Daily Texarkana Democrat. (Texarkana, Ark.) 1890-1894, 1892-08-10
DEMOCRATIC STATE PLATFORM
Adopted by the Democratic State Con.
Tenh0u at Little Rock,
June 14th, 1892.
THE PLATFORM,

THE PLATFORM.
l We, the delegates of the Democrrtic party
OF the State OF Arkansas, assembled in con
yention at Little Rock, clare that the su.
prene issue OF the day is the reform OF the
administration of the Government; and that
the people can safely trust the party founded
by Jefferson, and whose principles were en-
phasized in the splendid, patriotic and non
sectional administration of Grover Q eve
land.
We denounce the Republican party for
its fragrant abuse and prostitution of power
during the last four years. Coming into full
control of all branches Of the Government
in 1888 by the use of unprecedented corrup-
ton fund; largely levied upon Government
fayorites by those before and since, close,
personally and officially, TO The chief bene-
ficiary, that party Immediately entered upo
n crusade of tyrany, fraud and prefigate
extravaganza never before ventured upon by
any party In times of peace.
1t found the treasury with a large and
daily increasing surplus, and in times OF
great depression, accompanied by the uni
versal demand for relief from the burdens
of taxation, it dlssipated the surplus by
making annual appropriations IF $500, 000,-
900, largely for unnecessary and utterly in
defeLsible purposes, and thereby failed to
meet and discharge the maturing bonded in
debtedooss of the Government, and now finds
itself confronted with an imminent detieisn-
cy. Moreover, it made many of its appro-
priations permanent, for no other purpose,
than to prevent the people from correcting
the evils done, 60 long as the Republican
party retained control OF either the Senate
or Chief Magistracy Of the nation
1t transcribed all precedents in vicious
class legislation, in the enactment Of the Nc.
Kinley bill, and finally, frightened by the
e1tremities to which it had gone, sought to
appease the public discomfort by reciprocity
fraud, the adoption OF which was a confess
sion of the iniquity it had perpetrated
1t deprived States of their just representa-
ton by Ease census.
1t deprived, in the most insolcnt and ar
btrary manner, and practically without an
opportunity to be heard, representatives OF
the people of their seats in the lower House
| of Congress.
And, finally drunk with its own excuses,
it sought to perpetuate the wrongs it had
done by deprying the people of the right TO
hold their own ections and choose their
own servants by the enactment of the in
famous and e1ccrable force bill.
1t treated with utter contempt all ideas OF
economy and honesty, both in its pension
legislation and 10 its administration of that
bureau.
1t rejected Democratic territories and ad-
mitted Republican territories in order to re-
tain party supremacy.
This regime of tyranny, extravaganza and
wrong doing, contrusted with the clean,
honest, prudent and wise administration of
Grover Cleveland, brought upon the Rel ub-
lican party the most stupendOus defeat that
ever befell any party in this country, and
| inspired anew with confidence and hope all
the people in the possibility Of preserving
| tree government for mankind.
We declare our abiding fidelity to the
Constitution of the United States in its let
ter and spi it.
We declare our faith in the capacit, of
the people for selt-government, and in their
inherent right to enjoy it, free from all Fed
eral interference,
We denounce the Republican party be-
cause it turned its back upon the interests
Of the great masses of society, and sound,
| stable government for all, and allied its for
tunes with corporate We lth, squander ng
millions Of the public domain upon raj roads
fostering legislation, the legitimate offspring
81 which has been combinations and trusts,
expressing the labor it professed 70 protect
and fastening ever increasing burdens on
agriculture, until the homes OF the people in
| great sections of the country are covered
1 ,.,.N h.. rlynto ,F he
world closed to the fruits of honest toll.
We denounce the Mckinley tariff as q
| crime sgainst honest government and flee
people, not only because it levies an unnec-
esssry tax and thereby imposes wanton and
cruel burdens on the people, but because it
destroys the markets Tor their Surplus pro-
ducts.
We denoupce it because it is class leglsla-
| ton, enacted in the interest of the favored
few, who are wealthy, and at the expense
and tor the oppression OF the gret mass OF
the people.
| We denounce it because it does not in
crease wages, but surrenders the taxing pow
| Or of the Government to the manufacture rs,
and leaves 1t TO the employers to determine
whether they will divide the immense boun'
| ty it yields With those they employ.
| We denounce it because it Is an abuse
and perversion of the taxing power of the
Constitution, which was intended to be
used to raise necessary revenue for the sup
port of the Government, into the means OF
plundering all for the benefit of a class.
| We denounce it because it lnaugurated
for the first time in free Government, the
practice OF taking from the public treasury
| nd for
from all the people, and with it, pay boun-
ties to select industries.
We denounce it because it destroys the in
dependence and self.relance Of the people,
which is National Characteristic, and
and teaches them to Iely upon government
tai tsvortsm.
| We denounce it because the inevitable
tendency OF this system is the destruction OF
popular government in the debauchment OF
the ballot, by tribute extorted from favored
Glasses, whose enormous bounties depend
upon the continuance Of the system self.
| We declare that the mission Of the Demo-
cratic party is 20 so reform the tariff by u
reduction of taxation as to limit the revenues
| of the Government TO its absolute necessi-
ties when economically administered, and to
| so frame its tariff schedules as to place the
burdens OF government upon the luxuries
and not npon the necessrres of lite.
| We favor Il safe and sufficient currency,
composed OF gold and silver and legal tender
paper, convertible into coin on demand, and
maintained at par with each other.
We declare 1t to be the duty ofthe Demo-
cratic party to preserve the parity iE value
OF gold and silver, and 70 provide the means
by the equal and fair treatment of both met
ale.
We lenounce the Sherman Silver bill as
an obstruction to the fair treatment of silver
and a, a sham AMI pretense, intended TO
postpone honest honest legislation and to
sppesse the silver produce while giving no
relief to the people.
We declare our purpose to continue to