Daily Texarkana Democrat. (Texarkana, Ark.) 1890-1894, 1892-07-25
National Democratic Platform
Adopted by the National Democratic
Convention at Chicago, June
21st, 1892.

their allegiance to the principles of the par
ty as formulate by Jefferson and ezempli-
fed by long and illustrous line of his sue
cessors in Democratic leadership from Mad
ison to Cleveland. We believe that the pub
lie welfare demands that these principles be
applied TO the conduct OF the Federal Gov
ernment through the accession to power Of
the party that advocates them; and we sol.
EMMY declare that the need of return TO
these fundamental principles of free pop
Mar government based on home rule and
individual liberty was never more than now,
when the tendency to centralze all power
at the Federal Capital has become menace
to the reserved rights ofthe States that strike
at the very roofs Of our Government under
the Constitution as framed by the Republic.
AZ 10 THE FORCE BILL.
Sec. 2. We warn the people of our COM
mon country, Jealous for the preservation OF
their free institutions, that the policy OF Fed
eral control of elections, to which the Re-
publican party bas committed itself, is
fraught with the gravest dangers, scarcely
less momentous that would result from a
revolution, practically establishing monar-
chy On the ruins of the Republic.
1t strikes at the North as well as the South
and Injuries tho colored citizens even more
than the whites. 1t means horde of dep
usy marshals ut every polling place, armed
with Federal power, returning boards APP
pointed and controlled by Federal author
ity, the outrage of the electoral rights OF the
people in the several States, the subjugation
OF the colcred people to the control of the
parry in power and the reviving of race an
tusonlsm, now happily abated, of the utmost
peril to the safely and happiness OF all;
measure deliberately and justly described by
leading Republican Senator "as the most
infamous bill that ever crossed the thresh
old of the Senate" Such policy, if sane
toned by law, would mean the dominance
Of = self -perpetusting oligarchy of office
holders, and the party first entrusted with
its machinery could be dlslodged from pow
er only by an appeal to the reserved right
of the people TO resist oppression which is
Inherent in all seli-governing communities.
Two years ago this revolutionary power
was emphatically CONDEMNED by the people
at the poll; but in contempt Of that verdict
the Republican party has dehantly declared
in its latest authoritative utterauce that its
succe IN the coming election will mean
the enactment of tue force bill and the usur
patton Of desp otic control over elections in
all the States.
Believing that the preser alton of repub-
lican government in the United States is
dependent upon The defeat of this policy OF
legalized force AMI fraud, We invite the
support of Il citizens who desire to see the
Constitution maintained IN its integrity with
the laws pursuant thereto which have given
our country hundred years OF uneXampled
prosperity ! and VS. pledge the Democratic
party, ii il be init usted with power, not
only to the defeat of the force bill, but also
to resembles opposition to the Republican
policy Of profigate expenditure, which in
the short space OF two Years has squandered
an enormous surp US and empued an over
flowing treasury after piling new burdens of
taxation upon the already oYertaxed labor
of the country
TARIFF TAXATION.
See. 3. We denounce Republican pro-
lection rs fraud. The robbery of the great
major.ty oil the American people for the
benefit of the few. We declare it to be
fundamental principle OF the Democratic par
ty that the Federal Government has no con-
sttutonal power to impose and collect tariff
duties, except for the purposes of revenue
only. and We demand that the collection of
such taxes shall be limited to the necessities
of the Government when honestly and econ
omlcally administered.
We denouuce the Mckinley tariff law en-
acted by the Fifty-frst Congress as tho cul
minatng atrocity of class legislation; we in
dorse the efforts mado BY the DEMO- rats of
the present Congress to modify its most OPP
presslve iestures in the direction OF free raw
materials and cheaper manufactured goods
that enter into general consunp tion, end we
promise Its repeal as one of the benetcent
Il, 4 l.. Toll H. - hi
people in lntrusting power TO the Democrat
ic party Since the Mckinley tsIitf went
into operation there have been ten leduc
tions Of the wages of laboring mon TO one
increase. We deny that there has been any
increase Of property to the country since
that tariff went into operation; we point to
the dullness and distress which wage reduc-
lions and strikes in tue iron trade as the
best possible evidence that no such pros.
perty has resulted from the cKinley act.
we call the attention OF thoughtful Amer
leans to the fact that after thirty years of
restrictive taxes against the importation OF
foreign wealth in exchange for our agrcul-
tural surplus the homes and farms of the
country have become burdened with a real
estate mortgage debt of over 81 500, 100000
exclusive OF all other forms Of indebted
ness; that in one Of the chief agricultural
States Of the West there appears real es-
tate mortgage debt averaging Sl65 per cap
ita OF the total population; and that similar
conditions and Tenderness are shown TO exist
in the other agricultural exporting States.
We dencunce u policy which fosters no in
dustry 50 much as it does that of the sheriff.
ALLEGED RECIPROCITY.
Sec 4. Trade exchange on the basis of
reciprocal advantages to the countries par
tclpating is time IGNORED doctrine Of the
Democratic faith, but we denounced the sham
reciprocity which juggles with the peoples
desire for enlars cd foreign markets and
freer exchange by pretending to establish
closer trade relations with country whose
articles Of export are almost exclusively ag-
ricultural products with other countries that
are also agricultural, while erecting GUS
tom house barrier ofprohibitive tariff taxes
against the richest G; u1tres of the world
that stand ready to take our entire surplus
OF products and TO exchange therefor COM
modities vince are necessaries and comforts
of life among our own people.
AGAINST TRUSTS.
Sec. 8. We recognize in the trusts and
combinations which are designed to enable
capital to secure more than its just share OF
the joint product of capital and labor and
natural consequence of the prohibitlve taxes
which prevent the free competition, which
is the lite 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 control aud prevent Thorn, together
with such further legislation in restraint OF
their abuses as experience may show to DO
necessary.
REPUBLICAN LAND STEALS.
Soc @, The Republican party, while pro-