Daily Texarkana Democrat. (Texarkana, Ark.) 1890-1894, 1892-08-26
DEMOCRATIC STATE PLATFORM
Adopted by the Democratic State Con-
rcntion at Little Rock,
June 18th, 1892.
THE PLATFORM.

THE PLATFORM.
We, the delegates of tho Democrrtic part,
of the State OF Arkansas, assembled in con
-ention at Little Rock, d. clare that the su
preme issue oil the DAY Is tae re'orm OF IL,
administration of the Government; and ths
the people can safely trust the party founded
by Jefferson, and whose principles were en-
phasized in the splendid, patriotic and non
sectional administration of Grover Ceve
land }i
We denouncc the Republican party fol
its fragrant abuse and prostitution of powel
during the last four years. Coming into iul
control of ali branches of the Government
in 1888 by the use of unprecedented corrup-
ton fund; largely LIVED upon Government
fayorites by those before and since, close
personally and officially, TO the chief bene.
ticiary, that party Immediately entered upo
a crusade of tyrany, fraud and prefigate
extravaganza never before ventured upon by
any party IN times of peace.
1t found the treasury with large and
daily increasing surplus, and in times Of
great depression, accompanied by the uni
versal demand for relief from the burdens
of taxation, it dissipated the surplus by
making annual appropriations If $500, 000,-
600, largely for unnecessary and utterly in.
defensible purposes, and thereby failed to
meet and discharge the maturing bonded in
debtedposs of the Government, and now b il
itself confronted with an imminent deticien-
cy. Moreover, it made many of its appro-
priations permanent, for 10 other purpose.
than to prevent the people from correcting
tie evils done, go long as the Republican
party retained control of either the Senate
or Chief Magistracy of the nation.
1t transcribed all precedeDts in vicious
class legislation, in the enactment of the Nc.
kinney bill, and finally, frightened by the
extremities to which it had gone, sought to
appease the pubic discomfort by reciprocity
fraud, the adoption Of which was comics.
sion Of the iniquity it had perpetratcd.
1t deprived States of their Just representa-
| ton by false ccn,us.
1t deprived, in the most insolent and ar
bitrary manner, and practically without an
opportunity to be heard, representatives OF
the people of their seats in the lower House
| of Congress.
And, finally drunk with its own excuses,
it sought to perpetuste the wrongs it had
| done by depriving the people Of the right 10
hold their own eections and choose their
own servants by the enactment of the in
lannon's and execrable force bill.
1t treated with utter contempt all ideas OF
economy and honesty, both in it, pension
legislation and in its administration of that
bureau.
1t rejected Democratic territories and ad.
mitted Republican territories in order TO re-
tain party supremacy.
This regime OF tyranny, extravaganza and
wrong doing, contracted with the cleon,
honest, prudent and WISE administration OF
Grover Cleveland, brought upon the Relub-
lican party the most stupendous defeat that
ever betell any party in this country, and
inspired anew with confidence a2d hope all
the people in the possibility of preserving
tree government for mankind.
We declare our abiding fidelity to the
Constitution ofthe United States in its let
ter and split.
We declare our faith in the capacity Of
the people for selt-government, and in their
inherent right to enjoy it, free from all Fed
eral interference,
We denounce the Republican party be-
cause it turned its back upon the interests
of the great mass s of society. and sound,
stable government for ALL and allied its for
tunes With corporate weslth, squander ng
millions of the public domain upon railroads
fostering legislation, the legitimate offspring
OF which has been combinations and trusts,
expressing the labor it professed 70 protect
and fastening ever increasing burdens on
agriculture, until the homes of the people in
great sections Of the country are covered
with mortgages, and the markets of the
world closed to the fruits of honest toll.
We denouDce the Mckinley tariff as q
| crime against honest government and flee
people, not only because it levies an unnec-
essary tax and thereby imposes wanton and
cruel burdens on the people, but because it
destroys the markets tor their Surplus pro-
ducts.
We denounCe it because 1t is class leglsla-
ton, enacted in the interest of the favored
few, who are wealthy, and ut the expense
and TOR the oppression OF the great mass Of
the people.
We denounce 1t because it docs not in
crease wages, but surrenders the taxing pow
or of the Government to the manufacture rs,
and leaves it 10 the employers to determine
whether they will divide the immense boun-
ty it yields with those they employ.
We denounce it because it ia an sbuse
and perversion of the taxing power of the
Constitution, which was intended to be
used to raise necessary revenue for the sup
port of ths Government, into the means Of
| plundering all for the benefit of class.
We denounce 1t because it lnauguratcd
for the first time in a free Government, the
practice of taking from the public treasury
the money collected for public purposes
from all the people, and with it, pay boun-
ties to select industries.
We denounce it because it destroys the in
dependence and selfreliance of the people,
which is National characteristic, and
and teaches them to iely upon government
tai favoritsm.
We denounce it because the inevitable
tendency OF this system is the destruction Of
popular government, In the debauchment oil
the ballot, by tribute eXtorted from favored
classes, whose enormous bounties depend
upon the continuance Of the system itself.
We declare that the mission Of tho Demo-
cratic party is to so reform the tariff by u
reduction Of taxation as to limit the revenues
of the Government to its absolute necessi.
ties when economically administered, and Ia
so frame its tariff schedules rs to place the
burdens Of government upon tho luxuries
and not npon tho necessrries of lilo.
We favor safe and sufficient currency,
composed OF gold and silver and legal tender
paper, convertible into coin on demand, and
maintained at par with each other.
We declarei " to be The duty Of the Demo.
craticpar TO preserve tho parity iE value
OF gold and silver, anf 70 provide the meani
by the equal and fair treatment Of both met.
ais.
We tlenounce the Sherman Silver bill al
an obstruction to the fair treatment of silver
and Us . sham and q pretense, intended Ia
postpone honest honest Legislation and Ia
sppease the silver producers while giving no
relief to tho people.
We declare our purpose to continue To
maintain, support and develop our public
schools in tho interest Of general intelligence
| .,,1 40.