Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1892-06-29

of foreign wealth, in ex-
change for agricultural surplus. the
home and farms of the country have
become burdened with a real estate
mortgage debt of over two thousand
five hundred million dollars, exclusive
of all other forms of Indebtedness; that
in one of the chief agricultural States
of the West there appears real estate
mortgage debt averaging S165 per capt.
ia of the total population, and that
similar conditions and tendencies are
shown to exist in the other agricultur-
al exporting States. We denounce q
policy which fosters no industry 30
much as it does that of the sheriff.
RECIPROCITY.
Section 4. Trade interchange on the
basis of reciprocal advantages to the
countries participating is a time honor
ed doctrine of the democratic faith, but
we denounce the sham reciprocity
which juggles with the peoples desire
for enlarged foreign markets and freer
exchanges by pretending to establish
closer trade relations for a country
who Sc articles of export are almost ex-
clusively agricultural products with
other countries that are also agricuitur-
al, while erecting a custom-house bar
the rich countries of the world
that stand ready to take our entire
surplus of products and to exchange
therefor commodities which are nee
essaries and comforts of life among our
own | eople.
TRUSTS.
Section 5. We recognize in the trusts
and combinations which are designed
to enable capital to secure more than
it's just share of the joint product of
capital and labor 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, together with such further legis-
lation in restraint of their abuses as
experience may show to be necessary.
PUBLIC LANDS.
Section 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 now few rail
roads and nonresident aliens, individ
ual and corporate, possess larger area
than that of all our farms between the
two seas. The last democratic admin
istration reversed the improvident and
unwise policy of the republican party
touching the public domain, and re
claimed from corporations and syndi
Gates, alien and domestic, and restored
to the people nearly one hundred mil
lion acres of valuable land to be sacred
ly held as homesteads for our citizens
and we pledge ourselves to continue
| l. IL Of 1ov or
unlawfully held shall be reclaimed anC
restored to the people.
SILVER AND GOLD.
Section Z. We denOunce the republi
can legislation known as the Sherman
act of 1890 as a cowardly make-shif
fraught with possibilities of danger il
the future, which should make all o
its supporters, as we'll as it's author
anxious for it's speedy repeal. We hole
to the use of both gold and silver as tn,
standard money of the country and t.
the coinage of both gold and silve
without discriminating against eithe
metal or charge for lnintage, but tn
dollar unit of coinage of both metal
must be of equal intrinsic and ex
changeable value or be adjusted
through international agreement or b,
such safeguards or legislation as shall
insure the maintenance of the part,
Of the two metals and the equal powe
of every dollar at all times in the mar
kets and in the payment of debts, ant
we demand that all paper currenc,
shall be kept at par with and redeem
able in such coin. We insist upon thi
policy as especially necessary for tn
protection of the farmers and laborin
classes, the first and most defenseles
victims of unstable money and a fiuc
tuating currency.
STATE BANK TAX.
Section 8. We recommend that tn
prohibitory ten per cent. tax on Stat
bank issues be repealed.
CIVIL SERVICE.
Section 8. Public office is a publ
| trust We reaffirm the declaration O
the Democratic National Convention
of 1876 for the reform of the civil SCI
vice, and we call for the honest en-
forcement of all laws regulating tn
same. The nomination of President
as in the recent republican convention
by delegations composed largely of hi
appointees, holding Office at his pleas
ure, is a scandalous satire upon fire
popular institutions and a startling il
lustration of the methods by which
President may crafty his ambition
We denounce policy under which fed
eral officeholders usurp control of par
ty conventions in the States, and W
pledge the democratic party to the re
form of these and all other abuse
which threaten individual liberty ant
local self-gOvernment.
FOREIGN POLICY.
Section 10. The democratic party
the only party that has ever given tn
country a foreign policy consistent ant
vigorous, compelling respect abroat
and inspiring confidence at home.-
While avoiding entangling alliances i
has aimed to cultivate friendly rela
tions with other nations, and especial,
with our neighbors on the American
continent whose destiny is closet,
linked with our own, and we view will
alarm the tendency to policy of irri
tatiOn and bluster which is liable a
any time to confront us with the al
tentative of humiliation or war. w,
favor the maintenance of navy strOn:
enough for all purposes of national de
tense and to properly maintain thu
honor and dignity of the countr.
abroad.
| IMMIGRATION.
Section II. This country has alway
been the refuge of the oppressed from
every land-eXiles for conscience SAX,
and in the spirit of the founders O
our government we condemn the op
preston practiced by the Russian gov
eminent upon its Lutheran and Jewish
subjects, and We call upon our ma
tiOnal government, in the interest O.
justice and humanity, by all just anG
proper means, to use it's prompt ani
best efforts to bring about cessation
of these cruel prosecutions in the
dominion of the Gar, and to secure te
the oppressed equal rights.
We tender our profound and earnest
sympathy to those lovers of freedom
who are struggling for home rule and
the great cause of local self-government
in Ireland.
Section IL. We heartily approve all
legitimate efforts to prevent the United
States from being used as the dumping
ground for the known criminals and
professional paupers of Europe, and
l l. l. 80 -