The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1892-08-16
POLITICAL PLATFORMS.
A Series of Interesting Documents.
Milesto,oes IN the Development OF POZiti-
cal Parties Since the OrgGnizG-
ti0n of the GOUeTn n1egat.

AH0SCOIC6S tTG C!C6 6D0OCGCEJHGCICC " 4 OLCCI-
cal Parties Since the OrgGniza-
tion of the GoUeTn naesat.
DEMOCRATIC, NEW YORK, JULY 4TH.
1868.
The Democratic party, in ne nal
convention assembled, repOsing its
trust in the intelligence, patriot m,
and discriminating Justice of the peo-
pie, standing upon the Constitution as
the foundation and limitation of the
powers of the government and the
guarantee of the liberties of the citizen
and recognizing the questions of
slavery and secession as having been
settled, for all time to come, by the
war or the voluntary action of the
Southern States in constitu iOnal con-
ventions assembled, and never to be
revived or re agitated, do, with the re-
turn of peace, demand
1. Immediate restoration of all the
States to their rights in the Union,
under the Constitution, and of civil
government to thu American people.
2Amnesty for all past political
offenses and the regulation of the cleo
tive franchise in the States by their
citizens.
8. Payment of the public debt of the
United States as rapidly as practicable
all moneys drawn from the people
by taxation, except so much as is
requisite for the necessities of the gov
ernment, economically administered,
being honestly applied to such pay
ment; and where the obligations of the
government do not expressly state
upon their face, or the law under which
they we're issued does not provide that
they shall be paid in coin, they ought,
in right and in justice, to be paid in
the lawful money of the United States.
4. Equal taxation of every species of
property according to it's real value,
including government bonds and other
government securities.
5. One currency for the government
and the people, the laborer and the
off1cehOlder, the pensiOner and the
soldier, the producer and the bond
holder.
6. Economy in the administI alton of
the government; the reduction of the
standing army and navy; the abolition
of the Freedmen's Bureau and all po-
litical instrumentalities designed to
secure negro supremacy, simplification
Of the system and discontinuance of in
quisitorial modes of assessing and col
lecting internal revenue; that the bur
den Of taxation may be equalized and
lessened, and the credit of the govern
ment and the currency made good the
repeal of all C1aCtmepts for enrolling
the State militia into national forces
in time of peace az d tariff for reve-
nue. upon foreign imports, and such
equal taxation under the internal reve-
nue. laws as will afford incidental pro
lection to domestic manufacturers, and
as will, without impairing the revenue,
impose the le 4st burden upon, and best
promote and encourage, the great in
dustrial interests of the country.
Z. Reform of abuses in the admistra-
ton, the expulsion of corrupt men
from Office, the abrOgatiOn of useful
offices, the restoration of rightful au-
thOritY to, and the independence of,
the executive and judicial departments
of the government; the subordination
Of the military to the civil power, to
the end that the usurpations Of Con
gress and the despotism of the sword
way cease.
s. Equal rights and protection for
naturaIized and native born citizens,
at home and abroad; the assertion of
Americal nationality which shall com
mand the respect of foreign powers,
ment to people struggling for national
integrity, constitutional liberty, and
individual rights; and the maintenance
of the rights of naturalized citizens
against the absolute doctrine of i'm
mutable allegiance and the claims of
foreign powers to punish them for
alleged crimes committed beyond their
Jurisdiction. In demanding these
measures and reforms, we arraign the
Radical party for it's disregard of right
and the unparalleled oppression and
tyranny which have marked its career.
After the most solemn and unanimous
pledge of both Houses of Congress to
prosecute the war exclusively for the
maintenance of the government and
the preservation of the Union under
the Constitution, it has repeatedly
violated that most sacred pledge which
alone was rallied that noble volunteer
army which carried our flag to victory.
Instead of restoring the Union it has,
so far as in its power, dissolved it, and
subjected ten States, in time of pro
found peace, to military despotism and
negro supremacy. It has nullifed
there the right of trial by jury; it has
abolished the hGbeas corpus, that most
sacred writ of liberty; it has over
thrown the freedom Of speech and
press; it has substituted arbitrary
seizures and arrests, and military trials
and secret star chamber inquisitiOns
for the constitutional tribunals; it has
disregarded, in time of peace, the right
of the people to be free from searches
and seizures; it has entered the post
and telegraph Offices, and even the
private rooms of individuals, and
seized their private papers and letters,
without any specific charge or notice
of affidavit, as required by the organic
law. It has converted the American
Capitol into bastile; it has established
a system of spies and official espionage
to which no constitutional monarchy