Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1892-06-23
THE PLATFORM.


Ancient Prime ciples Reiterated, and Mod,
ern Republicanism Denounced.
Finally at Gas Mr. Villas again resumed
the reading of the platform, which is al
follows:
Section The representatives OF the
democratic party of the United States, in
national convention assembled, do re-attirm
their allegiance to the principles of the party
as formulated by Jefferson and exempified
by the long and ilustrious line of his sue
cessors in democratic leadership from Madi<
son to Cleveland; we believe the public vel
fare demands that these principles be applied
to the conduct Of the federal government
through the power of the party that advo-
Gates them; and we solemnly declare that
the need Of return to these fundamental
principles upon free popular government,
based of home rule and individual liberty,
was never more urgent than now, when tho
tendency to centralze all power at the fed
eral capital has become a menace to tae re-
served rights of the States that strikes at
the very roots of our government under the
constitution as framed by the fathers Of the
republic.
Section 2-We warn the people Of our
common country, jealous for the prosorva,
tion Of their free institutions, that the pole
icy of federal control OF elections to which
the republican party mas committed itself,
is fraught with the gravest dangers, scarce
ly less momentus than would result from
revolution, practically establishing monarchy
on the ruins of the republic. Ii strikes az
the North as well as the South and injures
the colorei citizen even more than tho white;
it means horde of deputy marsusis at every
polling place armed with federal power,
returning boards appointed and controlled
b. federal authority, the outrage Of tho
electoral rights OF the people in the several
States, the subjugatiou OF the colorel peo-
pie to the control of the party in power,
and the reviying of race antagouisms, now
happily abated, Of the utmost peril to safe
ty and happiness Of all, a measure delib>
! crately and justly described by leading
republican senator as The most Infamous
| bill that ever crossed the threshold of tho
| Senate" "
Such policy, if sanctioned by law, would
mean the dominance of self perpetuatinE
oligarchy OF olicehoders, and the party
! first entrusted with its machinery could la
dislodged from power only By an appeal to
the reserved rights of the people TO resist
opposition which is inherent in all selt-gOV-
erning communities. Two years ago his
revolutionary policy was emphatically con-
demned by the people at the polls; but in
contempt of that verdict tho republican
! party has deiautly declared in its latest
authoritative utterance that its success in
the coming elections will mean the enact
ment Of the force bill and the usurpation OF
despotc control over elections in all the
| States.
Believing that the preservation Of repub-
| lican government in the United States is de-
pendent upon the defeat of this policy Of
legalized force and fraud we invite tho sup
port Of all citizens who desire to see the con-
stitution maintained in its integrity with
with the laws pursuant thereto which have
given our country Il hundred years OF unoEr
(Ccnt,nned on ith paSe)