The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1892-07-07
AHdersut4 gHteltfgsHter,
DECLARATION OF PRINCIPLES.
The Platform of the National Democratic
Convention.


The Platform Of the National Democratic
Convention.
SECTION /. The representatives of the
Democratic Party of the United States,
ir National Convention assembled, do re.
affirm their allegiance to the principles OF
the party as formulated by Jefferson and
exemplifed and illustrated by his sue
cessors in Democratic leadership from
Madison to Cleveland.
We believe that the public welfare de-
mands that these principles be applied to
the conduct of the Federal Government
through the accession to power Of party
that advocates them; and we solemnly
declare the need of a return to these fun
damental principles of free, popular
government, based on home rule and jn-
dividual liberty, was never more urgent
than now, when the tendency to central
ize sll power at the Federal Capital has
become menace to the reserved rights
of the State that strikes at the very roots
of our Government under the National
Constitution as framed by the fathers OF
the Republic.
SECTION 2. We warn the people of our
common country, jealous for the preser-
walton of their free institutions, that the
policy Of Federal control of elections, to
which the Republican party has commit.
ted itself, is fraught with the gravest
danger, scarcely less momeutous, that
would result from revolution establish.
ing monarchy on the ruins of the Es-
public. Itstrikes at the North as we'll as
the South and Injuries colored citizens
even more than the whites. It means 8
horde Of deputy marshals at every polling
place and armed with Federal authority,
che outages on the electoral rights Of the
people in several States, the subjugation
sof the colored people in control of the
party in power and the rsviving of race
antagonisms now happily abated, an ct
most peril to the safety and happiness of
all, q measure deliberately and justly Go.
scribed BY a leading Republican Senator
as '.the most infamous bill that ever cross.
ed the threshold Of the Senate" Such a
policy, if sanctioned by law, would mean
the dominance of a self-perpetuating cb.
ligarchy of ofice-holders, and the party
first entrusted with its machinery could
be dislodged from power only by an ap-
peal TO the reserved rights Of che people
torssistioppression, Whichis inherent in
all self.governing communities. Two
years ago this revolutionary policy was
emphatically condemned by the people at
the polls, but in contempt of'their verdict
the Republican party has dedantly de-
clared in its. latest authoritative utteranee
that Its SUCCESS insthe coming elections
means an enactment of a force bill and
the usurpation of despotic control over
the elections in all the States. Believing
that the preservation of Republican Gov.
ernment in the United States is dependent
on thedeseat of this policy of legalized
force and fraud, we invite the support OF
all citizens who desire to see the Consti.
tuition maintained, with the laws pursu-
ant thereof, which have given our coun
try a hundred years Of unexampled pros
perity, and we pledge the Democratic
party, if it be entrusted with the power,
not only to the defeat of the force bill
but also to relentless opposition to the
Republican policy of proaigate expendi
ture, which, in the short space of mol
quite three years, squandered an enor.-
NOUS surplus, emptied an over-howing
treasury, after piling new burdens of tax
alton on the already over.taxed labor o1
the country.
SECTION 8. We denounee the Republi'
can protection as a fraud on the labor Of
q great majority Of the American people
for the benefit of few. We declare it tc
be tie fundamental principle Of che Dem
ocratic party that the Government has nc
constitutional power to impose and collect
tariff duties except for the purposes O.
revenue only, [applause and cheers and
We demand that the collection of such
taxes shall be limited to the necessities o.
the Government. when honestly and eco
nomically administered.
We denouuce the Mckinley tariff lav
enacted by the 51st Congress as the cul'
minating atrocity of class legislation we
endorse the efforts of the Democrats o
the present Congress to modify its mos
oppressive features in the direction of free
raw materials and cheaper manufactured
goods that enterinto general consumption
and We promise its repeal as one of the
beneficial results that will follow the &C
lion of the people in entrusting power tt
the Democratic party. Since the McKin'
ley tariff went into operation there have
been ten reductions of wages to laborine
men to one increase.
We deny that there has been any in.
crease of prosperity to the country since
that tariff reform went into operation,
and we point to the dullness and distress.
wage reduction and strikes in the iron
trade as the best possible evidence that
no such prosperity resulted from the Nc.
Kinley Act. We call the attention oi
thoughtful Americans to the fact that af'
ter thirty years of restrictive taxes against
tho importations Of foreign wealth in ex.
change for our agricultural supplies, the
homes and farms of the country have be.
come burdened with a real estate mort.
gage debt OF $2,b0O,O0O,00O, exclusive Of
other forms of Indebtedness +; that in one
of the chief agricultural States of the
West there appears real estate mort.
gage debt averaging $156 per capita Of