Democratic Northwest. [volume] (Napoleon, Ohio) 1869-1894, 1890-06-12
The rnInoIs Democrats.

The Democrats Of Illinois met in STATE
Convention last week and adopted a ringing
platform. The planks adopted begin by re.
Affirming the Democratic National Plat.
form of 1888, and follow with this tariff
plank:
"Realizing that tariff is a tax, we insist
now as heretofore that such revenue as is re.
quired to honestly and economically admin
lister the Government, should be raised from
internal revenue taxes and duties on articles
Of luxury, thus attempting and making
cheaper all articles needed by the masses Of
the people"
The platform then denounces the admis-
sion Of the Republican Senators from Mon.
tana as fraud, arrai9ns the Republican
party for not equalizing State taxes so as 70
compel large corporations and trusts TO pay
their portion of the common burden, de-
mands the abolition of truck stores and in.
sists upon the numerous other specific en-
actments asked by coal miners; favors the
eight hour work day; condemns the McKin-
ley bill as crime and conspiracy to i'm
poVerish the masses and enrich manufacture
ers already millionaires; favors the Aus
tralian ballot system; pledges the Democrat
ic party to reverse the existing policy of de-
posting State funds in banks outside of ILL
nois.
Promises that, unlike now. the interest on
public funds on deposit shall be paid into the
State treasury, and favors the election of
United States Senators and State Railroad
and Warehouse Commissioner by direct vote
of the people. At this point is inserted the
silver coinage plank, which in full is as fol-
lows:
"We demand that all unnecessary restric-
tions be remover from the coinage of sill
ver:"
The platform then denounces the pending
ship subsidy bill in Congress, and advocates
the State preparing and furnishing school
books at actual cost.
In conclusion comes the following:
Resolved, That the Democratic party in
convention assembled, heartily indorses the
public school system of the State of Illinois,
and it declares that the parental right to di-
rect and control the education of the child
should forever remain involiate, and that the
provisions of the law of 1889, commonly
known as the compulsory education statute,
imparing that inalienable right should be at
once repealed.
Respecting this subject, we adopt the fol-
lowing proposition and hold them to be self
evident truths.
l. To determine and direct the educa
ton OF the child is a natural right of the pa
rents.
2. There arises out of this parental right
the duty to provide education.
3. When one who, by natural or humane
law, owes duty to another fails to perform
that duty, the State can
A. Enioin or compel performance.
B. Punish for non performance.
O. Supply the lack where injury of such
performance is wrongfully persisted in.
4. Wise craftsmanship encourages gen.
eral popular education, but this does not
n p m
ference with those who are educating their
children according to the best of their ability
and conformability to the condition in life of
parent and child.
5. Compulsory education in the sense
that parents who violate or neglect their
parent duty may he compelled to its per-
formance or punished for performance
is illicit.
6. Compulsory education in the sense of
controlling or seeking to control or dis
lodging from their rightful place those pa
rents who a~e discharging their personal du-
ties commensurately with the state of life of
parent and child is not allowable even by the
State.
Z. In the education of his children pa
rent may select the public, another may Sc
iect the private of UNCONVENTIONAL school;
still another furnish proper education with
out the aid of any school, and each of the
three in so doing exercise right protected
by the law of the land as well as by the
law of nature, and for doing which he need
offer neither excuse nor apology.
8. The public and private or denomina-
tional schools are in law neither related nor
are they subordinate one to the other, nor
need be antagonistic.
We favor and pledge ourselves to the en-.
actmeut of statutes:
l. To require parents who are not perform
ing their duty in respect to educating their
children to do 80.
2. To correct incorrigible truants by pro-
viding means for their attendance and to
the evils of truancy by sending
truant children to such schools as the parents
may designate.
8. To prohibit child labor with all its de-
basing consequences.