Democratic Northwest. [volume] (Napoleon, Ohio) 1869-1894, 1892-06-16
L MYSTIC PLATFORM.
WHAT DOES THE MINNEAPOLIS MAN
IFEsTO MEAN!

A Rare Collection OF GlIttering GenerAii-
ties and PIatitudes of Ancient Vintage.
The True Inwardness Of the Monopo-
listie Idea Exposed.
The Republican platform produced at
Minneapolis is a document Of rare in
terest to the student of opinions and to
the critic of style. 1t combines the di-
rect and almost infantile simplicity of
the chap book with the mystic mistiness
of the second story back clairvoyant.
No one man can understand it. To take
it in comprehensively and interpret it
intelligently would require the best en-
deavors of joint session of kinder
garten and Browning club. No one
man wrote it, No one man could have
written it, not even Colonel Abe Slupsky
himself.
Wonder ceases when we remember
that this masterpiece of political litera-
ture is the achievement Of a committee
of forty-eight, operating through five
subcommittee of five each, and all
intendence of Joseph Benson Foraker.
There was no subcommittee on the
preamble. The point-with-pride de-
partment was evidently managed by
Foraker in person and alone. The we'll
known fire alarm rhetoric is here in I'M
diluted strength:
1.-The representatives of the Repub-
licans of the United States, assembled
in general convention on the shores of
the Mississippi river, the everlasting
bond of an indestructible republic,
whose most glorious chapter of history
is the record of the Republican party,
congratulate their countrymen on the
majestic march of the nation under the
banners inscribed with the principles of
our platform of 1888, vindicated by vic.
tory at the polls and prosperity in our
fields, workshops and mines"
Is the everlasting bond Of an indo-
structible republic the Mississippi river
or the general convention on its shores?
Is the record of the Republican party
the most glorious chapter of the Missis-
sippi river, or of the general convention,
or of the indestructible republic, or of
the everlasting bond? Is the majestic
march of the nation vindicated by the
Democratic victories at the polls in 1890;
and why should it need vindication, in
asmuch as the nation walks right along,
whichever party wins? Is the agricul-
tural, manufacturing and subterranean
prosperity referred to by Foraker vim
dication Of the majestic march, or OF
the Republican party's banners, or OF
the beaten force bill, or of the billion,
or of what? Foraker knows and could
tell. Probably Colonel Abe Slupsky
knows likewise.
But this is only the whipped cream on
the pudding. We como next to the tariff
plank. 1t reaffirms the American doc
trine of protection. 1t points to the
benefits of a policy which was the policy
of the Democratic party while the Re
publican party was still unseen in the
nists of the future. 1t declares that the
duties levied on imports coming intC
competition with American product:
should be equal to the differences be
tween wages at home and abroad" Thii
is distinct and specific declaration, al
most the only one in the Foraker plat
form.
1t is taken directly from the Demo
cratic national platform of 1884, tn,
platform on which Grover CLEVELAND
was elected, but it is not exactly th'
principle inscribed on the Republican
banners of 1888 or embodied in the Nc
Kinley revision. Then the platform
goes on to predict that Mr.. Blaine's bril-
liant reciprocity idea, something not in
, scribed on the banners of 1888, anC
therefore not vindicated by victory a
, the polls and prosperity in our fields
) workshops and mines, will eventuall,
give us control of the trade of the world
And it is silent, silent as the tomb, con
corning the reduction of the nationa
revenue by the repeal of the interna
a revenue taxes, or of any part of them
! That was distinctly inscribed on th
! banners of 1888. Since 1883 the Repul
: lican billion congress discovered anothe
= and an easier way to reduce the surplus
Among the meaningless platitude
! poured into the pot by the gentleme
who had hand in compounding th
: Republican platform of 1892 are these:
We demand that every citizen of the Unite
' States shall be allowed to cast one free and III
,. restricted ballot in all public elections.
We favor the extension of our foreign con
: merce, the restoration of our mercantile M
:. rine by home built ships
@ We reaffirm our approval of the Monr'
# doctrine.
" The ultimate reliance of free popular go
J ernment is the intelligence Of the people az
e the maintenance of freedom among men.
II We declare anew our devotion to liberty
T. thought and conscience, of speech and press.
n We are opposed to any union of church al
= state.
II We sympathize with all wise and legitima
70 efforts to lessen and prevent the evils of intel
y. perance and to promote morality.
ls Colonel Abe Slupsky, we repea
Is would never have written such ira
d or such can't as this and offered it to tt
IS country as formal and careful decl
n ration of principles made by a par
is protesting to be party of principle
ID But Colonel Slupsky, worse luck, W
lie not intrusted with the great and n
=, mentous job.-New York Sun.