Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1889-09-13
DEMOCRATIC PLATFORM.

III b'iIl'NAdNiG PAAtt vi w dSuIlS
ton, by its representatives in Conven
ton assembled, do declare:
We unqualifedly approve the AID
ministration of President Cleveland
and we congratulate the country upon
the prosperity enjoyed under it and
upon the reforms inaugurated by this
true apostle of Democracy, and we APP
preciate the declaration of principles
made by the National Democracy in
st, Louis in 1888.
Sums of money to meet the regular
annual expenses OF the Government,
building and maintenance of the navy
and other great national works, and
the payment of vast appropriations for
pensions, requires revenue of such
enormous proportions that we believe
a tariff for these objects wisely made
and adjusted will afford all the protec-
ton needed by deserving industries of
the country, and we arraign the Re-
publican party for organizing tariff
to foster unnecessary monopolies, to
Cypress the weak and struggling in
dustries, and so as to tax the great Ia
boring masses for the enrichment of
plutocracy and monopolists in order
that the "fat may be fried out OF
them" with which to run the party's
corrupt national campaigns.
We arraign the Republican party
for its duplicity by violence toward the
laboring masses in the last national
campaign, by which it cajoled, hood
winked and coerced many of them into
support OF its ticket, through the me-
dunn of falsehood as to the Democratic
policy and intentions, by pay envelopes
and other nefarious devices, and by
frauds and tricks, and we denounce
plutocrats and monopolists who control
the policies and destinies of the party
for their bad faith towards their de-
ceived victims displayed Immediately
after election day, when an almost uni
versal reduction of wages or discharg-
ing OF workingmen was made through
out the mining and manufacturing dis
/ tricts :.
Standing on the verge of Statehood,
/ and about to assume the manifold
duties and responsibilities of State
Government, we declare that among the
important issues before the people at
this election are to secure pure and
economical administration OF State and
county government, and the most per-
feet management and care of valuable
school and other lands OF the State
to foster an efficient system OF free COM
mon schools is necessary for the well
being of the State, and it is our duty to
preserve inviolate the school fund
afforded by the munificent grant of
school lands made by the General Gov
eminent in the enabling act.
The Constitution of the State should
be a non-partisan document, therefore
the people ought to be left free to
pass on the Constitution for the State
of Washington without the influence
of political parties. 1t is the duty OF
the legislature of the State to enact
such laws as shall fully preserve and
protect the rights of the labOrer and
wage-earner, and to encourage and
foster the best business interests and
productive industries OF the State.
We demand the enactment by the
legislature of laws so regulating
the opening, working and inspection
of mines, that the ventilation and
safety thereof may be secured and the
lives of miners protected.
The Chinese exclusion act, known
as the Scott law, is Democratic
measure which, properly enforced,
solves the vexed question of Chinese
immigration, and we condemn the
construction of that law by the pres
ent Republican Administration, by
which its beneficial effects are de-
stroyed and the laws nullified.
We regard tourists, in whatever
form organized, as the legitimate re-
suit of our present tariff, and We de-
nand the repeal or re-adjustment OF
all such tariff taxes to enable them
to extort from the people exorbitant
prices for the products they control.
The Democratic party of this State
demands an appropriation by the
General Government OF sufficient
funds to speedily open the great
Columbia river to navigation from one
end to the other, and pledges its Rep
resentative in Congress, if elected, to
labor to that end, and condemns the
dilatory and wasteful course of the
Republican party with respect thereto.
We demand the improvement by the
General Government of Gray's Harbor
and other harbors and waterways of
the State and the early establishment
of all necessary coast defenses.
We condemn the policy inaugurated
under Republican rule by which vast
areas of the public DOMAIN, the heri-
tage of the people, was granted to cor
porations and landed monopolies,
thereby established. We demand that
all such grants heretofore made, not
earned in strict accordance with the
granting acts, be restored to the pub
lie domain, and that they be opened to
entry and settlement in small holdings
by actual settlers under the public
laws of the United States, confirming.
however, to actual residents of the
State, the title to lands purchased by
them in good faith; and we heartily
indorse the action to that end taken
by the Democratic majority in the
House of Representatives, and we de-
nounce the obstructive action of the
Republican Senate in defeating the
righteous measures of the Democratic
House, and we especially arraign the
Republican party of !, this Territory for
its vacillating, inconsistent and insin-
cere course upon this subject.
The allotment of lands in severality
to Indians is Democratic policy, and,
properly pursued will result in the
opening of large tracts now embraced
in Indian reservations in this State,
and we pledge our representatives in
Congress to the support of such policy,
and the speedy restoration OF all un-
necessary portions, of such lands to
settlement under the land laws of the
United States. !
We favor the passage of just laws in
conformity with and for the purpose
of carrying into effect the provisions
of section Is of article XII of the pro.
posed State Constitution in relation to
charges for passengers and freight, and
that such laws shall. fully protect the
people from oppression and discrimi-
nation, and be at the same time Just
and fair to the capital invested in
transportation enterprises, and provide
| for tho cpaod,r adiustmaDt nj all diffar-