Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1892-07-08
National Democratic Platform.

National Democratic Platform.
Til" representatives of the Democratic
party of the United States, in National
t"nN entipn assembled, reatlirm their
allegiance To the principles of the party
~ formulated hy j. tier>on and exempli-
i'd 10y long and ilustrious line OF sue
CtSNoTS III Democratic leadership from
Madison L. Cleveland. We believe the
PUBLIC welfare demands that these prin-
'Iplc> bc applied To the conduct OF the
federal government through the Access
Sion 10 power of the party that advocates
Them; and We solemnly declare that need
"i return 10 these fundamental principles
fte' 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 capital has become a menace to
ia" reserved rights OF the States that
strikes At the roots of our government
under the constitution as framed 10y the
fathers of the republic.
FEDERAL ELECTIONS.
We warn the people o. our common
country, jealous for the preservation of
their free institutions, that the policy of
federal control of elections, to which the
Rcpubiican party has committed itself, is
iraught with the gravest danger, scarcely
less nomentous than would result from
revolution practically establishing
monarchy on the runs of the republic.
IL strikes at the North as well as the
south. and Injuries the colored citizen
more than the white: it means hordes of
armed deputy marshals at every polling
place. returning boards appointed and
controlled by federal authorities, outrage
oi the electoral rights of the people in the
States, Suhlugation of the cOlored people
; Ia the control of the party IN power, anu
reVing race antagonlsm, now happily
"A 0 al fkAr
and happin' ~ of all; a measure dellber'
atelV and justly described by leading Re
I lublIcans as the most infamous bill that
/ ever crossed the threshold of the Senate.
Such policy, II sanctioned by law,
/ would mean the dominance of Self-per-
Ietuating oigarchy of office and
| the party first intrusted with the machin-
/ crV could he dislodged from power only
J toy an appeal to the reserved rights of the
ople to resist oppression, which IS inner
ent in all seli-governing communities
I Two years ago this revolutionary policy
was etnphatically condemned by the peo-
pie M the polls; but in contempt of That
verdict the Republican party has defiant
| ~ declared in its latest authoritative utter
anCes that its success la sho coming ei6C.
tinns will mean the enactment of a force
plil and usurpation of despotic control
over elections in all States. Believing
that the preservation of Republican gov
ernment Is dependent upon the defeat of
thlNN Oh itRhllLcu IOTcC ttu iTduu We
invite the support of all citizens who de-
sire to see the constitution maintained
| in It's integrity, with the laws pursuant
thereto. which have gwen our country
hundred wears of unexampled prosperity.
THE TARIFF.
We denounce Republican protection as
fraud on the labor OF the great majority
of the American people for the benefit OF
few We declare it to be the fundamen-
tai principle of the Democratic party that
the federal government has no constitu-
tIonal power To impose and collect tariff
duties except for the purpose of revenue
only, and we demand that the collection
/ ot such taxes shall he limited to the ne
ctSsitles of the governmentwhen honest
/ ~ and ecoInically administered We de-
! nounce the Mckinley tariff law as the
eliminating atrocity of class LEGISLATION.
We indorsc the efforts of the Democrats
ot the present congress to modify its most
| oppressive features in the direction of
| free raw material and cheaper manufact
ed goods that enter into consumption,
and We proinise repeal of that law as one
of the heneiiceit results that will follow
the action OF the people in intrusting pow
err Ia the Democratic party. Since the
Mckinley tariff went into operation there
have been ten reductions in the wages of
lab0ring men to one increase. The pros
perity of the country since the tariff went
Into operation has gone to the point OF
dizziness, and the distress following wage
| reductions and strikes in the iron trade
u the best evidence that no prosperity
has resulted from the Mckinley act. We
call the attention of thoughtful Ameri-
cans 10 the fact that after thirty years of
restrictive taxes against the importation
| Of foreign goods in exchange for our az
ricultural surplus. the homes and farms
OF the county have become burdened
with real estate mortgages of over 81. 500
x..I Of
debtedness; that in one of the chief agri
cultural States of the West there appear
! real estate mortgages averaging Sl65 per
/ capita for the total population. a. Il that
similar conditions ARE shown to exist in
other agricultural exporting States. We
deDounce that policy which fosters no in
dustry so much as 1t does that of the
Sheriff. Trade interchange on the basis
of reciprocal advantages to the &C untres
participating il time-hOnored doctrine
OF democratic faith. but we denounce the
sham reciprocity which iuggles with the
peoples desire for enlarged foreign mar
kets and freer exchanges by proposing to
establish closer trade relations for coun-
try whose articles of export are aim ost
exclusively agricultural products with
other countries that are also agricultural
while erecting custom house barrier OF
prohibitive tariff taxes against the richest
countries of the world that stand ready
To take our entire surplus products and
exchange therefor commodities which
are necessaries and comforts OF life
among our people.
TRUSTS.
We recognize trusts and combinations
| which are designed to enable capital to
secure.more than its just share OF the joint
product of capital and labor, as a natural
consequence OF prohibitive taxes that
prevent free competition. which is the life
81 honest trade, out believe their worst
III n Il
mand rigid enforcement OF the laws
made to prevent and control them, to-
gether with such further legislation in
restraint rs experience may show to be
necessary.
TIE PUBLIC DOMAIN.
The Republican party. while protesting
the policy of reserving the public lands
for small holdings by actual settlers, has
given away the peoples heritage till now
few railroads and nonresident aliens,
individual and corporate, possess a larger
area than the area OF all the farms be.
tween the two seas. The last Democratic
administration reversed the improvident
and unwise policy of the Republican
party touching the public domain, and
reclaimed nom corporations and syndi-
cats. alien and domestic, and restored
To the people nearly 100, 900 acres of
valuable land to be sacredly held as
houlesteads tor our citizens, and pledge
every acre of land so unlawfully held
shall be reclaimed and restored to the
people.
THE SILVER QUESTION.
We denounce the Republican legisla-
ton. known. AS the Sherman act of 1880,
az n cowardly makeshift, fraught with
possibilities of danger In the future
which should make all its supporters, as
well as its author. anxious for speedy re-
peal. We hold to the use of both gold
and silver rs standard money OF the cOun.
try, and to the coinage of both gold and
silver without discriminating against
either metal or charge for mintage, but
the dollar, the unit of coinage of both
metals, must be of equal intrinsic and
exchangeable value, or adjusted through
international agreement or by such safe
guards of legislation as shall insure
maintenance OF the parity of the two met
ais, and the equal power of every dollar
at all times In the market and in the pay.
mcnt of debts, and we demand that paper
currency be kept at par with and redeem
able in such coin. We insist upon this
policy as especially necessary for the pro-
lection of the farming and laboring
classes, the first and most defenseless
victims of unstable money and fluctuat-
ing currency. We recommend that the
prohibitory 10 per cent. tax on state bank
issues be repealed.
THE CIVIL SERVICE.
Public office Is a public trust. We re-
sfiir m the declaration of the Democratic
National Convention OF 1876 for reform
of the civil service, and call for the hon
est enforcement of all laws regulating
the same. The nomination of President,
IA in the recent Republican Convention,
by delegations composed largely of his
appointees, holding office at his pleasure,