The Londonderry sifter. (South Londonderry, Vt.) 1883-19??, 1888-06-14
What They Say About The Democratic
Platform.


In this declaration, the whole elab-
crate reasoning of President Cleve-
lands message against any reduction
of the internal revenue is pitched over
board.-New York Sun, Dem.
1t is idle to call the Democratic
tariff plank compromis. 1t is sim
ply bungling effort to deceive and
to capture protectionists votes for the
purpose of inaugurating a free trade
policy. Boston Advertiser, Rep.
The Presidents extraordinary ac-
ton in fearlessly forcing the question
of tariff reform had the effect, as the
World said in December, of 'sfurnish-
ing the party with what it had long
lacked-an issue and leader
The party has rechosen the leader
and accepted the issue.-New York
World, Dem.
Mr.. Cleveland proposes absolute
free trade for all wool growers, num-
bering one million, on the false theo-
~ that a manufacture employing a
quarter of a million persons will be
benefited. Free trade believes that
the few cannot be helped except by
abandoning the many to the crushing
influence of unrestrained foreign COM
petition. The President, his party
in Congress, and his party in conven-
ton, are on one side. Oregon is on
the other side, and every other free
state will also be, if Chicago makes
the right answer to St. Louis.-New
York Tribune, Rep.
The platform adopted by the Dem
and creditable in almost everything
that it contains it is still more nota-
Bile and utterly discreditable for its
deliberate omission Of any indorse-
ment of civil service reform. I'm
doubtedly for this most discreditable
condition Of the party the President
is in great part responsible, though
not by failure to exact from the con.
vention positive pledge of support
for his reform policy that is not his
way, and it ought not to be; but his
failure to prove to his party by firm
and consistent enforcement of his pol
icy where his own partisans were in
volved, that his devotion to his prin
ciples was immovable and uncomprom
Using New York Times, Mugwump
The platform, in it's formation ant
crystalization, is the one weak featur,
of the convention. Its tariff plank
which is broad enough and heav,
enough to cover and hold down tn
earth, is the result of compromise
between the old school of politica
tricksters and new school of those VIII,
mean what they say, in which the new
school have the better of it. If thu
Presidents message is the correct in
depreciation of the plank of 1884
then we know exactly what that many
faced enigma means. 1t is explicit
1t defines the issue in a way not to b,
mistaken and for that reason it give.
the party a good start on solid ground
But the rigmarole that follows is al
dull and as circuitous as a state pa
per of Buchanan's. That the platform
committee did not correctly represen
the convention in its wrangling owe
the tariff plank would seem to b,
shown by the hearty adoption of
resolution commencing the bill an,
efforts of the Democrats in Congress
: By this we are to understand that tn
old Mills bill Oh the present one il
5 its amended form or any other form
l shaped by Democrats is Endorsed
This abundantly covers the situation
< In 1884 the Democracy claimed t
e favor honest civil service reform
S Now they say we have had it. An
S so they endorse the Presidents earl
: fidelity to that reform, and we ca
e well believe, from the temper of tn
: delegates, that the Endorsement weigh
: heavier on the lack than on the fulfil
. ment. Here is the opportunity of tn
e Republicans. But denunciation alon
e of the way the reform has been carrie
, on of late does not constitute it. J
!. positive and explicit statement of th
e position ON this question held by tbs
:. party, and q pledge as to the perform