The farmers' union. (Memphis, Mo.) 1891-1895, 1892-06-30

assembled do raairm their allegiance TO The
principles of the party IA formulated by IeiTcr-
son ard exclnpliticd by the long and Illus. riouS
lne of his Successors in Democratic Leadership,
from Madison to Cleveland Ne believe the
puhlic welfare demands that these principles
he applied 10 the conduct of the Federal Gov
ernmel>, through the accession to power of The
party that ad' 'ocates them: and soicniniv
declare that th, need of a return to these fun
GaiHental principles Of a free. popular govern
Incnt, hased on home rule ana individual lib
erty, was never more urgent than now, when
the tendency to centraltZc all power at the
Federal Capital has become menace to he
reserved rights 81 the States that strikes at
the very roots of eur government under the
constitution as framed 10y the fathers of the
republic.
Federal Control of EIcct.ons
We warn the people of our common COUNT ry
Jealous tor the preservation of their free insti-
tutlons, that the policy of Federal control of
elections. 20 which the Republican party has
committed itself. is fraught with the vraycst
dangers scarcely less momentouS than wouid
result from a revolution. practically establish
ing monarchy on the ruius of he republic. Ii
strikes at the North well as the south a,,i
Injuries the colored citizen even more than the
white: II means horde OF deputy marShals at
every polling place armed with Federal power
ret turnnc boards appointed and controlled by
Federal authority, The outrage of the electoral
rights of the people in the several States. the
suhjuga'ion of the colored irori to the con
tr"i OF the party III power and the re-
siviny of race antaSonis'ns now happily
and happiness of all: measure dcIiber-
ately and justly described by leading Eepuh-
. lean Senator the "moSt Infamous bill that
ever crossed the threshold of the Senate" such
policy, if sanctioned by law, would mean the
dominance OF "A self-lerpetnating oliyarchy of
ofticchodcrs and the part: first intrusted with
its machinery could be disi"dged from power
only hy an appeal to tie reserved right of the
people to resist oppression W!I:il j. inherent in
all sell governing communities Two years ago
this revolutionary policy was crul,at iraily con-
!clnned by the people at the polls, hTt in con-
tempt of that verdict the Republican party has
Ia> lat.
ttrancc that It's success in the coming elections
Will mean the of HE force bill and he
ustri'ation of despottc control over elections in
all the states. Believing that the preservation
of republican government in the United
Is dependent upon the defeat % the policy of
leGaiizci force and fraud invite the support
OF all citizens who desire to see the cOnSt il II
tlon maintained in its integrity with the laws
pursuant thereto which have given nur count ry
hntidret years Of unexampled prosperity,
and we pledge the Democratic party. if 1t lie
intrnsttd with power not only TO the defeat of
the force bill but also TO relentless opposition
I" the Republican policy of proffgate eX-
pentiiture. which in the short space of two
years has sunanerei an enormous surplus an!
entitled an "vrrtiowng treasury, after plinc
new burdens of taxation upon the already
ovtrtaNcd lai!or of the country.
Declaration for Tariff frso-.n.
We tieno.Iuge Rarul,lican Iro; e.tio, n, ;,
fraud on the tabor at the great ma jnritv of t,.
american people for he benefit OF the fcw We
declare il to De a Fundamental priuriplc of
TIE Democratic party that fhe f.d raj Govern
lficllt has no constitutional power to impose
aud collect tariff duties except for the pu;l
OF revenue only. and we demand that tn. col
lccti"n oi such taxes shall he limited TO the
necessities nf the Government when homes: Is
and economically administered. We d.noulirc
the Mckinley tariff law enacted by the Fifty
H.St Congress as the eliminating atroCity Oi
class icgiSatinn We iNdnr-c the efforts mad,
Ivy the Democrats of the present ColiGre~- tu
modify it, most oppressive features in the
direction "f trc" raw materials. and cheaper
manufactured goods that enter into genera!
consumption. and We promise its repeal a. ont
of the i,ene'ccut results that will follow III,
action at til" people in int;ustin- power to tllt
fetaucratlc party Since the Mckinley tariff
went Into oi-rit ion there have been ton rcd.,e-
tlons at the wages OF iaEoriug men to
one increase. We deny that thcr.. has
been any Increase of prosperity TO The
country since that tariff went into opera
| ii"n and We POINT Ia the duliaess and
distress, the wa-c rctiucti":s and strikes in
Tie iron tr3 lie. ~ the best possible cvif, nc.
that nn such prosperity resulted from the Ne
kinicy act We cali the attention of thought
fu! Americans 20 the fact that after thirty
wears OF restrictive taxes against the importa-
tion of foreign wealth in exchange tos our
agricuit urai -ur;,lu the iu"u.s ami farms Of
| the country have become buriefed with &
real estate mort gage debt of over - Ns 'glt--
exclusive of all other forms of iut!eht ''ineS =
that in one q! The chief agricultural States ot
the West there appears r.al-o state mort "a Ca
! averaging si"h per capita OF the total popuia-
ton and that similar conait ions and i"rtIcIf-
/ cirs are shown 70 exist in tn" other icricul-
| tural export ing states. We dennunce = policy
-
| thar ut the Sheriff
| Tire Question of Trade Hccipr,rIty.
| Trade interchange on the basis oE reciprocal
| advantages to the countries participating il 4
| iirIe-hnnor"d dcctrinr OF the Democratic fait b
| IL tcnounrc the sham reciprocity Whir!
/ iu.Elrs with tn" peoples desire for enlarged
| foreign markets and frrcr exchanges hy pre-.
| tending to establish closer trade relations, 70,
! country whose articles OF export are al,no i
| exclusively agricultural products. with Other
| countries that are also aEricultn nral. while
erecting a custom house barrier of prohihitirt
| tariff taxes against the richest countries o.
/ the world that stand ready to take our entire
| surplus OF products and to exchange therefor
| commodities which are nccc~Sarics and com
forts of life alnnng our own people.
| Trusts AN Combinations.
/ We recognize in the trusts and Conhinat ions
| whi,h designed to enable capt. al to secur,
more than its inst share ~ the joint product %
| capital and labor II natural consequence of tt,
| rrohibitive taxes which prevent the tree com
| petition which is the life OF honest trade. but
we believe their worst evils can H. ahated b,
law. and we demand the rigid enforcement %
the laws made to prevent and control them
| together with such further legislation in re
| straint of their abuses us experience ma,
show to he ncct ssary.
Lands tor Actual : .ttlc~s,
! The Republican party while prufessin.
policy OF reserving the public land for smal
| holdings by actual settlers. has given ava,
the peoples heritage, until now few railroad
| and nonresident aliens, individual and cor
| poratc. possess 4 larger area than that of al
| eur farms between the two seas The las
| Democratic administration reversed the in,
lican party touching the public domain ans
| reclaimed from corporations and syndicates
| alien and domestic. and restored to the peopl
nearly one hundred million acres of valuable
land to he sacrcdly held as homcstcads fo
our citizens. and we pledge ourselves to con
tinuc this policy unit! every acre of land -
| unlawfully held shall he reclaimed and re
stored 10 the people.
Tho Coinage Of silver.
We dcnounce the Republican legislation
known as the sherman act of 1850 a COW
arslly nakeslift frauuht with possibilities o
danger in the future which should make all o
for it's speedy repeal. We hold to the use O
both gold and silver as the standard money O
the country and to the coinage OF both go
aud silver without discriminating aCainS
either metal or charge for Elintage, hut the dol
lar INIT of coinage of both metals must he @
equal intrinsic and cxchanCcable value or b
iusted through International agreement q
by such safeguards of legislation as shall i'll
sure the maintenance Of the parity of the tw
all times in the markets and in the payment q
debts: and we demand that all paper currenc
shall be kept at par with and redecmablc Il
such coin We insist upon this policy as espe
cially necessary for the protection of the farm
ers and lahoring classes. the first a,rd moat dc
fenseless victims of unstable moiiey and
prohibitory IL per cent tax on State-bank is
sues be repealed.
Reform of tho Civil Service.
Public Office is a public trust. We reaf
firm the declaration of the Democratic Ma
tional Convention of 1876 for the reform of tn
civil service. and we call for the honest en-
forcement of all laws regulating the same
The nomination of a President as in the recen
Republican convention, by delegations com
J posed largely of his arpointees, holding offic
at his pleasure, is n scandalOus satire upo
free popular institutions and a startling illus
tration of the methods by which a Presiden
may crafty his ambition. We denouncc pol
icy under which Federal officeholders usur
control of party conventions in the States. an
we pledge the Democratic party to rcforr
these and all other abuses which threaten in
dividual liberty and local sclf-govcrnment.
The Nicaragua Canal.
In support of national defense and the pre-
motion of commerce between the states W
recognize the early construction Of the NfcaI
aqua Canal aud its protection against foretg
control of great Importance to the Unite
States.
An IIonoraBsq Foreign Policy.
The Democratic party is the only party tina
has ever given the country foreign Eclic
consistent and vigorous, compelling reslec
abroad and inspiring confidence at home