Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1892-06-30

Justly described By leading republican sem
ator ''the most infamous bill that ever
crossed the threshold Of the senate" Such
policy. il sanctioned by law, would mean the
dominance of self perpetuating oiigarehy Of
omce-holders. and the party first entrusted
with its machinery could be dislodced from
power only by appeal 10 the reserved right
Of the people TO resist oppression,
which is inherent in all self governing
communities Two years ago this rev.
dictionary policy was empha ticaly condemned
By the people at the polls, but in Contempt of
that verdict the republican party has dehantly
declared in its latest authoritative utterance
that its success in the coming elections will
mean the enactment of the force bill and the
usurpadOn Of despotic control over elections in
all the states Believing that the preservation
OF republican government in the United States
is dependent upon the defeat of this policy
OF iegalized force and fraud. we invite the sup
port Of all citizens who desire to see the consti-
tuition maintained in its integrity with the
country 100 years OF unexempled
prosperity; and we pledge the democratic party
IL 1t be entrusted with power, not only TO the
defeat of the force bill, but also to relentless
opposition to the republican policy of profiigate
expenditure which, IN the short space of two
years, has SQuandered an enormous surplus
and enptied an overaowing treasury, after
piling new burdens of taxation upon the already
overtaxed labor Of the country
Sec. 8. We denounce republican protection as
a fraud The labor Of the great majority of the
American people for the benefit of the few We
declare it to be fundamental principle of the
democratic party that the federal government
has constitutional power to impose and col
lect tariff duties, except for the purpose of rev.
enue only and We demand that the collection of
such taxes shall be limited to the necessities of
the government when honestly and economic
ally administered.
We denounce the Mckinley tariff law enacted
by the Fifty-frst congress as the culninatin
atrocity OF class legislation; we indorse
ent congress to modify its most oppres-
Sive features in the direction of free mate
rails and cheaper manufactured goods that en-
ter into general consumption: and we promise
its repeal as OF the benefcent results that
will follow the action OF the people in entrust-
ing power to the democratic party. Since the
Mckinley tariff went into operation there have
been ten reductions of the wages of laboring
men to one increase We deny that there has
been any increase of prosperity to the country
since that tariff went into operation; third,
we point to the dullneSS and dis
tress with wage reductions and strikes
in the iron trade as the best possible
evidence that no such osperity has resulted
from the Mckinley act. We call the attention
Of thoughtful Americans to the fact that after
thirty years OF restrictive tariff against the i'm
portatiOn of foreign wealth in exchange for our
agricultural surplus the homes and farms of
the country have become burdened with a
real estate mortgage debt Of over g, &c.,
OOO,O00, exclusive of all other forms of
Indebtedness; that in one of the chief agri-
cultural states of the west there appears real
estate mortgage debt averaging s165 per
capita Of the total population, and that similar
conditions and tendencies shown to exist
in the other agricultural exporting states. We
denounce policy which fosters no industry so
much as it does that Of the sheriff.
Sec 4 Trade interchange on the basis OF re-
ciprocal advantages to the countries participant
ing is time honored doctrine of the denocra tic
faith but denounce the sham reciprocity
i1l, NTH tho aIasc
larged foreign markets and freer exchange by
pretending to establish closer trade relations for
q country whose articles Of export are almost ex-
cluSively agricultural products with other coun-
tries that also agricultural, while erecting
q custom house barrier of prohibitive tariff
taxes against the richest countries of the
world, that stand ready to take entire sur
plus of products and to exchange therefor COM
modities which are necessaries and comforts Of
life among our own people
Sec 5. We recognize in the trusts and
combinations which designed to
enable capital to secure more than its
just share of the joint product of CAPT
tai and labor a natural consequence
of the prohibitive taxes which prevent the free
competition which is the life of honest trade;
but we believe their worst evils can be abated
by law and We demand the rigid enforcement Of
the laws made to prevent and control them, to-
gether with such further legislation in restraint
of the abuses as experience may show to be nee
eSSary.
Sec. 6. The republican party, while protesting
policy of reserving the public land for small
holdings by actual settlers has given away the
peoples heritage till a few railroad
aud nonresident aliens, individual and cor
porate, possess a larger area than that
of all our farms between the two seas.
The last democratic administration reversed
the improvident and unwiSe policy of
the republican party touching the public do
main. and reclaimed from corporations and
syndicates alien and domestic, and restored to
tho o-1r-
land to be sacredly held as homesteads for our
citizens. and pledge ourselves to continue
this policy until every acre of land so unlaw
fully held shall be reclaimed and restored to
the people
Sec. z We denounce the republican Iegisla-
ton known as the Sherman act of 1890 as a cow
ardly makeshift, fraught with possibilities Of
danger in the future which should make all of
its supporters as well as its author anxious for
its speedy repeal We hold to the use of both
gold and silver as the standard money of the
country and to the coinage of both gold and sill
without discriminating against either
metal or charge for mintage. but the dol
lar unit of coinage Of both metals must be
of equal intrinsic and eXchangeable value or be
adjusted through international agreement or
by such safeguards of legislation as shall in l.
sure the maintenance Of the parity of the two
metals, and the equal power of every dollar at
all times in the markets and in the payment of
debts; and demand that all paper currency
shall be kept at par with and redeemable in
Such coin we Insist upon this policy as oS-
pecial1y necessary for the protection OF the
farmers and laboring classes, the first and most
defenseless victims of unstable money and a
fuctuating currency.
Sec 6. We recommend that the prohibitory
10 per cent tax on state bank issues be re-
pealed-
Sec. 9. Public office is public trust We
reafflrrn the declaration of the democratic ma
tional convention of 1876 for the reform of the
civil service and call for the honest enforce
ment of all laws regulating the same The nom
ination Of president, as in the recent repub-
ican convention by delegates composed large
~ Of his appointees, holding office at his pleas
ure, is scandalous satire upon free popular
institutions and striking illustration of the
methods by which president may crafty his
ambition We denounce a policy under which
federal of1ceholders uSurp control of party
conventions in the states, and we pledge the
democratic party to the reform Of these and all
other abuses which threaten liberty and local
selfgovernment
Sec 10. The democratic party is the only
party that has ever given the country foreign
policy consistent and vigorous, compelling
spect abroad and inspiring confidence at home.
While avoiding entangling alliances, il has aimed
cultivate friendly relations with other nations,
and especially with our neighbors on the Amer
lean continent, whose destiny is closely linked
with own. and we view with alarm the ten
dency to policy OF irritation and bluster which
Is liable at any time to confront US with the
alternative of humiliation war. We favor
the maintenance of a navy strong enough for