Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1892-06-23
THE PLATFORM

section l III INillNsNis.tt''S' VI SAiN N'N'''
| ocratic party rcatlirm their allegiance TO the
principles Of the party as formulated by JEFF
f.rson and exemplified by the long and Illus
trious line of his SUCCESSORS III the dcmoclatc
leadership from Madison to Cleveland, and We
solclnnlv declare that the needs of return
70 these fundamental principles OF free pop
| ular government. based on home rule and
| individual liberty, Was never more urgent
.han now, when the tendency TO centIalize
all powcr ut the federal Capitol has become :,
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.
Sec. >. We warn the people of our common
country that the policy of federal control OF
elections 10 which the republican party has
| committed itself is fraut with the grayest
dangers. 1t strikes at the North as we'll as
the South. and Injuries the colored citizen
even more than the white; il means a horde
of deputy marshals at every polling place
armed with federal power, returning boards
appointed and controlled by federal authority,
the outrage of the electoral rights of the pco-
ple in the several States, the subjugation OF
the co!ored people to the control of the
Marty in power and the revival OF race
antagonisms now happily abated. of the
utmost peril to safety and happiness OF. al
Believing that the preservation of republic
can government III the United States is de-
pendent upon the defeat of this policy of
localized force and fraud, we pledge the
democratic party, if it be entrusted with
power. not only 10 the defeat of the Force bill
but also to relentless opposition to the repub-
lican policy of prohigatc expenditure. which,
in the short space of two years. has emptied
an OVERLOOKING treasury, after piling new bur
dcns of taxation upon the already ovcrtaxed
labor OF the country.
Sec. 3 We reiterate the oft-repeated doc
trincs of the democratic party that the neces-
sity of the government is the only .justifica-
ton for taxation. and. whenever tax is I'M
necessary. it Is uniustiiable; that when Gus
to,ns-house taxation is levied upon articles of
any kind produced in this country. the differ
ences between tho cost of labor here and labor
abroad. when such q difference exists fully
measures any possible benefits to labor. We
demand such revision OF the tariff laws as
will remove their iniquitous inequalities.
tighten their expressions and put them on
constitutional and equitable basis. But in
making reduction i'll taxes 1t is not proposed
TO iniure any domestic industries, but rather
TO promote their healthy growth. we de-
nounce the Mckinley tariff law rs the cnlmi-
mating atrocity of class legislation. and we
promise its repeal as one OF the beneticient re-
suits that will follow the action of the people
in entrusting power to the democratic party
Since the Mckinley tariff went into operation
there have been ten reductions of the wages
of laboring men 70 one increase. We deny
that there has been any increase of prosperity
TO the country since that tariff went into
operation.
Sec. 4. Trade interchange on the basis of
reciprocal advantages is a time-honored doe
trine of the democratic faith, but We dcnounce
the sham reciprocity which juggles with the
peoples desire for en.4.S Ill.,, foreisn markets
and freer exchanges by pretending to es... .H
lish closer trade relations while erecting
custom-house barrier of prohibitive tariff
taxes.
Sec. 5. We recognize in trusts and combina-
tons natural consequence of the prohibitive
taxes which prevent the free competition
which is the life of honest trade, and We de-
mand a rigid enforcement Of the laws together