Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1892-06-24
Stable Platform on Which the Ma
tiOnal Democracy Takes
Its Stand.
Federal Control of Elections De-
nounced as a Menace to Repub-
lican Institutions.
Necessities of Government the Only
Justification for Taxation-EouaI-
ity of Gold and Silver.

CHICAGO, June q The report of the
platform committee was as follows:
"The representatives of the democrat
tic party of the United States in conven-
ton assembled do re-affirm their allegi-
ance to the principles of the party as
formulated by Jefferson and exemplifed
by long line of 1lIustrious successors in
democratic leadership from Madison to
Cleveland, and we believe the public
welfare demands that these principles be
applied to the conduct of the federal
government through the accession to
power of the party that advocates them !:
and we solemnly 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 CAPT
tai has become menace to the reserved
rights of the states that strikes at the
root of our government underline constitu-
ton as framed by the fathers of the re-
public.
eve warn the people of our common
country, Jealous for the preservation of
| their free institutions, that the policy Of
federal control OF elections to which the
republican parIy has committed itself is
fraught with the gravest dangers, scarcely
less momentous than would result from a
revolution practically establishing mon
archy on the ruins of the republic. 1t
strikes at the north as we'll as south,
and Injuries the nolored citizen more
than the white. 1t means a horde
OF deputy marshals at every polling place
armed with federal power; returning
boards appointed to control the federal
authority; the outrage of the electoral
rights of the people in the states; the sub
jugation of the colored people to the con-
troll of the party in power and the reviving
of race antagonists now happily abated.
1t means the utmost peril to the safety
and happiness of all. 1t is a measure
deliberately and justly described by the
leading republican senators as the
most infamous bill that ever
crossed the threshold of the senate
Such policy, if sanctioned by law, would
mean the dominance of the self perpetuat
ing oligarcy of Office holders, and the par
ty first entrusted with the machinery could
be dislodged from power only by an ap-
peal to the reserve right of the people to
resist oppression which is inherent in all
self governing committees. Two years
ago this revolutionary policy was emphat-
ically condemned by the people at
the polls; but in contempt of that
verdict the republican party has
defantly declared in the latest authorita-
tive utterance that its success in the COM
ing elections will mean the enactment Of
force bill and the usurpation Of despotic
control over the election In all states.
Believing that the preservation of re-
publican government is dependent upon
the defeat Of a policy of jegalized force
and fraud, we invite the support of all cit
liens who desire TO see the consti-
tuition maintained in its integrity,
with the laws pursuant thereto which
have given our country a hundred
years Of unexampled prosperity; and we
pledge the democratic party not only to
defeat the force bill, but also to relent-
less opposition of the republican policy of
prohigate expenditures which in the short
space of two years has squandered the
enormous surplus and emptied an over
flowing treasury, after plIing new bur
dens of taxation upon the already over
| taxed labor Of the country.
1--WE reiterate the oft repeated doc
| trines of the democratic party that the
necessity Of the government is the only
justification for taxation and whenever
the tax is unnecessary it is unjustifable;
| that when custom house taxation is levied
upon articles of kind produced in this
country, the difference between the cost
of the labor here ard the labor abroad,
when such difference exists, fully measures
any possible beuefts to labor,
and the enormous additional i'm
positions of the existing tariff
fall with crushing force upon our farmers
and workingmen for the mere advantage
of few whom they enrich, and exact
from labor grossly unjust share of the
expenses Of government, and we demand
| such revision of the tariff laws as will re-
move these iniquituous capabilities, light
en- expressions and put the taxes On a con-
stitutional and equitable basis. But, in
making the reduction of taxes, it is not
proposed to injure any domestic indus
tries, but rather to promote a healthy
growth. From the foundation of the
government taxes collected at the custom
house were the chief source of revenue.
Such they should continue to be. More
over, many industries have come to rely
upon legislation for successful continu-
ance, so any change of law must be at
every step regardful of the labor and cap
ital thus involved. The process of reform
must be subject in execution to this plain
dictate of justice.
1--WE denounce the Mckinley tariff law
enacted as the eliminating atrocity of
class legislation. We endorse the efforts
of the democrats of the present congress