The Jersey City news., 1892-06-23
THE PLATFORM
Frank and Spirited Presen-
tation of the Demo-
cratic Doctrine
On National
Issues.
HlLDEN ON THE TARIFF.
Reiteration Of the Great Rev.
enue Reform Plank Of 1876
-MeKinleyism De-
nouneed.
RESISTING IMPERIALISM.
The Force Bill and Similar Meas.
ures Danger to Liberty
Solid for an Hon.
est Dollar.
RESISTING IMPERIALISM.

| rolloWlng is Ine IuIl CeXC or In0
Democratic platform as finally
adopted by the National Conven-
tion at Chicago yesterday
SECTION l. The representatives of the
Democratic party of the United States,
| in National Convention assembled, do
reaff1rm their allegiance to the principles
| of the party as formulated by Jefferson
and exemplifled by the long and illustri-
ous line of his successors in Democratic
| leadership from Madison to Cleveland.
| We believe the public welfare demands
that these principles be applied to the
conduct of the Federal Government
through accession to power of the party
that votes them: and we solemnly de-
clare that the need of return to these
fundamental principles of free popular
government. based on home rule and in
divldual liberty, was never more urgent
than now, when the tendency to central-
ize all power at the Federal capital has
become a menace to the reserved rights OF
| the States that strikes at the very roots of
| our Government and the Constitution al
| framed by the fathers of the republic.
FREEDOM AND FEDERATION.
SEC. 2. We warn the people of our
| common country. jealous for the prserva-
| ton of their free institutions, that the
| policy of the Federal control of elections
| to which the Republican party has com.
| gers, scarcely less momen tous than would
| result from revolution practically estab-
| fishing monarchy on the ruins of the
republic. 1t strikes at the North as well
! as The South. and Injuries the colored
| citizen even more than the white. It
means horde of deputy marshals at
| every polling place, armed with Federal
| power, returning boards, appointed and
| controlled by Federal authority. the OUT
! rage of the electoral rights Of the people
IN, ftNaJ nrul fhn h TITrxn <rH
| the colored people to the control of the
| party in power and the revivlng of race
| antagonisms, now happily abated, of the
| utmost peril to the safety and happiness
of all. a measure deliberately and justly
described by leading Republican Sena-
tor 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-per-
petuating oligarchy of officeholders. and
the patty first intrusted with its machin-
cry could be dislodged from power only
by an appeal to the reserved right of the
people to resist oppression. which is in-
herent in all selt-governing communities.
Two years ago this revolutionary policy
wes emphatically condemned by the
people at the polls; but in contempt of
that verdict the Republican party has de-
| family declared in its latest authoritative
utterance that its success in the coming
elections will mean the enactment of the
control over elections in all the States.
Believing that the preservation of Res
publican government In the United States
| is dependent upon the defeat of this
policy of legalized force and fraud. we in-l
vite the assistance of all citizens who de-
| sire to see the Constitution maintained in
| it's integrity with the laws prrsnant
| thereto which have given our country a
| hundred years of unexampled prosperity;
| and we pledge the Democratic party. if it
hs faI
| defeat of the Force bill. but also TO re-
| lentless opposition to the Republican
| policy of prof1iga6e expenditure which In
| the short space of two years has squan-
! dered an enormous surplus and emptied
| an oyerhowing treasury, after piling new
burdens Of taxation upon the already
overtaxed labor of the country.
| TILDEN AND THE TARIFF.
| SEC 3. We reterste the ofr-repeated
| doctrines of the Democratic party. that
| the necessity of the Government is the
only justification for taxation. and when
ever II tax is unnecessary 1t is unjnstih-
| able; that when Custom House taxation
Is levied upon articles of any kind pro-
| duced III this country, the difference be-
| tween the cost of labor here and labor
| abroad, when such differences exists,
| fully measures any possible benefits to
| labor. and the enormous additional im-
| positions of the existing tariff fall with
| crushing force upon our farmers and
!
| of the few whom it enriches, exacts from
| labor a grossly unjust share of the ex-
| penses of the Government: and we de-
| mand such revision of the tariff laws as
| will remove their iniquitous inequalities,
| tighten their expressions. aud put them
| on.a constitutional and equitable basis =
But in making reductions in taxes, 1t is
| pot proposed to injure any domestic in-
dustries, but rather to promote their
| healthy growth. From the foundation OF
| this Government the taxes collected ae
the Custom House have been the chief
| source of Federal revenue. Such they
must continue to be. Moreover, man4
industries have come to rely upon legisia.
| lion for successful continuance, so that
any change or law must be at every step
| regardful of the labor and capital thus
involved. The process of reform must be
subject in the execution of this plan to
the dictates of Justice,
We denounce the present tariff, levied
| upon nearly four thousand articles, as n
| masterpiece of injustice, inequality and
false pretence, which yields a dwindling
and not yearly rising revenue. aud has
| Impoverished many industries to SUBJ
sidize a few. 1t prohibits imports THAI
might purchase the products of Amer can
| labor. 1t has degraded American COM
| merce from the first to au inferior rang
upon the high seas. 1t has cut down the
values of American manufactures at
home and abroad. 1t has depleted the
returns of American agriculture and in
dustry followed by half our people. It
costs the people five times more than it
produces to the Treasury. obstructs the
process of production, and wastes the
fruits of labor. 1t promotes fraud, fos-
ters smuggling, enrches dishonest
officials. aud bankrUpts honest mer-.
chants. We demand that all Custom
House taxation shall be only for rev.
enue.