Daily Texarkana Democrat. (Texarkana, Ark.) 1890-1894, 1892-10-03
National Democratic Platform
Adopted by the National Democratic
Convention at Chicago, June
21st, 1892.

Section l. The representatives of the
DeMocrafic party of the United States, in
National Convention assembled, do reafirm
their allegiance to the principles of the par.
ty as tormulate1 by Jefferson and ezempli-
ned by long and illustrious line of his sue
cessorS in Democratic leadership from Mad
lson to Cleveland. We believe that the pub
lie welfare demands that these principles be
applied to the conduct OF the Federal Gov
eminent through the accession to power of
the party that advocates them; and we sol.
EMMY declare that the need of a return 10
these fundamental principles of free pop
ular government based on home rule and
individual liberty was never more than now,
when the tendency to centralze all power
at the Federal Capital has become menace
TO the reserved rights ofthe States that strike
at the very roots of our Government under
the Constitution as framed by the Republic.
as 70 THE FORCE BILL.
Sec. 2, We warn the people of our com
mon country, jealous for the preservation Of
their free institutions, that the policy of Fed
eral control of elections, to which the Re-
publican party has committed itself, is
fraught with the grsvest dangers, scarcely
less momentous that would result from a
revolution, practically establishing monar-
chy en- the ruins Of the Republic.
1t strikes at the North as well as the South
and injuries the colored citizens even more
than the whites. 1t means a horde of dep
uty marshals at every polling place, armed
with Federal power, returning boards APP
1ointed and controlled by Federal author
itY, the outrage OF the electoral rights OF the
people in the several States, the subjugQtion
u the coored people to the control Of the
oarsy in power and the reviving of race an
tagonsm, now happily abated, Of the utmost
peril to the safety and happiness OF all; a
measure deliberately and justly described by
a leading Republican Senator ''as the most
infamous bill that ever crossed the thresh
old of the Senate" such policy, if sane
Toned by law, would mean the dominance
Of selt -perpetuating oligarchy of office
holders, and the party first entrusted with
its machinery could be dIslodged from pow
er only by an appeal to the reserved right
Of the people to resist oppression which is
inherent in all self-governing communities.
Two years ago this revolutionary power
was emphstically CONDEMNED by the people
at the polls; butin contempt of that verdict
the Republican party has defantly declared
in its latest authoritative utterance that its
succe SIN the coming election will mean
the enac ment OF the force bill and theusur-
patton of despotic control over elections in
all the States.
Believing that the pTeser alton OF repu6-
lican government in the United States is
dependent upon the defeat OF this policy O
.egalized force ana fraud, We inyito The
support Of Il citizens who desire to see The
Constitution maintained N its integrity With
The laws pursuant thereto which have given
,ur country hundred years of unexamped
orosperity;and We pledge the Democratic
party, il il be int listed with power, not
lnly to the defeat OF the force bill, hut also
0 resembles opposition to the Repuhicgn
policy Of proligate expenditure, which IN
.he short space OF two years has squanderod
a. enormous surp US and empued IN over.
loving treasury after piliug new burdens o,
.axat on upon the already oyertaZed labor
Of the country