Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1892-06-29
DEMOCRATIC PLATFORM.
The following is the platform adopt
ed at the recent National Democratic
Convention at Chicago -

Inc following Is the plaUIOrm luOpG-
ed at the recent National Democratic
Convention at Chicago -
Section 1. The representatives of
the democratic party of the United
States, in national convention assem-
bled, do reaffirm their allegiance to the
principles of the party as formulated
by Jefferson and exemplifed by the
long and illustrious line of his success
sors in democratic leadership from
Madison to Cleveland. We believe the
public welfare demands that these
principles be applied to the conduct of
the federal government through the
accession to power of the party that
advocates them, and we solemnly de-
clare that the need of return to these
fundamental principles of a free popu-
lar government, based on home rule
and individual liberty, was never more
urgent than now, when the tendency
to centralize all power of the federal
Capitol has become a menace to the
reserved rights of the States, that
strikes at the very roots of our govern
ment under the constitution as framed
by the fathers of the republic.
FORCE BILL.
Section g We warn the people OF
our common country, Jealous for the
preservation of their free institutions,
that the policy of federal control OF
elections to which the republican par
ty has committed itself is fraught with
the gravest danger, scarcely less mo-
mentOus than would result from re-
volution practically establishing mon
archy on the ruins of a republic. II
strikes at the North as well as the
South, and Injuries the colored citizens
even more than the white it means a
horde of deputy marshals at every poll
ing place armed with federal power, re-
turning boards appointed and control
led by federal authority, the outrage
of the electoral rights of the people in
the several States, the subjugation of
the colored people to the control of the
party in power and the reviving of
race antagonism now happily abated,
of the utmost peril to safety and hap
piness of all, a measure deliberately
and justly described by a leading re-
publican Senator as ''the most infam-
GUS bill that ever crossed the threshold
of the Senate" Such policy, if sane
toned by law, would mean the domi-
nance of self perpetuating oligarchy
of officeholders, and the party first en-
trusted with its machinery could be
dislodged from power only by an APP
peal to the reserved right of the people
to resist oppression, which is inherent
in all self-governing communities. Two
years ago this revolutionary policy was
emphatically condemned by the people
at the polls, but in contempt of that
verdict the republican party has def
antlv declared in it's latest authorita-
tive utterance that it's success in the
coming elections will mean the enact
ment Of the force bill. and the usurpa-
ton of despotic control over elections
in all the States.
Believing that the preservation of
government in the United
States is dependent upon the defeat of
this policy of legalized force and fraud.
we invite the support of all citizens
who desire to see the constitution main
tanned in it's integrity. with the laws
thereto. which have given
our country a hundred wears of 9nex-
ampled prosperity. and we pledge the
party. if it be entrusted
with power, not only to the defeat of
the force bill. but also to relentless on
position to the republican policy of
profiigate expenditure, which, in the
Short space Of two years, has sauander-
ed an enormous surplus, emptied an
OVERLOOKING treasury, after piling new
burdens of taxation upon the already
overtaxed labor of the country.
TARIFF REFORM,
Section 3. We denounce the republi
can policy of protection as a fraud on
the labor of the great majority of the
people for the benefit of the
few. We declare it to be fundament-
al principle of the democratic party
that the federal government has no
power to impose and
collect tariff duties except for the pur-
poses of revenue only, and we demand
that the collection of such taxes shall
be limited to the necessities of the gov
eminent when honestly and economi