Middletown transcript., 1892-08-18
pEsfooRArs m CONVERSIONS
THEY SELECT CANDIDATES AND ADOPT
A PARTY PLATFORM.

THEY SELECT CANDIDATES AND ADOfIa
A PARTY PLATFORM.
The Democratic State Convention
met at Dover, Tuesday. Victor B.
Woolley was made temporary chair
man. The usual committees were
appointed and L. Irving Handy was
named for permanent chairman.
The Presidential electors for the
State nominated in the county eau
cuses were then named by the con-
yention, as follows: New Castle,
Charles B. Lore; Kent, Dr. Ezekiel
Cooper; Sussex, William Fl. Coul-
bourn
Congressman John W. Causey was
remoninated for Congress by acclaim
alton, amid great cheering and enthus-
iasm. After adopting plow as the
device to be used as the heading of
the ticket, as required by the Aus
tralian ballot law enacted by the last
Legislature, the convention then ad-
journed.
THE PLATFORM.
The Democratic party of Delaware, in
presenting candidates for electors for Pres
ident and Vice-President of the United
States and representative in Congress to
the people of the state, through their dele
gates in state convention assembled, de-
clare again their loyalty to the cardinal
principles of the Democratic faith, and ex-
press their hearty approval and ratification
of the national Democratic platform lately
adopted at Chicago.
Believing in the doctrine enunciated by
Jefferson-that "a wise and frugal govern
ment which shall restrain men from injur-
ing one another, but which will leave them
otherwise free to regulate their own pur-
suits of industry and improvement, and
shall not take from the mouth of labor the
bread it has earned, is necessary to make
us happy and prosperous people"-they
denounce the extravaganza ofthe Republi-
can party and its abuse of the power OF
Federal taxation. 1t has Frustrated many
industries in order to subsidize few, and
taken an unlawful toll from the fruits of
agricultural and other labor, to enrich the
class who write our tariff laws. As this
toll is many times the amount paid into
the public treasury, they demand that all
taxation, including tariff taxation, shall
be adjusted to meet the wants of an honest,
economical and frugal government.
They commend the efforts of the Demo-
cratic House of Representatives to lessen
the burden of Federal taxation, by untax-
ing soma of the necessaries of life, and
making free the raw material of important
industries, which would have had the effect,
under natural conditions, ofquickening the
industrial activities of the people, and re-
moving from the path of their progress the
artificial and law-made obstacle Of unneces-
sary and therefore unjust taxation.
Though this appeal of the representatives
of the people was unheeded by Republi-
can Senate, the Democratic party of Della
ware pledges itself to its coadjutors here,
and in all the states, to stand with them in
uncompromising agitation of the great
question of tariff reform, till Democratic
Senate and a Democratic President shall
unite with Democratic House of Repre-
sentatives in responding to the demand Of
the people for just laws, more economical
administration and reduced taxation.
They declare their faith in the capacity
of the people for selfgovernment, illus
trated and maintained by the preservation
Of the rights and autonomy OF the states,
as secured by the constitution. They pro-
test against the constant assaults made by
the Republican party on the integrity oi
this right of local self-government, and the
invasion of the domain of the state govern
ment by swarms of unnecessary officials
who eat out the substance of the people and
tend to corrupt and debauch their politics.
Especially do they denounce the interfer'
ence of the general government with the
elections and election laws of the state, as
to this vital point If the people of the
state may not govern themselves they will
have indeed lost the right of self-goyern-
ment. The hordes of armed mercenaries
who as deputy marshals infest the polls in
the chief city of the state, perform no func
tion except to execute the partisan behests
of local Republican bosses, menace the
peace of the community, and illustrate the
tendency of the Republican party to g
reckless use of the centralized power of thu
general government, while the desperate
and revolutionary attempts of the last Re
publican Congress and President Harrison
To increase and extend this interference
and to control from Washington every poll
ing place in the United States by the pro
visions of the infamous force bill, was de
feated by the courage and patriotism of tn
Democratic minority, and met with tn
indignant condemnation OF the people a
the polls. There is no security against
repetition of this attempt except the defea
of the President and party who made it.
With just pride in the past history 9
the state under Democratic ascendency, tn
party stands pledged to increased watchful
ness over the methods of collecting an,
spending public revenues, to the equaliza
ton of tax burdens, and to every econom
that the distresses of the people max
exigent.
Asserting these principles, they ratif
and affirm the nomination of the Hor
Grover Cleveland for President of th
United States, and of the Hon. Adlai I
Stevenson for Vice-President of the Unite
States.
They renew their demand for a constitl
tional convention at the earliest period {
which it may be lawfully convened.
That we recognize the necessity Of
change in our laws relating to taxation an
| -~ro bo,1o for oh n ra,,ort froDo 10 oop