Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1889-09-20
Democratic Platform.

AhC iOiOWiHS 10 euC pAdtiOi III tsuOpC
ed by the Democratic State Conven-
ton at Ellensburg, Sept. 9th:
The Democratic party of Washing
ton, by its representatives in Conven
ton assembled, do declare:
We unqualifedly approve the Ad-
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 ap-
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
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
oppress the weak and struggling in
dustries, and so as to tax the great la
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.
No orro.vv, xhn DoD,,11soov -
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 we'll
being of the State, and it is our duty to
preserve inviolate the school fund
afforded by the munifcent grant of
school lands made by the General Gov
ernment in the enabling act.
The Constitution of the State should
be 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 eearner, 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 a 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-