Daily Texarkana Democrat. (Texarkana, Ark.) 1890-1894, 1892-10-06
National Democratic Platform
Adopted ny The National Democratic
Convention at Chicago, June
2lst, 1892.

Seetlon l, The representatives of the
Denocra'ic party of the United States, in
National Convention assembled, do reafirm
their allegiance to the principles of the par.
ty as formulate by Jefferson and ezempli-
lied by long and illustrious 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
eminent through the accession to power of
the party that advocates them; and we sol.
EMMY declare that the need of q 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 cen.ralize all power
at the Federal Capital has become a menace
to the reserved rights ofthe 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 has committed itself, is
fraught with the grayest dangers, scarcely
less momentous that would result from
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
itY, the outrage OF the electoral rights OF the
people in the several States, the subiugation
OF the colored people to the control of the
party in power and the reviving of race an
tagonlsm, now happily abated, Of the utmost
peril to the safety and happiness OF all;
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 -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 self-goVerning communities.
Two years $50 this revolutionary power
was emphaticaLly CONDEMNED by the people
~ Gl6 pom; UuG Ill COubSll Nv VI LA6I NSTUlCt
the Republican party has dedantly declared
in its latest authoritative utterance that its
succe IN the coming election will mean
the enac ment of the force bill and the usur-
patton OF despotic control over elections in
all the States.
Believing that the preser7 alton of Tepub
Iican government in the United States it
dependent upon the defeat OF this policy Of
legalized force and fraud, We invite the
support of Il citizens VINO 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 we pledge the Democratic
party, if it be int listed with power, not
only to the defeat of the force bill, hut also
20 resembles opposition to the Republican
policy Of profigate expenditure, which in
the short space OF two years has squandered
an enormous surp Us and empned an over
flowing treasury after piling new Burdens OF
taxation upon the already oyertaxed labor
Of the country
M