The advocate., 1892-06-29
NATIONAL DEMOCRATIC PLATTORN.

form committee was as follows:
Section /. The representatives OF the
Democratic party of the United States, in
national convention assembled, do reaffirm
their allegiance to the principles OF the
party as formulated by Jefferson and ex-
empliRed by.a long and illustrious line Of
his successors in Democratic leadership
from Madison to Cleveland; we believe the
public welfare demands that these prinCi-
ples 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
20 these fundamental principles Of free
popular government, based on home rule
and individual liberty, was never more ur-
gent than now, when the tendency TO GEN.
tralize all power at the federal capital has
become a menace to the reserved rights OF
Che states that strikes at the very roots Of
our government under the constitution as
framed by the republic.
Sec. 2. We warn the people of our coun-
try, Jealous for the preservation Of our free
institutions, that the policy of federal con-
troll Of elections, to which the Republican
party has committed itself, ID fraught with
the gravest dangers, scarcely less moment
Gus than would result from revolution,
practically establishing monarchy on the
ruins of the republic. It strikes at the
north as we'll as the south, and injuries the
Colored Citizen even more than the white;
il means a horde of deputy marshals at
every polling place armed with federal
power returning boards appointed and
controlled by federal authority, the out
rage Of the electoral rights Of the people in
the several states, the subjugation of the
colored people TO the control of the party
IN power and the revival of race antagon-
isms, now happily abated, of the utmost
peril to the safety and happiness of all; a
measure deliberately and justly described
by a leading Republican senator as ''the
most infamous bill that ever crossed the
threshold Of the senate" Such policy, il
sanctioned by law, would mean the domi-
nance Of a self f-perpetuating oligarchy Of
oflce holders, and the party first intrusted
with it's machinery could be dislodged from
power only by an appeal to the reserved
right Of the people to resist oppression,
which is inherent in all lf-governing COM
munities.
Two years ago this revolutionary policy
was emphatically condemned by the people
at the polls; but in contempt Of that ver-
dict the Republican party has de6antly de-
clared in it's latest authoritative uttersnce
that it's success in the coming elections will
mean the enactment of the force bill and
the usurpation of despOtio control over
elections in all the states.
Believing that the preservation of repub-
lican government in the United States is
dependent upon the defeat Of this policy Of
legalized force and fraud, we invite the
support of all citizens who desire to see the
constitution maintained in its integrity with
the laws pursuant thereto, which have given
our country 100 years of unexsmpled pros
perity; and we pledge the Democratic party,
IL 1t be intrusted with power, not only TO
the defeat Of the force bill, but also TO re-
lentless opposition to the Republican policy
OF prohigate expenditure, which, in the
short space Of two years, has squandered an
enormous surplus and emptied an overflow
ing treasury, after piling new burdens OF
taxation upon the already overtaxed labor
OF the country.
Sec. 3. We reiterate the oft repeated doc
trines Of the Democratic party, that the nec.
essity of the government is the only justih'
cation for taxation, and whenever taxation
is unnecessary it is unjustiAable; that when
custom house taxation is levied upon ar
k;claa oe anv hind DPoduoad in this country