The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1889-09-13
DEMOCRATIC PRINCIPLES.
TARIFF REFORM DEMANDED AND MANY
PoLiTIcAL SINS LAID AT THE Doom
or THE REPUBLICANS.

The following is the platform adopt
ed by the Democratic State Conven-
ton at Harrisburg last week.
The Democracy of Pennsylvania, in
convention assembled, declare:
l. That all powers not expressly
granted to the general government are
withheld, and sacred observance of
the rule of construction contained in
Amendment TO the Constitution itself
is essential to the preservation of the
principles of home rule, and of pure,
honest and economical government, to
the end that labor may t be rob oed
of the bread it has earned.
2. We applaud the action of Presi-
dent Cleveland aud our Democratic rep
resentatives in Congress looking to tar
iff reform, we reaffirm the declaration of
principles made by the Democracy of
the Union at st. Louis, in 1888, es-
pecially that demanding a revision and
reduction of tariff taxes for the relief
at once of American labor, American
industries, and American taxpayers,
by the repeal of such tariff taxes as
now invite and protect mouopoly-a
greed that lessons production, lessons
employment of labor, decreases wages
and increases costs to consumers, and
by the admission of raw material free
of duty in all cases where it will en-
large our product, multiply our markets,
and increase demand for labor.
8. We regard trusts, in whatever
form organized, as the result of the
existing monopoly tariff, and we de-
mand the repeal of sJch tariff taxes as
enable them to control domestic pro-
duction, by unlawful combination, and
to extort from the people exhorbitant
prices for their products.
4. We accept tie decision of Penn
sy'vania rendered by the ballot on the
prohibitory amendn ent as a declara-
tion in favor of reasonable, Just and
effective regulation of the traffic in
ardent spirits We hold that the
agreement of the Republican party
through its representatives in the
Legislature to the proposed prohibitory
amendment to the Constitution, and
Its defeat at the polls in spite of the
Republican majority of $4,000 votes,
are facts that establish beyond doubt
the hypocrisy of the Republican lead
ers in their treatment of the question
prohibition.
5. We hold the Republican party
responsible Tor the failure "a failure will
fully and corrU pity incurred--to ehforce
by appropriate legislation "the sixteen
tn aud leventeen.h articles Of the Cons
tuition, desi 3ned to protect the land and
labor, the people, and the industries of
this Commonwealth.
6. We hold the Republican party
responsible for the failure to pass any
law for the relief of the manual labor
ers of the State of Pennsylvania.
I. We hold the Republican party
responsible for the notorious corrup-
tions which have for many years pre-
vailed in the management of the State
Treasury, for the system of deposltiug
loans without interest,", enriching favor.
ties of the ring by the use of public
money, and for the fiagrant violation
of law by the commissioners of the
sinking fund, and we pledge the faith of
the Democratic party that the candidate
this day nominated will, if elected, re-
form these wrongs.
8. That the sufferers by the recent
floods have our sincere sympathy, and
that while we deprecate and condemn
the management on the part of the
State authorities by which relief to
our sorely afflicted fellow citizens has
been unnecessarily delayed, we urge our
representatives in the Legislature to
take such constit ltional action as will
give substantial relief to the stricken
community.
Q. While we favor liberal system
of pensions to such veterans of the
late war as have been honorably dis
charged, and who from wounds or
other physical infirmities have been
rendered unfit for manual or other
labor, we deem it unjust to that large
class Of those faithful soldiers of the
Union who take a just pride in the
heroic achievements of their comrades
in arms that there should be added to
the pension roll the names of any who
are not qualified thereby by reason of
honorable aud faithful service in the
line of duty.