. The Democratic
party welcome eXacting scrutiny OF the ad
minstration of the executive power, which fouI
H., al.
ton of Grover Cleveland president of the United
States, and it challenges the most searching ill.,
uuiTy concerning its fidelity and devotion to the
pledges which then invited the suifrages of the
people
During a most critical period of our financial
affairs, resulting from overtaXation, the anomal-
Gus condition of our currency, and public debt
unmatured it has by the adoption of wise
and conservative course, not only averted dis
aster, but greatly promoted the prosperity OF the
people. 1t has reversed the improvident and Jun
wise policy of the Republican party touching the
public domain and has reclaimed from corpora
lions and syndicates alien and domestic, and re-
stored to the people, nearly lOO,NOOOO acres OF
valuable land to be sacredly held as homesteadS
for our citizens.
While carefully guarding the interests of the
taxpayers, and conforming strictly to the princi-
pies Of Justice and equity, it has paid out more
for pensions and bounties to the soldiers and sail
ors of the republic than was ever paid before dur
ing equal period
BY intelligent management and u judcious and
economical expenditure of the public money, it
has set foot the reconstruction of the American
navy upon system that forbds the recurrence
of scandal and insures successful results.
1t has adopted and consistently pursued firm
and prudent foreign policy, preserving peace with
alp nations while scrupuously maintaining all
the rights and interests Of our own government
and people at home and abroad. The exclusion
from our shores of Chinese laborers has been eff
fact a
treaty, the operation of which has been postponed
by the action of Republican majority in the
senate.
Honest reform in the civil service has been
inaugurated and maintained by President Cleve-
land, and he has brought the public service to the
highest standard of efficiency, not only by rue
and precept but by the example of his own I'M
firing and unselfish administration of public af-
fairs.
In every branch and department of the gov.
eminent under Democratic control the rights
and the welfare of all the people have beer
guarded and defended; every public interest has
been protected, and the equality Of all our citi'
zens before the law, without regard to race or
color has been steadfastly maintained.
Upon its record thus exhibited, and upon the
pledge of a continuance to the people of the ben
Gifts of good government, the national Demo
cracy invokes a renewal of popular trust by the
reelection of chief magistrate who has been
faithful able and prudent, They invoke in addi-
ton to that trust the transfer to the Democracy
of the entire legislative power.
The Republican party, controlling the senate,
and resisting in both houses of congress refor-
nation of unjust and unequal tax laws, which
have outlasted the necessities of war and are now
the abundance of a long peace deny
to the people equality before the law and the
fairness aud the justice which ere their right.
Thus the cry of American labor for better share
Of the rewards of industry is stifed with false
$ enterprise is fettered and bound down
to home markets, capital is disturbed with
doubt, and unequal, unjust laws can neither be
amended nor repealed.
The Democratic party will continue with all
the power contided to it to struggle to reform |
these laws in accordance with the pledges of its
last platform Endorsed at the ballot-box by the |
sufrages of the people.
Of all the industrious freemen of our land an |
immense majority, including every tiller of the |
soil, gain no advantage from excessive tax laws;
but the price of nearly everything they buy is in
creased by the favoritism of an unequal system of
tax legislation. All unnecessary taxation is I'M |
just taxation 1t is repugnant to the creed of
that by such taxation the cost of the
necessaries of life should be unjustly increased to
all our people. Judged by Democratic principles |
the interests of the people are betrayed, when by
taxation, trusts and combinations
are permitted and fostered which win unduly en-
rich the few that combine to rob the many OF our
citizens by depriving them of the benefit of nat
ural competition Every democratic rule of gov.
necessary taxation vast sum of money, far be
yond the needs of an economical administration, is
drawn FROM the people and the channels of trade |
and accumulated as demoralizing surplus in the
national treasury The money now lying idle In the
federal treasury resulting from superiiuous taxa
ton amounts TO more than Sis, 600 600; and the
surplus collected is reaching the sum of more
Than StO,WOboO annually Debauched by this
great temptation, the remedy OF the Republican
party is to meet and exhaust il by extravagant
expenditures. The Democratic remedy is to enforce
'Fusality III public expenditures, and abolish I'M
necessary taxation. Our established domestic
and enterprises should not and need
not be endangered by a reduction ami correction
d the burdens of taxation. On the contrary a
ar and careful revision of our tax laws with due
allowance for the difference between the wages of
american and foreign labor, mus permit and en-
outrage every branch of such industry and enter
prlse by giving them assurance of an extended
market and steady and continuous operation. In
he interest of American labor, which should ip