Daily Texarkana Democrat., 1892-09-07
National Democratic Platform
Adapted ny he Natleual Democratic
{" scnlI"n ut cbi'apo, Juno
2lst, 1882.

Section !. The representatives, Of the
Denocraiic party Of the United States, in
National Convention assembled. do reafirm
their allegiance to the principles of the par
ty as formulate by Jefferson and ezempli-
fed by long end illustrious line Of his sue
cessors in Democratic leadership from Mad
ison to Cleveland. We believe that the pub
lie welface demands that these principles be
applied TO he conduct OF the Federal Gov
ernment through the accession to power of
the party that advocates them; and we sci.
EMMY declare that the need OF a return to
these fundamental principles of p free pop
ular government based on home rule and
individual liberty was never more than now,
when the tendency to cen.rslize all power
at the Federal Capital has becoma menace
to the reserved rights ofthe States that strike
a. the very roots of our Government under
the Constitution as framed by the Republic.
AZ TO THE FORCE BILL.
Sec. 2. We warn the people of our COM
mon country, jealous for the preservation OF
their free Institutions, that the policy of Fed
eral control of elections, to which the Re-
publican party has committed itself, is
fraught with the grsyest dangers, scarcely
less momentous that would result from a
revolution, practically establishing monar-
chy en- the ruins of the Republic.
1t strikes at the North as well as the South
and Injuries tho colored citizens even more
than the whites 1t means horde of dep
uty marshals at every polling place, armed
with Federal power, returning boards ap-
uointad and controlled by Federal author
itY, tho outrage OF the electoral rights OF the
people in the several States, the subjugation
OF the colored people to the control of the
par.y in power and tie reviving of race an
taeonlsm, now happily absted, OF the utmost
peril to the safety and happiness OF all;
measure deliberately and justly described by
a leading Republican Senator ''as the most
infamous bill that ever crossed the thresh
old of the Senate" such policy. if sane
toned by law, would mean the dominance
of sell perpetuating oligarchy of office
holders, and the party first entrusted with
its machinery could be dlslodged from pow
er only by an appeal to the reserved right
Of the people to resist oppression which is
inherent in all sell-governing communities.
Two years ago this revolutionary power
was emphatically cordemed by the people
at the polls; but in contempt Of that verdict
the Republican party has defantly declared
in its latest authoritative utterance that its
succe IN the coming election will mean
the enactment of the force bill and the eusur-
patton of despotic control over elections in
all the States.
Believing that the preser alton of repub-
ican government in the United States is
dependent upon the defeat OF this policy Of
legalzed force and fraud, VT invite the
support of Il citizens who desire to see the
Constitution maintained In its integrity with
the laws pursuant thereto which have given
our country hundred years Of unexanpled
prosperity;and W" pledge the Democratic
party, il ii be int u:ted with power, not
only to the defeat of the force bill, hut also
to resembles opposition to the Republican
policy Of profigate expenditure, which in
the short space OF two y ars has squNndered
an enormous surp US and emptled an over
flowing treasury after piling new burdens OF
taxation upon The alreaCy oyertaxed labor
Of the country