Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1892-08-11
DEMOCRATIC PLATFORM.
AS Revised and Corrected from Omcial
Sources.
PE1HCrPLEs OF THE PARTY.

of the Unitcd States in national convent as
semoled 90 reenfrm their allegiance to the prin
ciples of the party formulated by Jefferson
and exempliied by the long and illustrious line
o. MS successors in Democratic leadership from
we believe the public welfare demands that
these principles be applied to the conduct of the
power OF the party that advocates thern,Ssoi,
EMMY declaring that the need of a return to
these fundamental principles of free popular
government, based on home rule and individual
liberty, WAS never more urgent than now, when
@ eapa has become al poweF az the re-
served rights Of the states that strikes at the
tutioE "a framed bv the fathers of the republic
Federal Control of Elections.
We warn the people of our common country,
Jealous for the preservation of their free insti-
elections, to which the republican party has
committed itself. Is fraught with the gravest
danger, scarcely less momentous than would
result from revolution practically establish
ing monarchy on the ruins of the republic. 1t
Injuries the coiored citizen even more than the
white. It means "a horde OF deputy marshalS at
Roing pace ninIed Ti. and conroeG by
federal authority, the outrage OF the electoral
rights OF the people IN the several states lne
of the party in power, and the reViy1ng OF race
antegonisms, now happily abated of the utmost
ure deliberately and justly described by a lead
ing republican senator as '.the most infamous
bill that ever crossed the threshold of the SEN
ate" Such policy if sanctioned by law, would
mean the dominance of q Self-perpetuating oil
gRrchy OF ofhceholders, and the party hrst IN
trusted with it's machinery could be dislodged
from power only by an appeal to the reserved
right of the people to resist oppression, which
is inherent In all self-governfng communities.
Two years ago this revolutionary policy was
e<nphatically condemned by the people at the
polls; but, in contempt of that verdict, the re-
publican party has defantly declared IN It's
latest authoritative utterance that its success
IN the coming elections will mean the enact
mont of the force bill and the usurpation OF deS-
pottc control over elections in all the states,
Tlal V hat RrN n
government in the United States is dependent
upon the defeat of this policy OF legalized force
end fraudewe invite the assistance OF all citizens
VINO desire TO see the constitution maintained
"a fits integrity, with the laws pursuant thereto.
Cd unexamDied prosperity and we pledge the
democratic party, If il be intrusted with
but also 20 relentless opposition to the repub-
lbcen policy OF prof1igate expenditure, which in
enormous surplus and emptied an overfiowing
treasury AFTER piling new burdens OF taxation
upon the already overtaxed labor of the country.
Protection Denounced.
We denounce republican protection as a
fraud a robbery of the great majority of the
American people for the benefit of the few. We
declare it TO be the fundamental principle of
the democratic party that the federal govern
ment has no constitutional power to impose and
revenue only, and we demand that the teoiiec-
Hon of such taxes shall be limited to the neces-
economically administered
We denounce the Mckinley tariff law enacted
atrocity Of class legislation we indorse the
efforts made by the democrats of the present
congress to modify its most oppressive fea-
tpres in the direction of free raw materials and
cheaper manufactured goods that enter into
home conSumption, and we promise its repeal as
one Of the beneficial results that will follow the
action OF the people in intrusting power to the
i1 party Since ab fne M bcs tar
lions of wages OF laboring men to one increase.
We deny that there has been any increase Of
into operation, and we point TO the dizziness and
distress, the wage reductions and strikes in the
iron trade, as the best possible evidence that no
such prosperity has resulted from the McKin-
ley act
to the fact that after thirty years of restrictive
taxation against the importation of foreign
wealth in exchange for our agricultural surplus
the homes and farms of the countr'y have be-
come bUrdened 9th real estate mortgage, of
forms Of : Indebtedness: and that in
he of the chief agricultural states
Ct me west %sN there appears s,F real estate
total population; and that similar conditions
and tendencies are shown 70 exist in the other
agricultural exporting states. We denOunce a
policy which fosters no industry SO much as it
does that OK the sheriff
Trade Reciprocity.
Trade Interchange on the basis of reel orocal
advantages TO the countries participating is a
time-honored doctrine of the democratic faith,
iuggles with the peoples desire for enlarged
foreign markets and freer exchanges by
1ations for country whose articles of
export are almost exclusively agricultural
products with other countries that are also asy-
ncultural while erecting a eustomhousc bar
r1er of prohfbitiye tariff taxes against the
ready to take our entire surplus of products
and TO exchange therefor commodities which
are necessarles and cemforts OF life among
Trusts and Combinations
We recognize in trusts and combinations
cure more than its just share of the joint
product OF capital and labor natural conse-
the free competition which is the life of honest
trade, but we believe their worst evils can be
aoated by law, and we demand the rigid en-
forcenent of the laws made to prevent and con-
troll them, together with such further legisla-
ton in restraint OF their abuses as experience
may show to be necessary.
Lands for Actual Settlers.
The republican party, while protesting
policy Of reserving the public lands for small
peoples heritage, until now a few railroad and
nonresident ahe,ls, individual and corporate,
our farms Between e' the n two Oh seas as
The last democratic administration re
the republican party touching the public do
main, and reclaimed from corporations and
the people nearly 100000 900 acres OF valuable
land to be sacredly held as lomesteads for our
this policy until every acre of land so unlawful
ly held shall be reclaimed and restored to the
people
We denouace the republican legislation known
as the Sherman act OF 1890 a cowardly make
SHIFT, fraught with possibilities of danger in the
as well as les author, anxious for its speedy
repeal We hold to the of both gold
and silver the standard money of the
country, and 10 the coinage of both gold and
silver without discriminating against either
metal or charge for mintage but the dollar unit
Cd coinage OF both metals must be of equal in
trfnsic and exchangeable value or be adjusts
through international agreement by such
safeguards of legislation as shall insure the
maintenance OF the parity of the two metals
and the equal power of any dollar at all times
in the market and in the payment of debts; and
kept at par With and redeemable in such coin.
We insist upon this policy especially neceS-
Sary for the protection of the farmers and labor
1ilc classes, the FIRST and most defenSeleSS vic
TINS OF unstable money and fuctUatlng cur
re1lcy.
State Bauk Tax.
We recommend that the prohibitory 10 per
cent tax on state bank issues be repealed.
Civil Service Reform.
Public office IS public trust We reafffrm
me declaration OF the democratic national con-
vetion OF 1876 for the reform of the civi service
and We call for the honest enforcement of ali
laws Regulating the same. The nomina ton OF.
ton, by delegations composed largely of his
appOinteeS, holding office at his pleasure, is a
scandalous satire upon free popular institu
tons and startling iliustrn lion of the methods
by which president may crafty his ambition
We denounce the policy under which fedora
lions in the states. and pledge the demo
cratic party 10 reform OF these and all other
abuses which threaten individual liberty and
local self-gOvernment
Foreign Policy.
The Democratic party is the only party that