Daily Texarkana Democrat. (Texarkana, Ark.) 1890-1894, 1892-09-30
National Democratic Platform
Auop'ed by the National Democratic
Convention at Chicago, June
21st, 1892.

Section l. The representatives of the
DeMocrsfic party of the United States, in
National Convention assembled, do reafirm
their allegiance to the principles of the par.
ty as formulated by Jefferson and exempli-
ned by long and illustrious line of his sue
cessors In Democratic leadership from Mad
lson to Cleveland. We believe that the pub
lie welfare demands that these princlplas he
applied to the conduct OF the Federal Gov.
eminent 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
ular government based on home rule and
individual liberty was never more than now,
when the tendency to centralize all power
at the Federal Capital has become menace
to the reserved rights of the States that strike
at the very roots of our Government under
the Constitution as framed BY the Republic.
AS 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 en- the ruins of the Republic.
1t strikes at the North as well as the South
and Injuries the colored citizens even more
than the whites. 1t means horde of dep
uty marshals at every polling place, armed
with Federal power, returning boards APP
pointed and controlled by Federal author
lty, the outrage OF the electoral rights OF the
people in the several States, the subjugation
Ut the colored people to the control of the
party in power and the reviving of race an
tagonlsm, now happily sbsted, of the utmost
peril to the safety and happiness of all; a
measure deliberately and Justly described by
a 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 selt-perpetuating 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 sef-governing communities.
Two years ago this revolutionary power
was EN- phatically condemned by the people
at the polls; but IN contempt Of that verdici
the Republican party has defantly declared
in its latest authoritative utterance that its
succe san the coming election will mean
the enactment of the force bill and the usur-
patton of despotic control over elections in
all the States.
Believing that the preser alton of Tepub-
not in ha TIpita1 Sfa4ac is
dependent upon the defeat OF this policy OF
iegalized force and fraud, WI invite the
support of Il citizens who desire to see the
Constitution maintained In its integrity with
Tho laws pursuant thereto which have given
lur country a hundred years of unexampleu
prosperity; and we pledge the Democratic
party, if il be inti listed with power, not
lnly to the defeat of the force bill, but also
% lesentless opposition TO the Republican
policy Of proAigste expenditure, which in
.he short space OF two years has squandered
an enormous surp US and emptled an over
lowing treasury after piling new burdens OF
taxation upon the already oyertaxed labor
OF the country
TARIFF TAXATION.
Sec. 3. We denounce Republican pro-
lection as a fraud. The robbery OF the great
maiority OF the American people for the
benefit of the few. We declare it to be Il
fundamental principle OF the Democratic par
ty that the Federal Government has no con-
stitutional power to impose and collect tariff
duties, except tor 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
omcally administered.
We denounce the Mckinley tariff law en-
acted by the Fitty-frst Congress as the cul
mnating atrocity of class legislation; we in
dorse the efforts made by the Democrats OF
the present Congress to modify its most OPP
pressIye Gestures in the direction of free raw
materials and cheaper manufactured goods
That enter into general consumption, and we
promise its repeal as one of the benefcent
results that will follow the action of the
people in lntrusting power to the Democrat
ic party. Since the Mckinley taliff went
into operation there have been ten reduce
tons of the wages of lsboring men 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-
tions and strikes in the iron trade as the
best possible evidence that no such pros
perity has resulted from the Mckinley act.
we call the attention OF thoughtful Amer
leans to the fact thai after thirty years OF
restrictive taxes against the importation OF
fereign wealth in exchange for our agrlcul-
turai surplus the homes and farms of the
country have become burdened with real
estate mortgage debt of over $4,000, 0O0, 900
exclusive OF all other forms Of indebted
ness; that in one of the chief agricultural
States Of the West there appears real es-
tato mortgage debt averaging $l65 per cap
its OF the total population; and that similar
conditions and Tenderness are shown to exist
in the other agricultural exporting States.
We denounce a policy when fosters no in
lustry SO much as it does that of the sheriff.
ALLEGED RECIPROCITY.
Sec. A. Trade exchange on the basis OF
reciprocal advantages to the countries par
nclpating is a time-honored doctrine OF the
Democrats faith, but we denounce the sham
reciprocity which juggles with the peoples
desire for enlarL ed foreign markets and
freer exchange by pretending to establish
closer trade relations with country whose
articles Of export are almost exclusively ag-
rioultural products with other countries that
are also agricultural, while erecting GUS
tom house barrier ofprohibitive tariff taxes
AGAINST the richest countries of the world
tbat stand ready to take our entire surplus
Of products and to exchange therefor COM
modties vince are necessarles and comforts
of life among our own people.