The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1892-07-01

saries and comforts of life among our
own people.
We recognize in the trusts and COM
binations which are designed to enable
capital to secure more than it's Just
share of the joint product of capital
and labor natural consequence of
the prohibitive taxes which prevent
the free competition which is the life
of honest trade, but we believe their
worst evils can be abated by law and
we demand the rigid enforcement of
laws made to prevent and control
them, together with such further leg
islation in restraint of their abuses as
experience may show to be necessary.
DISPOSAL OF PUBLIC LANDS.
The Republican party, while pro-
Tossing policy of reserving the pub
lie land for small holdings by actual
settlers, has given away the peoples
heritage till now q few railroads and
nonresident aliens, individual and
corporate, possess Il larger area than
that of all our farms between the two
seas. The last Democratic admins
tration reversed the improvident and
unwise policy of the Republican party
touching the public domain, and re-
claimed from corporations and syndi-
Gates, alien and domestic, and restored
to the people nearly one hundred mil
lion acres of valuable land to be sacred
ly held as homesteads for our citizens,
and we pledge ourselves to continue
this policy until every acre of land so
unlawfully held shall be reclaimed
and restored to the people.
CURRENCY.
We denounce the Republican legis-
M oF
1890 as a cowardly makeshift, fraught
with possibilities of danger in the fu-
ture, which should make all of its sup
porters, as we'll as its author, anxious
for its speedy repeal. We hold to the
standard money of the country, and
to the coinage of both gold and
silver without discriminating against
either metal or charge for mintage,
but the dollar unit of coinage of both
metals must be of equal intrinsic and
exchangeable value or be adjusted
through international agreement or
by such safeguards of legislation as
shall ensure the maintenance of the
parity of the two metals and the equal
power of every dollar at all times in
the markets and in the payment of
debts and we demand that all paper
currency shall be kept at par with and
redeemable in such coin. We insist
upon this policy as especially neces-
sary for the protection of the farmers
and laboring classes, the first and
most defenseless victims of unstable
money and a fluctuating currency.
We recommend that the prohibitory
ten per cent tax on State bank issues
be repealed.
CIVIL SERVICE REFORM.
Public Office is a public trust. We
reaffirm the declaration of the Demo
cratic National Convention of 1876 for
the reform of the civil service, and we
call for the honest enforcement of all
the laws regulating the same.
The nomination of a President, as in
the recent Republican Conventions by
delegations composed largely of his
appointees, holding office at his pleas
ure, is scandalous satire upon free
popular institutions and Il startling
illustration of the methods by which
a President may crafty his ambition.
We denounce a policy under which
federal office holders usurp control of
party conventions in the States, and
we pledge the Democratic party to the
reform of these and all other abuses
which threaten individual and local
self-government.
FOREIGN POLICY.
The Democratic party is the only
party that has ever given the country
a foreign policy consistent and vigor
Gus. compelling respect abroad and in
spiriug confidence at home. While
avoiding entangling alliances it has
aimed to cultivate friendly relations
with other nations, and especially
with our neighbors on the American
continent, whose destiny is closely
linked with our own; and we view
with alarm the tendency to a policy
of irritation and buster which is liable
at any time to confront us with the
alternative of humiliation or war.
We favor the maintenance of a navy
strong enough for all purposes of
national defense and to properly
maintain the honor and dignity of the
country abroad.
THE JEWS AND THE IRISH.
This country has always been the
refuge of the oppressed from every
land-eXiles for conscience sake-and
in the spirit of the founders of our
government we condemn the oppres-
sion practiced by the Russian Govern
ment upon its Lutheran and Jewish
subjects and we call upon our National
Government, in the interest of justice
and humanity by all just and proper
means to Use its prompt and best
efforts to bring about a cessation of
these cruel prosecutions in the domin-
ions of the Gar and to secure to the
oppressed equal rights.
We tender our profound and earnest
H. I. g Il
who are struggling for home rule and
the great cause of local Self-gOvern-
ment in Ireland.
IMMIGRATION.
We heartily approve all legitimate
efforts to prevent the United States
from being used as the dumping
ground for the known criminals and
professional paupers of Europe, and
We demand the rigid enforcement of
the laws against Chinese immigration
or the importation of foreign workmen
under contract to degrade American
labor and lessen its wages, but we
condemn and denOunce any and all
attempts to restrict the immigration
of the industrious and worthy of for
eign lands.
JUST AND LIBERAL PENSIONS.
This convention hereby renews the
expression of appreciation of the
patriotism of the soldiers and sailors
of the Union in the war of its preser-
walton, and we favor just and liberal
pensions for all disabled Union sol
| dies, their widows and dependents,
| but we demand that the work of the
| Pension Office shall be done indus
triously, impartially and honestly.
We denounce the present administra-
ton of that office as incompetent, cor
rupt, disgraceful and dishonest.
INTERNAL IMPROVEMENTS.
The Federal Government should
care for and improve the Mississippi
river and other great waterways of
| the republic, so as to secure for the in
terror States easy and cheap transpor-
tation to tidewater When any water
wav of the republic is of sufficient i'm
portance to demand the aid of the
governments, that such aid should be
| extended "a definite plan of continuous
work until permanent Improvement is
secured.
TIE NICARAGUA CANAL.
For purposes of national defense
and the promotion of commerce be-
! tween the States, we recognize the
early construction of the Nicaragua
Canal and its protection against for
eign control as of great Importance to
the United States.
THE WORLDS FAIR.
Recognizing the Worlds Columbian
| EXPOSITION as a national undertaking
| of vast imDortance in which the Gen