The Laurens advertiser. (Laurens, S.C.) 1885-1973, 1892-06-28
THE 'f'SAYFORM aa.a

g.
THE PLATFORM 4a.A
ADOPTED BY THE RECENT NATIONAL.
DEMOCRATIC CONVENTION.
ARinging ArraiEnment OF tho Repubii-
can Party for Robbing tho People
Through the Operation of the Mckinley
Tariff Law-A Strong Document.
CHICAGO, Juno 23.-The following
Is the platform "a, the National Demo-
cpacy as read before the Convention yes
terday: -.
Section 1. Representatives of the
Democratic party OF the United States,
in national convention assembled, do
reaflirmtheir allegiance to the principles
OF the party as formulated by Jefferson
and exemplified by the long and illus.
trious line OF his successors in Demo.
cratic leadership, from Madison to
Cleveland; we believe the public well
fare. demands that these principles be
applied to the conduct of the Federal
government thr-3gh accession to the
power of the party that advocates them;
and we solenJuly declare that the need
OF return to the principles OF free popu-
lar government, based on homo rule
and individual liberty, was never more
urgent than now, when the tendency to
centralize all power at the Federal Cap.
ital has becomea menace to the reserved
rights OF States that strikes at the very
roots OF our government under the Con-
stitution as framed by the fathers of the
republic.
Sec. 2. We warn the people OF our
common country, jealous for the preser.
yation oftheir free institutions, that the
policy OF Federal control of elections,
to which the Republican party has COM
mitted Itself, is !raught with the gravest
dangers, scarcely less momentous than
would result from revolution practi-
cally establishing o monarchy on the
ruins of a republic.
1t strikes al the North as we'll as the
South and Injuries colored citizens even
more than white; 1t means q horde OF
deputy marshals at every polling place
armed with Federal authority; outrage
OF the electoral rights of the people In
several States; subjugation of the COL
ored people in control of the party in
power and the rcviving Of race antagon.
lsms now happily abated; OF the most
peril to safety and happiness of all; a
measure deliberately and jus tly describ-
ed by leading Republican Senator as
'the most Infamous bill that ever
crossed the threshold of the Senate"
Such policy, If sanctioned by law,
would mean the dominance of self.
perpetuatlng oligarchy of office-holders.
and the party first entrusted with it's
machinery could be dislodged from
power only by an appeal to the reserved
rights of the people to resist opposition
which Is inherent in all self-governing
communities.
Two years ago this revolutionary
policy was emphatically condemned byy
the people at tho polls; but in contempt
of that verdict the Republican party has
defiantly declared an It's latest authorlta.
tive utterance that it's success In the
coming electio,ls will mean the> snact-
men a2IXAsb5fa RI bill and 9idi'i
/ Cno' ',ot!ttes. Believing that tue pIescr'
vation of republican government ir
the United States is dependent upon this
policy of legaiized force and fraud, We
invite the support of all citizens who de
sire to see the Constitution maintained
in its integrity with the laws pursuan
thereto which have given our countr,
, an 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 tn
Republican policy of proaigate expendl
ture, which, in the short space of tw
= years, has squandered an enormous SUI
> plus and emptied an overaowiug treas
ury after piling new burdens of taxatio
l upon the already over-tnxed labor {
: the country.
Sec. 8. We reiterate the ott-repeate
= declaration ofthe Democratic party tha
the necessity of the government is th
9 only justification for taxation, an
whenever q tax is unnecessary, it is III
e Unsuitable; that when the custom hous
taxation ls levied upon articles of au
> kind produced in this country, differel
! ces between the cost of labor here au
. labor abroad, when such difference @,
!. lists, fully measures any possible ben
n fits to labor, and the enormous addition
"a al imposition of the existing tariff ia
e with crushing force upon our tarme
and workingmen, and for the mere a
n vantage of few whom it enriches ar
If exact from labor a grossly unjust sha
8. of the expenses of the government, al
IL we demand such revision of the tar
u y laws as will remove their iniquitous in
O. qualities, tighten their expressions a,
-, put them on constitutional and equ
70 70 able basis. But in making a reductl
q. In taxes, it Is not proposed to injure a,
domestic industries, but rather to pl
o. moto their bealthy growth. From t
he foundation OF this government the tax
IN collected at the custom house have be
r. the chief source of Federal revenl
Such they must continue TO be.
Moreover, many industries have col
,d to rely upon legislation for success
~ continuance, so that any changes
It, law must be at every step regardful
by the labor and capital thus lnvolv,
,e- This process of reform must be the 8,
lie ject in the execution of this plain q
ed tate of justice.
Dr. We denounce tile Mckinley tariff !
'er enacted by the Flity.frst Congress
ad the eliminating atrocity of clas, les
ap- lation; we endorse the efforts made
sn- s the Democrats of the present Congr
';,, TO modify Its most oppressive featu
~ ~ in the direction OF free raw materi
Iva 4. and cheaper manufactured goods t
ten enter into general consumption; and
he promise its repeal as one of the ben
led cent results that will follow the act
de, of the people in entrustng power to
of Democratic party. Since the McKin
md tariff went into ODeratiOn there In