The gold leaf. [volume] (Henderson, N.C.) 1881-1911, 1892-07-07
HENDERSON, NJ G., THURSDAY, JULY Z 1892
DECLARATION OF PRINCIPLES

DECLARATION OF PRINCIPLES
OF THE NATIONAL DEMOCRATIC
PARTY.
Platform On Which it will Achieve
Victory in November Next-AdOpt
ed at the Chicago Convention.
Section I. The representatives OF
the Democratic party Of the United
States, in national convention assem-
bled, do re-afirm their allegiance to
the principles Of the party as formu-
lated by Jefferson and exemplified by
the long and illustrious line OF his
Successors in Democratic leadership
from Madison to Cleveland. We be-
lieve the public welfare demands that
these principles be applied to the con-
duct of the Federal government
through the accession to power of the
party that advocates them, and we
solcmnly declare that the need of a
return to these fundamental principles
of free popular government, based
on home rule and individual liberty,
was never more urgent than now,
when the tendency to centralize all
power at the Federal capital has be-
come a menace to the reversed rights
of the States that strikes at the very
roots Of our government under tho
constitution as framed by the fathers
of the republic.
FORCE BILL.
Section 2. We warn the people
of our common country, jealous for
the preservation of their free institu-
tions, that the policy of Federal con
troll Of elections to which the Repub-
lican party has committed itself is
fraught with the gravest danger,
scarcely less momentous than would
result from a revolution practically
establishing monarchy on the ruins
of republic. 1t strikes at the North
as we'll as the South, and Injuries the
colored citizens even more than the
white it means horde ofdeputy mar
shals at every polling place armed
with FEDERAL power, returning boards
appointed and controlled by Federal
authority, the outrage of the electoral
rights of the people in the several
States, the subjugation of the colored
people to the control of the party in
power and the reviving of race an
tagonism now happily abated, of the
utmost peril to the safety and the
happiness of all, a measure deliberately
and justly described by leading Re-
publican Senator as "the most infa-
nous bill that ever crossed the thresh-
old of the Senate" Such a policy,
if sanctioned by law, would mean the
dominance of a self-perpetuating oil
garchy of ofhceholders, and the party
first entrusted with its machinery could
be dislodged from power only by an
appeal to the reversed right of the
people to resist oppression, which is
inherent in all self-governing commu-
mites. Two years ago this revolution
ary policy was emphatically con-
demned by the people at tine polls,
but in contempt of that verdict tine
Republican party has definatly declared
in its latest authoritative utterance tina,
its success in the coming elections will
mean the enactment of the force bill
and the usurpation of despotic con
troll over elections in all the States.
Believing that the preservation o.
Republican government in the United
States is dependent upon the defeat
of this policy of legalized force and
fraud, we invite the support Of al
citizens who desire to see the consti
tuition maintained in its integrity
with the laws pursuant thereto, which
have given our country hundred
years OF unexampled prosperity, and
we pledge the Democratic party, if il
be entrusted with power, not only
with the defeat of the force bill, bu
also to relentless opposition to ths
Republican policy of proaigate expen
diture, which, in the short space o
two years, has ssquandered an enormous
surplus, emptied an overflowing treas
ury, after piling new burdens of taxa
ton upon the already overtaxed labor
of the country.
TARIFF REFORM.
| Section :. We denounce the Re
publican protection as a fraud. Th
labor of the great majority of tn
American people is for the benefit O
the few. We declare it to be a fund
amental principle of the Democrat
party that the Federal government ha
no constitutional power to impose ant
collect tariff duties except for the pur
pose of revenue only, and we demant
the collection of such taxes shall b
limited to the necessities ofthe govern
ment when honestly and economical
administered.
THE MCKINLEY BILL.
We denounce the Mckinley tari
I law enacted by the Fifty first Congre:
as the eliminating atrocity of ella:
, legislation we indorse the effor
made by the Democrats Of the preser
Congress to modify its most oppre:
sive features in the direction of fire
raw materials and cheaper manufat
tured goods that enter into gener;
consumption, and we promise its It
d peal as one of the benefcent resul
= that will follow the action Of the pet
e pie in entrusting power to the Dem'
r cratic party. Since the Mckinle
d tariff went into operation there ha'