The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1892-07-06
DEMOCRATIC PLATFORM,
Declaration of Principles AdopteI
by the National Convention.

as follows:
Democratic party Of the United States, il
National Convention assembled, do re
affirm their allegiance to the principals
the party as formulated by Jefferson ant
exemplifed by the long and illustrious lin,
Of his successors in Democratic leadership
from Madison to Cleveland. We be
lieve the public welfare demands that
these principals be applied in th
conduct Of the Federal Government
through the accession to power of the party
that advocates them, and we solemnly de-
clare that the need Of a return to these fun
damental principles OF free popular gov
ernment, based on home rule and individual
liberty, was never more urgent than now
when the tendency to centralizs all power al
the Federal capital has become a menace tc
the reserved rights OF the States, that
strikes at the very roots Of our Government
under the Constitution as framed by th,
fathers Of the Republic.
SECTION 2.-We warn the people Of our
common country. jealous for the prsserva-
ton of their free institutions that thi
policy of Federal control of elections, h
which the Republican party has committed
itself, is fraught with the gravest dangers,
scarcely less momentous than would result
from a revolution practically estab
fishing monarchy on the ruins OF the
Republic 1t strikes at the NORTH
as we'll as the South, and Injuries
the colored citizen even mor'
than the white; it means horde of deputy
marshals 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 iu
power and the reviving of race antagonism
now happily abated, of tho utmost peril tc
the safety and happiness of all; measure
deliberately and justly describei by lead
ing Republican Senator as "ths most IN
famous bill that ever crossed the threshold
Of the Senate"
Such policy, il sanctioned by law, would
mean the dominance Of self-perperuating
oligarchy Of Office holders, and the party
first intrusted with its machinery could be
dislodged from power only by an appeal te
the reserved right Of the people to resist op
preston which is Inherent in all selt-gov.
erning communities. Two years ago this
revolutionary policy was emphaJically con.
demned by the people at the polls; but In
contempt of the verdict the Republican
party has defantly declared in its latest
authoritative utterance that its success in
the coming elections will mean the enact.
ment OF the Forcs bill and the uaurpation OF
despotic control over elections in all the
States. Believing that the preservation OF
Republican government in the United States
is dependent upon the defeat Of this policy
oflegalized force and fraud, we invite the
support or all citizens who desire to see the
Constitution maintained in its integrity,
with the laws pursuant thereto,
which have given our country
hundred years Of uuexampled
prosperity, and we pledge the Democratic
party, If it be intrusted with power, not only
to the defeat Of the Force bill, but also to
relentless opposition to the Republican
policy Of proaigate expenditure which in the
short space o. two years has squandered an
enormous surplus and Implied an over
howing treasury after piling new burdens OF
taxation upon the already oyerta1ed labor
OF the country.
SECTION 3.-We denounce the Republican
policy Of protection as fraud on the labor
OF the great majority of the American peo-
pie for the benefit or the few. We declare
1t to be fundamental principle of tho Deul-
cratic party that the Federal Government
has no constitutional power to impose and
collect tariff duties except tor the purposes
Of revenue only, and we demand that the
the necessities of the Government when hon.
SECTION 4.-Trade interchange on the
basis OF reciprocal advantages to the coun-
tries participating is a tlme-honorei doc
trine Of the Democratic faith, but we de-
nounce the sham reciprocity which jugSles
with the peoples desire for enlarged Ioreign
markets and freer exchanges by pre-
tending to. establish closer trade
relations for country whose
articles of export are almost e1-
clusively agricultural prouucts with otner
countries that are also agricultural, while
tive tariff taxes against the rich countries
Of the world that stand ready TO take our
entire surplus OF products and to exchange
therefor commodities which are necessarles
and comforts OF life among our own people.
SECTION 5.-We recognize in the trusts
ani com binations, which are designed to en-
able capital to secure more than Its just
share Of the joint products OF capital and
labor, natural consequence OF the prohlo-
tive taxes which prevent the free compe-
tition which is the life Of honest trade, but
we believe their worse evils can be absted
by law, and we demand the rigid enforce
ment or the laws made to prevent and con-
troll them, together with such further lesls-
lation in restraint OF their abuses as e1-
perience may show to be necessary.
SECTION 6.-Thv Republican party, while
protesting policy OF reserying the puollc
land for small holdings by actual settlers,
has given away the peoples heritage till now
q few railroad AMI nonresident aliens, In
dividual and corporate, possess larger area
than that OF oil our farms between the TWO
seas. The last Democratic administration re
versed the improvident and uuwise policy o.
the Republican party touching ths public
domain, and reclaimed from corporations
nd ta, al
stored to the people nearly one hundred
million acres Of valuable land to be sacredly
hold as homestea Is for our citizens, and We
pledge ourselves to continue this policy un-
til every acre Of land so unlawfully held
shall be reclaimed and restored to the
people
StcT1oN I've denounce the Republican
legislation known as thu Sherman act OF
1890 as a co owardly makeshift fraught with
possibilities of danger in the future which
should make all of its supporters, as well as
We hold to the uss OF both gold and
silver as the standard money Of the
country, and to the coinage OF
of both gold and silver without discriminat-
ing against either metal or charge for mint.
age, but the dollar unit OF coina ge OF both
metals must be of equal intrinsic and ex-
changeable value, or be adjusted through in
ternavional agreement or by such safe
guards Of legislation as shall insure
the malntainancs Of thu parity Of
the two metals, and the equal power
OF every dollar at all times in the
markets and in the payment of debts,
and we demand that all paper currency
shall be kept at par with and redeemable in
such coin. We insist upon this policy as
especially necessary for the protection OF
the farmers and laboring classes, the first
and most defencsless victims Of unstable
money and a fluctuating currency.
SECTION S.-We recommend that the pro-
hibitory ten per cent tax on State bank Is