Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1892-05-30
MONDAY, MAY 80, 1899.
DEMOCRATIC STATE TICKET.
A SOUND PLATFORM,
Resolutions Adopted by the Democr
Convention at Springfield.

Convention at Spring field.
The Democracy of Illinois, in convention
assembled, reaffirms its devotion to demo.
cratic principles, and pledges itself to an
firing effort for their supremacy. 1t be-
lieves that the powers delegated by the
people should be strictly construed; that
the autonomy of the states and their rights
of local self-government and home rule
should be zealously guarded as essential to
the preservation of our form of govern
ment; that no money should be taken from
the people under any pretext for other
than public purposes; that the strictest
economy should be exercised in all govern
mental expenditures, whether local, state,
or national, and that the legislation should
be confined to the legitimate objects of
government.
We recognize that the tariff is a tax. and
that all taxation is a burden. Where it is
imposed justly and fairly to meet the
necessary expenditures of an econom.
zeal and prudent administration of pub
lie affairs, it will becheerfully borne
by the people. When levied up-
on the suggestion of private greed
to promote monopoly and extortion, to
build up the fortunes of few beneficiaries
and favored classes at the expense of the
general welfare, it is leavened with injus.
tice and oppression, and burden, is intol-
cradle to freedom and inconsistent with
every principle of sound government
The Republican party has sought to fasten
an iniquitous and oppressive system of
taxation upon the American people The
effect of its legislation on this subject is
to fetter trade and commerce, those swift
agencies of civilization, and disorganize
and disarrange every element Of industry,
to foster injurious combinations, and en-
nance the prices of necessaries of life, and
to demoralize the public confidence
We indorse to the fullest extent the
patriotic administrat on of Grover Cleve-
land, and declare without reservation our
full and complete approval of the views
contained in his message to congress on
the tariff in 1887.
We demand an immediate revision Of
the tariff, free raw material, n reduction
In the duties on the nccessaries of life, and
such changes in the shipping and naviga-
ton law as shall restore the American
merchant marine and the supremacy OF
the American flag on the high seas
We reiterate our allegiance to the his
toric policy of the democratic party, in
favor of honest money, the gold and silver
coinage provided by the constitution of
the United States, and of currency con-
vertible into such coinage without loss to
the holder, and we recommend an invita-
ton by our government to the commercial
powers Of the world for an international
conference for the purpose of fixing ratio
between the values of gold and silver, so
that parity may be maintained between the
two metals, and all minis be thrown open
to free coinage.
We denounce the reckless extravaganza
of the billion-dollar congress, controlled
by Republican majority, and distin-
guished only by the passage of the oppres-
siye Mckinley bill and the wicked waste Of
the peoples money.
We believe firmly that public officers
should be faithful servants of the people.
and that in every instance of appointment
70 office the test should be rather capacity
for efficient public service than past or
prospective political activity.
We are proud of our common school
system and pledge ourselves to uphold and
improve it, for free institutions cannot ex
list without universal education.
We deuounce the Republican party forien
acting law which tends to bring the cause
of popular education into disrepute; a law
which takes from the parent the right tc
educate his child according to the dictates
of his conscience; a law which creates 6
state inquisition over schools toward which
the state contributes nothing; alaw which
gives the absolute power to every schoo
board, no matter how ignorant or spitefu
its actions, to harass and Prosecute a large
class of people who are among our bes
citizens and who do their full duty, bott
toward the state and their children, anC
who by their labor, their patriotism, anC
intelligence have contributed very mucl
to our prosperity and greatness.
Such law is further to be condemned
as an invasion of that religious ibert!
guaranteed by the constitution, and in effec
amounts to an interference by the state
with the church. This law is antagonisti
to democratic institutions, and we demand
its unconditional repeal, and we pledg
our candidates for the legislature to yot
and work to that end.
We favor the election of United States
senators by direct vo of the people.
We denounce the creation OF trust
which, however disguised, have for thei
end the sitting Of competition and the con
troll of production and prices, with view
Of depressing the people; and we demand
from our legislature the passage of strin
gent laws to aid the judicial branch of tn
state in stamping out such iniquitous de
vices of monopolists to defraud the people
We believe that in a free country tn
curtailment of the absolute rights of thu
individual should only be such as is essen
tial to the peace and good order OF tn
country.
The limit between the proper subjects o
governmental control and those which cal
be more fittingly left to the moral sens
and self-imposed restraint Of the either
should be carefully kept in view. Thus
laws unn ecessarily interfering with tn
habits and customs of any people whicl
are not offensive to the moral sentiment Q
the civilized world, and which are consist
ent with good citizenship and public wei
fale. are unjust and vexatious.
rue constitution or this state provide
@That it shall be unlawful for the commits
sioners Of any penitentiary or other re
formatory institutions in the state of I'LL
nois to let by contract to any persons o
corporation the labor Of any convict con
fined within such institution" We de