The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1892-06-23
THE ILdTIOh-h.

Tariff and silver nue4uo"'.
Following is the platform;
Section 1. The representatives of the Dem-
ocratic party of the United States III ma
,;onal convention assembled reafirm their
allegiance 20 the principles OF the
Marty IA formulated by Jefferson snd
exewui6ed by long Industrious llhe
of his successors, OF Democratic Iehuer-
shin from Madison 10 Cleveland. we DeIieVe
the public welfare aenah9s WAY US rfSaSH1
pies be applied TO the conduct OF the edefai
Government through accession u power OF
.ha marty that votes them. AND We
solemnlv declare that the need OF a
return 10 these fundamental principles
OF free popular government Dased on nome
rule and individual liberty was never more
urgent than now, when the tendency 10 CEN
traiize all power at the Federal capital has
become menace 10 the reserved rlghts OF
the States that strikes at the very roots or our
Government. and under the Constitution as
framed by the fathers Of the republic.
TIE oBNox1oUs FORCE BILL.
Section 2. We warn the people Of our com:
mon country, Jealous Tor the preservation Oh
their free institutions that the policy OF the
Federal control OF elections to wnlch the ne
publican party has committed HseN -
fraught with the gravest dangers. scaIceig
less mopentous than would result rom u
revolution practically estabhsnlns monnrenY
on the ruins of the republic 10 strikes NJ
the North as we'll az the South, ana INJURIES
the coored citizen even more thah
the white, 1t means h0rde
Of deputy narshals at every polihg
Mace armed with Federal power, returning
boards appointed and controlled by Federal
authority, the outrage IF the electoral rights
OF the people in the several States. the su9Ju-
cation of the colOred people 10 the control Oh
the party in power and the reyiying OK race
antagonisms now happily abated. OF the NJ
most peril 10 the safety and happiness OF an
a measure deliberately and Justly oescr ...s
by "A leading Republican Senator as the
most infamous bill that ever crossed the
threshold OF the Senate
Such policy. if sanctioned by law, would
mean the dominance OF a self-perpetuatlng
oligarchy Of office-holders, and the party nrst
intrusted with its machinery could be dis
LODGED from power only by an appeal 70 the
reserved right of the people to resist oppres-
sion which is inherent in all selt-governing
communities. Twoyears ago this evolutionary
policy was emphaticGlly condemned by the
people at the polls; but IN contempt OF that
verdict the Republican party has denantiy de-
clared in its latest authoritative utterances
that its success in the coming elections will
mean the enactment of the Force oill and the
usurpaton of despotic control over elections
III all the States.
Relieving that the preservation OF repub-
llcan government in the United States IS
dependent upon the defeat Of this policy OF
legalized force and fraud, we invite the as
sistance Of all citizens who desire 70 see
the Constitution maintained in is integrity.
with the laws pursuant thereto. which have
given our country hundred years OF unex-
ampied prosperity and we pledge the Demo
cratic party if It be intrusted with power.
not only 10 the defeat Of the Force bill. but
also 10 relentless opposition 10 the Republl-
can policy of prohigate expenditure. which in
the short space of two years has squaDdered
an enormous surplus and empued an over
flowing treasury after piling new burdens OF
taxation upon the already oyertaxed LABOR OF
the country.
TARIFF AND TAXATION.
Section 3. We reiterate the oft-repeated
doctrines of the Democratic party that the
necessity of the Government is the only JUS
LITIGATION for taxation, and whenever tax Is
unnecessary it is unjustihable; that when
custom-house taxation Is levied upon articles
of any kind produced in this country the diff
ference between the cost Of labor here and
labor abroad, when such difference exists,
fully measures any possible Dene-
fits 10 labor and the enormous addltlHnel
| impositions of the existing tariff faii With
| crushing force upon our farmers and work
ingmen, aud for the mere advantage OF tho
| few whom 1t enricheB, exacts IRON labor q
grossly unjust share of the expenses OF the
| of the tariff laws as will remove their inl-
quituous Inequalities. tighten their oppres-
sions and put them on constitutional and
| equitable basis.
| But in making reductions in taxes il Is not
proposed TO injure any domestic industries,
| but rather to promote their healthy growth.
| From the foundation OF this Government the
| taxes collected Mt the custom-honse have boon
| the chief source of Federal revenue. Such
| they must continue to be. Moreover. many
! industries have come 10 rely upon legislation
| for successful continuance, so that any
| change of law must be at every step regard
| full of the labor and capital thus involved
| The process of reform must be subject IN the
execution of the plain dictates Of justice.
| We denounce the Mckinley tariff law en-
acted by the Fifty first Congress as the culmi-
| mating atrocity of class legislation, we Ia
| dorse the efforts made By the Democrats Of
| the present Congress to modify its most OPP
| pressiye features IN the direction OF Tree raw
material and cheaper manufactured goods
| that enter into home consumption, and We
| propose its repeal as one of the benehcent re-
suits that will follow the action Of
the people in intrustlng power TO
| the Democratic party. Since the
| Mckinley tariff wentinto. operation.there have
| been ten reductions of wages of laborlng men
| 10 one increase. We deny that there has been
| any increase of prosperity 20 the country
| point o the dullness and distress. the wage
| reductions and strikes in the iron trade AS the
| best evidence that no such prosperity has re-
| suited from the Mckinley act.
| We call the attention Of thoughtful mer-
/ chants to the fact that alter thirty years of
restrictive taxation against importations of
| foreign products In exchange for our agrcul-
| turai products the homes and farms OF the
country have become bHrdened with a real
| estate mortgage of over e. 500 COO .0G0,
| exclusive of all other forms of in
debtedness: that in one of the chief agricu-
| tural States of the West there appears real
estate. mortgage debt averaging slG5 per
| capita and that similar conditions are shown
to exist in other agricultural exporting States.
We denounce policy which fosters Industry
not SO much as It does that OF the sheriff
| SHAN RECIPROCITY.
Section 4. Trade interchange on the basis Of
| reciprocical advantage 20 the countries par
ticipating is a time-honored doctrine of the
| Democratic faith but we denounce the
| sham reciprocity which iuegies with
| the peoples desire for enlarged foreign
markets and freer exchanges by pre-
| tending 10 establish trade relations
| for a country whose articles OF ex-
| port are almost exclusively agricultural while
/ erecting a custom-hOuse barrier of prohibitive
| tariff taxes against the richest countries of the
| world when they stand ready to take our en-
/ tire surplus of products and 10 EXCHANGE
! therefor commodities which are necessary
aud are comforts of life among ouE own PEG.
| nle